Four Types Of Biohazardous Waste

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Biohazardous Waste comes in a number of forms and varieties but the most important part of any involvement with it is to ensure Biohazardous Waste Disposal is done correctly. This is because biohazardous waste is generally contaminated with bodily fluids and other such products. Here are four different types of biohazardous wastes and see how they should be disposed of properly.

The first is Solid Biohazardous Waste, this includes waste that is any non-sharp material that contacts human or animal specimens. This could include materials such as personal protective equipment, also known as PPE, petri dishes, towels, linens and pipettes. Any sharp objects, like scalpels or needles, will need to be disposed of separately. Healthcare professionals should collect solid waste in a container lined with an autoclave bag that is marked with a biohazardous symbol. Healthcare professionals should collect solid waste in a designated container lined by an autoclave bag. They then dispose of it as regular medical waste They then dispose of it as regular medical waste and then a waste management company will come to collect it and dispose of it according to regulations.

The second type of biohazardous waste is that of liquids. Liquid medical waste is bodily fluids that may contain an infectious agent. If the liquid is less than 25 mils then healthcare professionals can dispose of it as solid waste, anything over that will need to be disposed of differently. Any biohazardous liquid needs to be collected in a container that is leak proof. To help lower the risk of contamination the liquid can be placed in a secondary container. Most liquid waste can be disposed of using bleach.

The third type is sharp biohazardous waste, this includes any medical device that could be infectious and is sharp enough to pierce or puncture the skin. If a sharp can puncture the skin, then it is also capable of puncturing a plastic bag, which will need to be considered when disposing of sharps. Sharps generally include items such as needles, scalpels, broken glass vials. Any of these may contain biohazardous material. The health industry has designated and specific containers for collecting sharps. They are specifically designed for being resistant to punctures, for being leak proof and also being safe to handle. All sharps should be collected in these specially designed containers. It does not matter what material is in them as long as they are labelled with the correct symbol to help identify them.

The fourth and final type of Biohazardous waste to consider is pathological waste. This includes and removed animal or human organs, tissues or body parts. Any of these things could contain infectious agents. When disposing of any pathological biohazardous waste it should be double bagged so as to prevent any leaks and any risk to further harm or contamination. It should then be stored in a secondary container as is the case for liquid waste. From there it is disposed of by incineration or any other type of chemical treatment.

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