Medical Waste

What are the benefits that on-site technologies provide when processing infectious medical waste at the point of generation?

A total waste disposal expense reduction of between 13 and 35 percent can be achieved with on-site technologies, like Red Bag Solutions' SSM, at most facilities.

Primary Benefit: Reduction in Costs

From a facility perspective, the most significant benefit of on‑site technologies is a reduction in cost. A total waste disposal expense reduction between 13 percent and 35 percent can be achieved at most facilities. These savings are primarily due to the elimination or reduction of the following:

• Excessive premiums paid to commercial haulers for transporting infectious waste.
• Labor costs required to extensively track medical waste information.
• Surcharges for unplanned occurrences, such as fuel increases, regulatory changes or improperly boxed infectious material‑ Expensive autoclave bags, which can be replaced by less expensive red bags.
• Special handling contracts for sharps container destruction.
• Labor costs required to box, label, tape and store waste prior to shipment.
• Weight charged by haulers for boxes and carts.

What is also not included in the savings calculation is the ability to control the on‑site disposal cost over the life of the equipment compared to the Consumer Price Index annual price increases assessed by medical waste haulers or off-site processors.

Second Benefit: Reduction in Liability

A secondary benefit is the elimination of short and long‑term cradle‑to‑grave liability for the facility since hazardous waste is quickly transformed into ordinary municipal trash on‑site. Even sharps and sharps containers are ground into sterile, non‑recognizable and non‑hazardous "confetti," which is classified as acceptable 'landfill waste.

Third Benefit: Reduction in Space

A third benefit is the minimal space required by using an on-site disposal technology. The internal storage of carts to be shipped or the external storage of trailers is no longer necessary.

Fourth Benefit: Elimination of Exposure to Hazardous Emissions

The SSM technology also limits public exposure to unprocessed material through hazardous air emissions or accidental spillage. It also reduces governmental agency oversight since it provides safeguards relating to air quality, effluent, noise and odor.

Fifth  Benefit: Destruction of Information

The SSM even offers the added benefit of destroying any information‑bearing surfaces such as paper, CD‑ROM, DVD, microfiche and videotapes. This is more important today with the new HIPAA regulations relating to patient records and information. Now healthcare providers have the opportunity to eliminate all third party contracts relating to media destruction by using a single disposal system without having to segregate medical waste from confidential information.

Administrators and managers from environmental services, facilities and safety are encouraged to make an earnest assessment of the latest technology used for on‑site waste processing. 

Bill Norton, President and Chief Operating Officer
Red Bag Solutions

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