Medical waste is used interchangeably with clinical waste and refers to useless biological products. Many biological wastes are capable of spreading infectious diseases; hence, they are regarded as environmental concerns. In healthcare settings, the disposal of medical waste is a very crucial step geared towards the prevention of infection. Though the above holds true, it is also the most neglected aspect of the prevention of infectious diseases. It is therefore important for proper medical waste disposal services to be carried out as there are certain risks associated with failure or improper handling of medical waste. This task should be handled by professional medical waste disposal services Flagstaff Arizona
Good housekeeping goes a long way to ensure infection prevention as it aids a reduction in microorganisms. In a healthcare facility, the responsibility to dispose of medical waste appropriately rests on the shoulders of all staff.
Advantages of Hiring Medical Waste Disposal Services
The benefits of proper medical waste disposal services are listed below
- Facilitates the provision of an aesthetically pleasing atmosphere.
- Reduction of unpleasant sights and odors
- Reduction in the likelihood of contamination of the groundwater and soil
- Reduction in the cases of accidental injury to staff and visitors.
Who Bears The Risk?
People who come in direct contact with contaminated waste right from when it is thrown out to the point after it reaches the site of final disposal are at risk of infection. Many staff such as housekeepers and the likes do not understand the risks they are being exposed to. Hence, it is necessary for those in charge to make sure such staff are well aware of the risks and adhere to appropriate procedures.
Listed below are people who are at a very high risk of suffering from infections resulting from the poor management of medical waste disposal.
Staff:
Sharps such as Injection needles pose the greatest risk and there have reports of injuries and transmission of serious infections; for example, Hepatitis-B and HIV. According to current reports, records show that up to 400,000 health workers in the US suffer needlestick injuries on a yearly basis that could expose them to blood-borne viruses thus making them at risk of being infected by transmittable diseases.
Clients:
Members of staff that has not adequately carried out medical waste disposal can transmit infectious pathogens.
Community:
Members of the community are also at risk of coming in contact with contaminated medical waste that has not been properly disposed. When children are playing and they come in contact with such waste, they could get injured and worse, infected. Scavenging of medical waste is also a serious issue in low-resource areas. Apart from putting themselves in harm’s way and even risk infection, scavengers may also place clients and members of the community at risk when scavenged waste in form of syringes and sharps is reused.
When the needed awareness about the dangers of contaminated medical waste is created and staff, administrators and the community, in general, are educated in this regard, Medical waste disposal will become a less threatening issue. The institution of low cost, safe practices in medical waste disposal will also go a long way in making the environment safer for everyone. It is safer to hire medical waste disposal services in Flagstaff Arizona to handle this task.
