Medical clinics, dispensaries, and manufacturers have a responsibility to dispose of medical waste in a responsible manner. Without the right waste solutions, these facilities run the risk of endangering people and wreaking havoc on the environment.
It is not always easy for medical companies to distinguish reputable medical waste services from illegitimate ones. As a result, many facilities face serious consequences such as fines and health hazards due to their lack of diligence in choosing a trusted service.
Our team at Preferred Waste Concepts is here to offer some helpful criteria that you can use to guide your decision. Continue reading to learn the most important factors that you should consider before choosing a medical waste removal service for your company.
Read testimonials from other medical facilities
As is the case with any reputable product or service, testimonials should be readily available for your company to review before selecting a waste removal service. To ensure the safety of your employees, it is important to ensure medical waste removal services take place in a timely manner and are handled with the utmost professionalism. Reading testimonials from past and ongoing clients is a great way to find out how reliable the service is and gauge the quality of the company’s customer service.
Confirm that the company is in compliance with regional regulations
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is the governing body that is responsible for overseeing safe medical waste removal practices among many other protective measures which safeguard those working in medical facilities. If your company does not comply with local and state regulations, you could be fined up to $7,000 for use of unsafe practices. It is therefore the responsibility of medical facilities to source out a reliable medical waste service that follows these local and statewide requirements. For this reason, we recommend looking into the company’s specific protocol for medical waste disposal and requesting proof of regulatory compliance before agreeing to partner with them.
Find a service that offers non-hazardous waste removal
Unfortunately, not all medical waste services provide non-hazardous pharmaceutical waste removal. This can be highly inconvenient for facilities that deal with both hazardous and non-hazardous materials on a regular basis. At Preferred Waste Concepts, we are happy to retrieve both hazardous and non-hazardous pharmaceutical waste such as expired drug samples, as long as the two types of materials are placed in separate containers.
Inquire about documentation
In order to prove compliance with local and state regulations, it is crucial for medical facilities to obtain documentation outlining each medical waste service used. The waste removal company you partner with should account for the safe handling and destruction of your medical waste so that you can show this documentation to health and safety officials if necessary. Preferred Waste Concepts ensures every client is protected with clear documentation stating the responsible methods used to remove their hazardous and non-hazardous waste. Clients can expect to receive this documentation as soon as the waste is received and destroyed.
Be cautious of unusually low prices
While it is important to make sure the services your facility uses are cost-effective, an unusually low rate for medical waste services could be a sign of improper practices. Before choosing the least expensive service in your area, consider the costs associated with reliable transportation, qualified personnel, medical waste containers, and safe destruction of waste. If the cost of services appears to be too low to account for all of these factors, make sure you look into the company’s track record to ensure they are a trustworthy service provider.
Contact us for trusted medical waste services in St. Louis, MO.