With the start of a new year, it is a great time remind to health care workers, waste management workers, laboratory staff, and others to practice sharps safety and follow safety protocols. According to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), it is estimated that 600,000 to 800,000 needlestick injuries and other percutaneous injuries occur annually among health care workers. Punctures and cuts can introduce bloodborne pathogens into the body, such as hepatitis B virus (HPV), […]

Medical waste and its proper disposal remain a major concern for America. Here are the primary reasons: The safety of healthcare patients and personnel, as well as the legal obligation in handling the waste Environmentalists are concerned with the impact of medical waste, whether it’s wasting up on a beach in Jersey Shore or being illegally dumped in landfill sites Home producers of medical waste, such as needles and syringes that want to dispose of their tools properly What […]

Since the 1988 Medical Waste Tracking Act Expired in 1991 Medical waste is primarily regulated by state environmental and health departments. EPA has not had authority, specifically for medical waste, since the Medical Waste Tracking Act (MWTA) of 1988 expired in 1991. It is important to contact your state environmental program first when disposing of medical waste. Contact your state environmental protection agency and your state health agency for more information regarding your state’s regulations […]

The use of disposable plasticized medical gowns – both conventional and biodegradable – has surged since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Landfills now brim with them. Because the biodegradable version decomposes faster than conventional gowns, popular wisdom held that it offers a greener option by less space use and chronic emissions in landfills. That wisdom may be wrong. Biodegradable medical gowns actually introduce harsh greenhouse gas discharge problems, according to new research published Dec. […]

As a supply chain leader, Motz Feinberg isn’t just focused on getting product to the point of care. The vice president of supply chain at Los Angeles-based Cedars-Sinai Health System is also intent on guiding and leveraging other leaders’ understanding of supply chain operations. Many hospital leaders outside of supply chain developed a greater appreciation for the complexities of supply operations during the COVID-19 pandemic as they faced shortages of personal protective equipment and other […]

Needle disposal boxes in bathrooms on college campuses provide a safe receptacle where students who take injectable medications can discard their used needles. College students who use injectable medications while on campus often face a difficult conundrum: Do they toss their used needles in campus trash cans, posing a health risk to custodial staff, or carry them around campus until they can safely dispose of them, running the risk of accidently poking themselves or others […]

Hospitals are not fully prepared to handle waste from Ebola and other deadly viruses on-site, according to the Healthcare Coalition for Emergency Preparedness. Hospitals in the U.S. have been instructed to ramp up their preparedness plans, but many of these facilities still aren’t able to sterilize medical waste from Ebola or other deadly diseases on site, according to the Healthcare Coalition for Emergency Preparedness. Late last month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ […]