Sorting of Medical Waste
Sharps disposing container
Photo by: Jeni Braxton
Prior to treatment all the medical waste has to be properly sorted and stored by the facilities. The storage varies depending on the type of medical waste, but most is stored in red or yellow medical waste bags with imprinted biohazard symbol. The symbol is used to point out that the waste should be handled by specialized recycling companies.
The sharp container is the most visible and most known form of medical waste container and is located in throughout all healthcare facilities. The sharps container are made of thick plastic and have a small hole located on the top of the container. The container functions similarly to a mail box, the sharps are dropped down through the opening and the user can no more reach into the container to get the discarded item ("Proper Waste," 2013). That eliminated the possibilities of users getting cut or infected by any of the sharp objects. They include, needles, scalpels, syringes and etc.
The sharp container is the most visible and most known form of medical waste container and is located in throughout all healthcare facilities. The sharps container are made of thick plastic and have a small hole located on the top of the container. The container functions similarly to a mail box, the sharps are dropped down through the opening and the user can no more reach into the container to get the discarded item ("Proper Waste," 2013). That eliminated the possibilities of users getting cut or infected by any of the sharp objects. They include, needles, scalpels, syringes and etc.
Recycling medical waste bags
Photo from :Alibaba.com
Other types of medical waste containers include 55 gallon drums and thick plastic bags. The drums are mostly used for blood and body fluids that take up a larger amount of volume. The plastic bags are made of thick and anti-rapture plastic and are used for recycling infectious, hazardous and radioactive medical waste. Sharps and liquids are the only two types of medical waste that are not recycled in plastic bags. The bags can hold up to fifty pounds of medical waste, and once it is filled it has to be sent to a recycling company for treatment ("Where does," 2007). Each state has separate regulations and separate recycling companies that have different rules of how long medical waste can be stored prior to treatment. However, the maximum amount of time for storage is seven days. Also, medical waste has to be stored in separate containers and has to be away from general waste. The area where medical waste is stored has to be ventilated and clearly labeled with signs to minimize accessibility to the general public. After the waste is removed for treatment, each container has to be disinfected immediately.