The Harmful Effects Of Medical Waste Essay

Containers for solid medical waste: Use red bags that are labeled with the words Biohazardous Waste or the universal biohazard symbol and the word Biohazard. Red bags must not contain chemotherapy waste.

Dirty equipment – having dirty equipment which is not cleaned between patients can spread infection very fast lots of bacteria can be spread on a blood pressure cuff for example.

All equipment must be cleaned in between patients if it is re-usable and not for single use. There are three levels of risk High, intermediate and low, and three ways to decontaminate Cleaning, Sterilisation, and Disinfection.

Has anyone ever considered how medical devices are prepared before a surgical procedure? Central Sterile Processing Department (CSPD) consists of services within the Hospital, in which reusable medical devices will be cleaned, prepared, and processed. The role for CSPD is to prevent infection transmitted by usage of medical devices. The procedure for hospital medical devices before surgery has a four part workflow process in: Decontamination, to Instrumentation, to Sterilization and Sterile Storage (Case Carts). An example is given for reprocessing an Intestinal Set and the supplies needed for the preparation of this medical device set.

1. Explain how the environment is prepared, maintained and cleaned to ensure it is ready for the healthcare activity

Infectious waste is stored in yellow clinical bags, sharps are stored in a sharps container and household waste is stored in black bags. Each of these containers can only be filled up until they are 75% full at which point they must be closed and stored in a separate room prior to collection.

Sterile Processing compromises a service of which the medical and surgical supplies of any medical facility’s equipment and instrumentation- sterile or non-sterile are cleaned, prepared, processed, stored, and distributed throughout the healthcare facility. There are several functions of this highly skilled team perform on a daily basis from decontamination to the sterilization of high risk medical implant devices. They are the first line of defense in infection prevention for any patient receiving medical treatment in healthcare facilities. Japp (2014) affirmed the importance of properly processing medical devices performed by Sterile Processing technicians for patient safety by stating a critical point “Not following the correct process can be detrimental to the patient as the device that we are assuming is safe for the patient may all actually cause severe illness or death” (p.

Hospital waste is one of the world’s growing problems. Hospitals on average produce 29 pounds of waste per staffed bed in just one day (2016). One of the reasons for medical waste is that a large amount disposable products used for sanitary reasons such as drapes, basins, and sponges (Conrardy J et al, 2009). However, new methods using reusable products in operating rooms have provided a means to decrease the regulated medical waste generated by an average of 65% (Conrardy J et al, 2009). Even if the hospital bureaucracy is unconcerned with the environment. These changes reduce the cost of waste disposal (Conrardy J et al, 2009). On the social side of progress, nonprofits like Practice Greenhealth provide sources for environmental solutions for the health care sector. At the hospital’s request, they can send information packets to help inform hospital staff on more environmental purchases such as the “Less Waste member-only toolkit”

The Hazardous Waste Regulations 2005 forbids the mixing of different types of hazardous waste (medication, needles and gloves), and the mixing of hazardous waste with non-hazardous waste in health care settings. This means that health care settings will need at least two containers, one for ‘hazardous waste and one for ‘Non-hazardous. It’s classed an offence if health care settings don’t follow the rules when getting rid of hazardous waste. This regulation also states that when people don’t need their medication they should be returning it them the pharmacy instead of disposing them in the bin.

There is no clear description regarding food waste in a universal matter either historically or presently, making it perplexing in definition and comparison. What is clear is that food waste continues to grow at a rapid pace with the expansion of a world population experiencing societal and agricultural developments in an era where land and other resources are becoming more limited. The increase in waste and category of foods which people throw away has transformed with time through the advancement and evolving of varying cultures. The French labeled “Garbage” specifically as food waste and later broadened the term in applying to refuse in general.

How could you effect immediate change to decrease this identified waste practice in health care?

The effectiveness of this method is that the waste is properly is disposed off through cautious means. Allied Medical Waste Tracking is keen on training its drivers and equipping them with skills that enable them to perform their duties as expected and as in line with the organization’s mission. The drivers’ knowledge on how to handle spillages comes in as a very important aspect in the waste management business. Apart from the medical waste, Allied Medical Waste Tracking decided to take up veterinary waste and use it as a way of improving its market and profits as well.

Everyone is going green; it is so common in today’s society for every company to advance to smarter ways of doing business. My long term future career goal is to become a Neonatal Physician. I would like to play a huge role in improving both the health care and natural ecosystem. We have to live here on Earth, so why not protect it “One Earth, one experience” -Edward Wilson. Hospitals operate on a 24-hour basis, 365 days a year. In the process of treating patients, they use a lot of water and energy and generate a lot of waste from medical products. Though most hospitals have made the initiatives to reduce some of these issues, I do believe that more can be done. Starting a sustainability program to reduce some of these concerns will not only

Food waste is an issue that is present at Cornell College. By going into Bon Appetit, the issue becomes clear. Students are given more food than they can eat. To go boxes are not available for students who dine in, and most students do not bring reusable containers with them. Most do not think about how much food they waste. By going over to where we put out plates when we are finished, it is easy to see many students leave a good portion of their meals on the plate. Whether they did not like what they were eating or they were in a hurry and had to leave, big amounts of food are wasted during each meal of the day. Steps can be taken to decrease the overall amount of food that is wasted on campus. Ideas such as smaller plates, vermiculture, competitions, and others can be utilized in the efforts to decrease food waste on campus.

A violent epidemic rapidly spreading across the world, the AIDS virus has forced doctors and healthcare professionals alike to take extensive measures when handling anything possibly contaminated. Furthermore, the Halsey Health Products line of sharps disposal containers are a necessity for hospitals across the country making up an annual market demand of 109 million containers sold. Dealing with such a potentially dangerous threat of infection the strength and reliability of sharps containers must surpass any federal standards and should be able to withstand all conditions. In addition, the integrity of this product is a key factor for the Halsey Corporation as it comprises a significant share of the targeted $900 million in sales.