MWR, provides safe and reliable biohazardous waste disposal services in Michigan.

Adequate biohazardous waste disposal is essential for the health of medical professionals and workers. Hospitals are the main source of biohazardous waste and produce millions of tons every year. Other contributing institutions include pharmacies, dental clinics, veterinarians, and funeral homes, etc.

The addition of “bio” to the word hazardous signifies hazardous waste from living organisms. Usually, hazardous waste is thought to constitute harmful chemicals, yet the biohazardous waste includes body secretions and fluids.

Biohazardous waste comprises different body tissues, fluids, and materials contaminated with infected body fluids. They usually include:

• Pathological tissue samples
• Microbial cultures
• Infected blood or blood products
• Cytotoxic drugs
• Waste from infected patients

The WHO has devised 8 categories for biohazardous waste disposal and separation to ensure safe disposal. The eight categories are:

• Infectious waste:It includes any material from the lab or a patient suffering from an infectious disease. It could be in the form of discarded diagnostic samples containing blood or other body fluids, bandages and swabs of infected patients, and infected animals from lab testing.
• Chemical waste:The reagents and solvents used in laboratory testing and preparations.
• Pathological waste:Pathological waste is comprised of human and animal tissues, body parts, or fluids.
• Cytotoxic waste:Carcinogenic drugs having cytotoxic properties are the most prevalent biohazardous waste.
• Pharmaceutical waste:It includes unused, expired, or leftover drugs and vaccines.

WHO also classifies radio waste and sharps waste as biohazardous waste disposal.

Another classification of biohazardous waste is as follows:

According to the Hazard Awareness and Management Manual (HAMM) of Environment Health & Safety (EHS), the lifecycle of biohazardous waste is from generation to accumulation, handling, storage, treatment, transport, and then disposal. It is only possible to dispose of biohazardous waste adequately when you are well-informed of the kind of waste generated. If you know the type of biohazardous waste generated and accumulated, you can evaluate the correct methods of handling, storing, treating, and disposing of the waste. MWR Michigan can help you make the safe, low-cost determination to best fit your needs!

Handling biohazardous waste demands strict care not to harm those responsible for the disposal either. Government departments like OSHA, CDC, DOT, and FDA design laws and ensure law enforcement for categorizing and handling biohazardous waste. Different kind of waste is allotted separate containers and should be disposed of accordingly.

Along with the categorization of waste, ensuring proper handling and transportation is equally crucial. OSHA has devised few safety guidelines for biohazardous waste disposal:

• The solid biohazardous waste comprising pipettes, Petri dishes, gloves, paper towels, etc., should packed in a bag first. For this purpose, red plastic bags are used, which must be dumped into the red container afterward.
• Pathological biohazardous waste should be placed inside a red container.
• The animal and human organs should also be disposed of properly in leak-proof bags before transferring to the red container.

These laws are crucial for healthcare facilities and are regulated throughout Michigan.

The treatment of biohazardous waste is similar to other medical waste disposals including incineration of animal carcasses. We can also guide you on how to classify the waste and dispose of it to ensure safety of healthcare and sanitary workers. Contact us today for a free quote!