The goal of healthcare facilities is to protect and restore the health of people suffering from all sorts of diseases and conditions and to save lives. However, we tend to forget about the waste these facilities generate. Did you know that numerous healthcare facilities don’t respect the regulations regarding safe medical hazardous waste disposal and this is the reason why, in 2010 alone, 33 800 new HIV infections were registered, together with 315 000 hepatitis C infections and 1.7 million hepatitis B infections. These infections are all caused by the improper disposal of sharps such as needles, syringes, disposable scalpels and blades. If you own a healthcare facility or plan on launching one on the market in the near future, then you absolutely need to gather more details on medical hazardous waste disposal.

Healthcare waste is extremely dangerous mainly because it contains microorganisms which can infect hospital workers, hospital patients and the general public. The health risks associated with healthcare waste are radiation burns, sharp inflected injuries, poisoning and pollution caused by pharmaceutical products, poisoning and pollution caused by cytotoxic drugs which are drugs used for the treatment of cancer, poisoning and pollution caused by waste water and the elements released during incineration, such as dioxins or mercury. A healthcare facility can produce numerous types of hazardous waste, such as:
• Infectious waste: waste from autopsies, bodily fluids, bandages, swabs and disposable medical devices
• Pathological waste: body parts, organs, tissues
• Sharps: syringes, needles, blades and disposable scalpels
• Pharmaceuticals
• Chemicals: solvents, disinfectants and heavy metals contained in medical devices
• Genotoxic waste: cytotoxic drugs used in the treatment of cancer
• Radioactive waste: radio therapeutic materials and radioactive diagnostic material
Regardless of what type of waste your healthcare facility produces, you need to understand the fact that you are responsible for it and you need to find a medical hazardous waste disposal company that respects the laws and regulations in the field. By doing some additional reading on the companies that work in your area and by learning more about the methods they use for waste disposal, it will be easy for you to understand whether or not you are about to sign a contract with a waste disposal company that deserves your attention and partnership. If the waste is not taken to landfills that have been checked by professionals or if the liquid waste, for example, is not put into deep enough wells, then you are not working with the right specialists. This means that you will have to make some further research and gather more info in order to choose the right professionals. It is vital for you to understand that the waste your company produces can affect the health of people who accidentally get into contact with it and it is vital for you to understand the fact that this waste can severely affect the environment. I know for sure that there are companies in your area that deserve your attention and all you have to do is to find them. Find them now and start a safe waste disposal partnership.