It’s reported that people in the US produce over 265 million tons of solid waste, which amounts to 4.5 pounds per person. In addition, American hospitals produce around 6 million tons of solid waste per year.
While the majority of medical waste isn’t hazardous, WHO states that at least 15% of it falls into the hazardous category.
This led to the creation of regulations and protocols that all hospitals must understand, follow, and adhere to. These regulations and protocols aim to safeguard every healthcare worker in the facility.
But what happens if healthcare workers don’t comply with these regulations and continue to manage medical disposal poorly? Let’s find out.
1. Legal issues
Sure, improperly managing medical waste may cause injuries to the workers, but if you don’t adhere to the disposal regulations, you’ll end up facing a plethora of legal issues. These ramifications won’t just eat a good chunk of your productivity, but can also be quite confusing. Remember, your healthcare facility will always be held liable for ignoring the guidelines/laws. In fact, liability for healthcare professionals has shot up with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. If you cause any damage to your patients, staff, or any community member, you’ll be at risk of significant lawsuits that may put your business down. Often, even malpractice insurance fails to cover this kind of infringement.
2. Risk of exposure, injury, or death
If you’re a healthcare provider, you’ll know that there’s no bigger risk than these. Every minute, healthcare facilities are producing some type of medical waste – hazardous and non-hazardous. The hazardous waste comes in the form of pharmaceuticals, biohazards, and sharps that may lead to contamination if not properly disposed of using the right mediums. Don’t forget that if any of your healthcare workers are contaminated or injured while disposing of medical waste, you and your facility will have to combat a number of severe consequences. This is why OSHA compliance has become mandatory. So, ensure you put all the safety precautions in place for workers disposing of medical waste.
3. Compliance helps your healthcare facility succeed
Thanks to the EPA and RCRA, there are proper guidelines for managing medical waste. Therefore, every healthcare professional needs to be aware of these regulations. Usually, fines are imposed on all individual infractions within the process – not just for every breach. With multiple fines for even the minutest of infringements, no healthcare facility can afford to be non-compliant. If healthcare facilities adhere to all the guidelines properly, we’ll start seeing healthier communities in no time.
Medical Systems’ medical waste disposal services in Denver helps you remove the burden of multiple, complex waste streams
Our pharmaceutical waste management service in Denver can help you reduce costs and protect your reputation and brand. With a reputation for ethical practices and a number of infectious waste disposal services in Denver, we’ll help you stay well ahead of the rapidly evolving needs of your industry.
Contact us now for biomedical waste disposal services in Denver!
