When it comes to medical waste disposal San Diego medical and dental providers often overlook the benefits of proper waste classification. However, investing a few minutes in establishing a working system and utilizing medical waste services can save any organization thousands of dollars. More so, this method can significantly improve overall operations and improve efficiencies across the board.
Proper Classification Can Reduce Medical Waste
Breaking old habits and retraining staff may be necessary to some level, but proper classification of medical waste can significantly reduce overall costs. These tips will help.
Avoid Overuse of Red Bags
High-priority and high-risk red bags are often used when getting rid of waste and that can be an expensive mistake. Discourage staff from using red bags for any type of waste instead of just tossing all trash into these bags. While it may provide some level of peace of mind, this overuse of these bags can be an expensive mistake many facilities make.
Make True Medical Waste Clear
It’s important that all staff know what should be put in red bags and what is not truly medical waste and does not need to be placed in these bags. In short, medical waste should be anything that contains high-risk material including:
- Significant amounts of blood
- Vaginal as well as Semen
- Cerebrospinal, pericardial and pleural fluid,
- Synovial, peritoneal, and amniotic fluid
- Dental -related saliva
- Unfixed human or animal tissues or organs
These are Other Potentially Infectious Materials, or OPIM, as well as blood-related materials. These should be placed into red bags. Educate your staff about this and create charts so that it is clear what should be placed in this type of medical waste bag.
Identify Other Medical Waste
In addition to these items, there are also materials associated with these fluids that are often considered medical waste. This includes:
- Any materials containing liquid that may contain medical waste
- Materials that can release liquid
- Dried on or caked blood or fluids
- Pathological or microbiological waste
- Sharps
Ensure that your staff understands the risks associated with these products and uses the appropriate contamination tools to ward against risks including using red bags. However, beyond this (and even in some cases small amounts of blood are no risk) the use of red bags should be avoided.
Create and Maintain Procedures
It’s also important to create specifics, step-by-step procedures that encourage proper classification of medical waste. In addition to creating these procedures, make it easy for your staff to follow them. For example, if red bags are the only option in a setting, staff are likely to use them. To avoid this, place large-mouthed trash bins readily throughout the facility making the disposable of non-risky material easy to toss out.
Follow-up on the importance and proper use of red bags including how to avoid overusing them. This should be something medical facilities do on a regular basis to ensure all staff remain on the same page. When done properly, it can significantly reduce costs.
Get the Help You Need from Your Medical Waste Disposal San Diego Providers
Contact us today to learn more about your options in medical waste disposal Los Angeles. When you do so, you can request a free quote from our team at Allied Medical Waste.