If you oversee a medical center or veterinarian’s clinic, you likely need a service to handle your medical waste disposal in Madison.
Medical waste is an unavoidable aspect of providing medical care to humans and animals. Just like human clinics, veterinarian offices need to dispose of waste. Not only are these items potentially hazardous to the people who come in contact with them, but health regulations also require proper disposal.
In addition to training veterinary clinic staff to properly handle and dispose of waste, you can find a provider like Preferred Waste Concepts to help you comply with regulations governing medical waste disposal in Madison.
The type of medical waste found in a veterinary clinic
Here is a look at the items needing specialized disposal in a veterinary clinic.
- Sharps. Veterinarians often use needles, syringes, razors, and scalpels. These must be collected in hard-sided, safety-compliant containers.
- Medications. Leftover medications need to be disposed of to avoid contamination.
- Bodily waste. In addition to pet excrement, blood, and other fluids, veterinarians may also need to properly dispose of deceased animals.
- Potentially hazardous treatment materials. These can include items like radioactive pellets used in cancer therapies.
- Dressings. Pathological discards such as wound dressings, gauze, and bandages contain blood and other materials that could potentially be infectious.
- Contaminated items. Any items contaminated by blood or other infectious materials have to be properly cleaned or disposed of if cleaning and disinfecting is impossible. In addition to accidental contamination in exam or operating rooms, this waste could include gloves, masks, or other PPE equipment worn by veterinary staff.
Importance of proper disposal of veterinary medical waste
- Proper disposal protects staff, animals, and people from potential infections or exposure to pathogens.
- Medical waste that isn’t properly sealed could expose people outside of the clinic handling the waste to pathogens. Meanwhile, throwing contaminated items in regular trash receptacles can expose regular waste handlers to pathogens.
- Sharps could injure and infect staff, pets, and their owners if not properly secured.
- Improper disposal of medications can contaminate soil and water. There is also a danger of humans or animals coming into contact with these items or ingesting them, causing medical problems.
- Veterinary clinics must comply with state and federal laws concerning medical waste. Failure to do so could lead to fines, loss of veterinary license, and, in severe cases, even criminal charges or civil lawsuits.
- Patrons will feel confident in a veterinary clinic if they see proper waste disposal practices and well-marked receptacles for various types of waste.
How to dispose of veterinary waste properly
At Preferred Waste Concepts, we aid veterinary clinics in the disposal of medical waste. Here are some of the steps our clients commonly take.
- Contaminated sharps can be disposed of in impenetrable containers to await collection.
- Animal cadavers, which are common in veterinary offices because of euthanization procedures, can be disposed of in an infectious waste container. In many cases, the animals will be transported to a pet cemetery or cremation facility.
- Biohazardous or contaminated materials must be placed in properly marked bags or containers. It must be kept separate from other types of waste and sealed closed to avoid contact with people or animals.
We collect and transport the waste and can provide documentation of proper disposal.
How Preferred Waste Concepts helps with veterinary medical waste disposal in Madison
Preferred Waste Concepts has 26 years of experience handling medical waste. We understand that each client has different needs, and we work to ensure you follow proper procedures and use the correct containers and labels for waste.
We can also provide all the necessary documentation you need to prove compliance.
Contact us today to see what we can do for your veterinary practice.