Keeping students & staff safe

All schools, from elementary through university have a clinic or infirmary on site, there to provide care for ill or injured students and to administer certain medications and treatments. Because of this, these facilities produce waste, including expired medications and medication containers, sharps, gauze and other bandaging items and more. These waste materials must be disposed of properly or the health and safety of students and staff could be at risk.

Waste materials produced in schools

Some of the items that school nurses’ offices and clinics use to care for students include:

• Infectious waste
  Any item that contains pathogens or bacteria, like blood and other bodily fluids, that can spread to others and cause illness of injury including needles, gloves, glass pipettes, gauze, etc.

• Sharps
  Sharps are of particular concern, especially in schools with younger children who may be curious and unaware of the dangers of pricks or sticks. All used or damaged sharps must be disposed of in an FDA approved sharps container with a locking lid. It’s also imperative that these containers are removed and emptied on a regular basis and are never overfilled.
• Pharmaceutical waste
  Administering medications is a regular practice at many schools. However, partially used, expired and used pharmaceuticals must be removed from the premises promptly to avoid any risk of ingestion or exposure from students. This includes any vials, whether plastic or glass, tubing or other materials used to give the medication. 

Setting up a regular disposal schedule

To ensure that your school remains compliant and that your students, faculty and staff are safe, set up a regular disposal schedule with a certified, professional provider. All Points Medical Waste will work with you to create a schedule that works best for your facility, depending on the amount of students and staff, as well as the amount of waste you produce. Our
family-owned and operated company provides services to schools throughout the Treasure Coast as well as Okeechobee, Indiantown, Broward and Palm Beach Counties. We also provide online OSHA training for your staff, including school nurses and clinicians. To find out more about what we do or to get a quote, give us a call at 772.600.4885.