Legislating Medical Waste

On average, each hospital discards 80,000 pounds of medical waste every year at a cost of $ 15,000, which should be properly disposed of. People may consider medical waste to be disposed of in hospitals, but the actual definition of medical waste is very limited, and only 20% of hospital waste is actually "medical waste" It is not classified as. However, medical waste does not necessarily have definitions, but it has some unpleasant consequences. Until 1988, this was a decisive point for US medical facilities.

There are basically two types of all medical waste (HCW). Regulated medical waste (RMW) and non-regulated medical waste (UMW). It is called Health Care General Waste (HCGW) whether about 75% to 90% of health care workers are UMW (not subject to regulation). This waste is similar to general household garbage such as paper and plastic not in contact with patients and is classified as non-infectious. This type of waste is only disposed of in accordance with local regulations. Approximately 10% to 25% of health professionals are infectious / restricted medical waste (RMW)

Medical waste is a part of waste generated by medical institutions such as hospitals, clinics, dental clinics, blood banks, veterinary hospitals / clinics, medical research facilities and laboratories. Typically, medical waste is a medical waste that may be contaminated with blood, body fluids, or other potentially infectious substances and is often referred to as regulated medical waste. Medical waste is regulated mainly by domestic environmental health authorities. EPA has no special authority over medical waste since the 1988 Medical Waste Tracking Act (MWTA) expired in 1991. When handling medical waste, it is important to first contact the state's environmental plan. For details on your state's medical waste regulations, please contact your State Environmental Protection Bureau and State Health Administration Bureau.