Biohazard Waste Removal Tips

Before going over a few tips on the removal of biohazardous waste, it’s important to know what exactly biohazardous waste is and why it’s important to carefully handle and appropriately dispose of it. Officially, biohazardous waste, also called infectious waste, is waste that’s contaminated with potentially infectious “agents” that can pose a threat to the environment and public health.

Common examples of biohazardous waste include anything containing blood and most other bodily fluids, any waste produced by or in the proximity of someone with a communicable disease, and any and all supplies used to handle (gloves, masks, gowns, etc) and contain (bin liners, viles, etc) biohazardous agents. Such waste is very common in settings like hospitals and laboratories, but often occurs in almost all other private and public settings, so it’s a good idea to know how to properly dispose of it. Here are some biohazardous waste removal tips:

Identify & Separate Waste Based on Category

In order to properly dispose of biohazardous waste and understand your role in its removal, it’s necessary to identify the waste based on its category. There are, based on the physical form of the waste, four general categories of biohazardous waste. These include solid (non-sharps) biohazardous waste, sharps, liquid biohazardous waste, and soil collection, treatment, and disposal. The reason this is important is because each category needs to be segregated and disposed of in different ways in order to minimize the risk to public health and the environment. Follow this link for a useful guide on how to categorize biohazardous waste!

Non-Contaminated Waste Removal

Non-contaminated waste – biohazardous materials that aren’t contaminated with infectious agents – can be disposed of and removed as “medical waste”. This means that you can handle and remove the waste all by yourself, whereas you’re legally limited in the process of contaminated biohazardous waste removal. That said, you still need to handle non-contaminated biohazardous waste with care and dispose of the various types of such waste into their appropriate waste liners and containers.

Contaminated Waste Removal

Contaminated biohazardous waste – waste contaminated with infectious agents – must be disposed of and removed by a licensed biohazardous waste hauler. These measures are taken because of the liability issues surrounding the risk to public health and the environment from the improper handling and removal of potentially dangerous waste.

Protecting Yourself & Others

A very critical part of the removal process of biohazardous waste includes the measures you must take to protect yourself and others involved in the process. First, before you handle and displace any biohazardous waste, make sure to outfit yourself with gloves, a mask, eye protection, and/or a protective gown. In some cases, you may also need an air filtration device or respirator to avoid toxic or otherwise harmful fumes. To protect others, make sure you dispose of waste in appropriate liners and/or containers, closing them by tying or sealing the containers using acceptable methods.