Biomedical waste system

Biomedical waste

Biomedical waste, (BMW), consists of solids, liquids, sharps, and laboratory waste that are potentially infectious or dangerous and are considered biowaste. It must be properly managed to protect the general public, specifically healthcare and sanitation workers who are regularly exposed to biomedical waste as an occupational hazard.

Biomedical waste differs from other types of hazardous waste, such as industrial waste, in that it comes from biological sources or is used in the diagnosis, prevention, or treatment of diseases. Common producers of biomedical waste include hospitals, health clinics, nursing homes, medical research laboratories, offices of physicians, dentists, and veterinarians, home health care, and funeral homes.

Contents [hide] 1 Biomedical Waste Management 2 Protection from Biomedical Waste 3 See also 4 References

Biomedical Waste Management

Sorting of medical wastes in hospital.At the site where it is generated, biomedical waste is placed in specially-labelled bags and containers for removal by biomedical waste transporters. Other forms of waste should not be mixed with biomedical waste as different rules apply to the treatment of different types of waste.

Household biomedical waste usually consists of needles and syringes from drugs administered at home (such as insulin), soiled wound dressings, disposable gloves, and bedsheets or other cloths that have come into contact with bodily fluids.^[1] Disposing of these materials with regular household garbage puts waste collectors at risk for injury and infection especially from sharps as they can easily puncture a standard household garbage bag. Many communities have programs in place for the disposal of household biomedical waste. Some waste treatment facilities also have mail-in disposal programs. Biomedical waste treatment facilities are licensed by the local governing body which maintains laws regarding the operation of these facilities. The laws ensure that the general public is protected from contamination of air, soil,groundwater, or municipal water supply. A company that helps out by putting all of the laws and information in one location is B&D Biomedical Waste Services, they have all websites and links to all laws in Florida for the safe and proper disposal of biomedical waste. Another company, BioMedical Technology Solutions, Inc., offers a green alternative to haul-away services for disposal of biomedical waste. The Company's desktop unit, the Demolizer® II, is the only patented, portable, and self-contained system able to process both sharps and typical red bag biomedical waste onsite. Upon processing the biomedical waste in the unit, all regulatory paperwork is printed from the system and the waste is able to be disposed of as common trash.

Protection from Biomedical Waste

Wash your hands with soap and warm water after handling biomedical waste. Also, wash all areas of your body with soap and water that you think may have come into contact with biomedical waste, even if you are not sure your body actually touched the biomedical waste.

• Keep all sores and cuts covered.
• Immediately replace wet bandages with clean, dry bandages.
• Wear disposable latex gloves when handling biomedical waste. Discard the gloves immediately after use.
• Wear an apron or another type of cover to protect your clothes from contact with the waste. If your clothes become soiled, put on fresh clothes, and take a shower, if possible.
• Launder or throw away clothes soiled with biomedical waste.
• Promptly clean and disinfect soiled, hard-surfaced floors by using a germicidal or bleach solution and mopping up with paper towels.
• Clean soiled carpets. First blot up as much of the spill as possible with paper towels and put the soiled paper towels in a plastic lined, leak-proof container. Then try one of the following:
• Steam clean the carpet with an extraction method.
• Scrub the carpet with germicidal rug shampoo and a brush. Soak the brush used for scrubbing in a disinfectant solution and rinse the brush. Let the carpet dry, and then vacuum it.
• Never handle syringes, needles, or lancets with your hands. Use a towel, shovel, and/or broom and a dustpan to pick up these sharp objects. Dispose of them in a plastic soda pop bottle with a cap. Tape down the bottle cap. Then throw the bottle in the trash.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biomedical_waste