What happens next?

If you’re working with a qualified medical waste disposal company, it’s likely that you never give your medical waste a second thought after it leaves your facility. As a healthcare professional, managing hazardous and bio hazardous medical waste is key to your safety and the health and safety of your team and community—and you might have wondered more than once, how is your waste destroyed. Here’s a quick look at the process.

Although there may be some differences in the process that vary state-by-state, most medical waste has to go through the following stages before destruction occurs:

Segregation

Medical waste must be separated and placed in the proper receptacle that corresponds to the type of treatment it requires for destruction

Transportation

Medical waste is transported to a facility for destruction in containers that are spill and leak proof

Destruction

Depending on the type of waste, and if it is regulated medical waste, the materials are then safely destroyed via an approved method

Disposal

After destruction, medical waste is then disposed of in an approved landfill

Methods of destruction/sterilization

There are several ways in which your medical waste disposal provider will dispose of the waste from your facility:

Autoclave or steam sterilization

Autoclaving is one of the most effective methods for sterilizing waste like sharps, it uses saturated steam with a pressure vessel to kill infectious properties in the waste

Grinding or encapsulation

Using this method, the waste goes through a grinding process while being treated with a chemical disinfectant at the same time

Thermal inactivation

In this process, waste is exposed to heat to reduce its infectious properties

Irradiation

Irradiation exposes waste to ultraviolet or ionizing radiation to break down the infectious properties

The last stop of the process for various types of medical waste is compaction, whereby the waste is compressed together reducing its size and volume. Once waste is treated and compacted, it is then transported to a sanitary landfill. Liquid waste is sent to an approved septic system or sanitary sewer system.

For all your medical waste, following all OSHA and FDA regulations when it comes to storage and disposal is a key component to ensuring the health and safety of your staff and patients. Partnering with a certified and reliable medical waste disposal provider is also key, and the last step to responsible waste disposal.

All Points Medical Waste can offer you the service and attention you need as well as a team of highly trained professionals. Give us a call today at 772.600.4885 to find our more about how we can serve you.