Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Turns to SSM for Infectious Waste Disposal

William D. Norton, President and Chief Operating Officer
Red Bag Solutions

Red Bag Solutions announced today that the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine has agreed to purchase an SSM unit to dispose of infectious medical waste at its Baltimore location. "We have been studying various technologies for the past two years," said Jack Grinnalds, Senior Director, Facilities Management, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, "and the SSM offers advantages that other technologies have not been able to offer."

The SSM simultaneously combines steam sterilization and maceration (SSM) to process waste on-site, in a single step. It transforms hazardous medical waste, including sharps and sharps containers, into a sterile, non-hazardous, and non-recognizable confetti-like material that can be disposed of as ordinary trash. In addition to its ability to significantly reduce a hospital's expenses associated with waste disposal, this patented technology is noted for its ease of operation and its compatibility with the environment. Less handling and transporting of infectious waste is required when using the SSM as opposed to alternative technologies. And although it is powerful enough to sterilize 150 pounds of waste per hour, minimal instruction is necessary to train housekeeping personnel to operate the equipment. Steam sterilization and maceration does not use chemicals and produces no odors or harmful emissions.

"The system will provide safe disposal of waste with a substantial reduction of operating costs," noted Grinnalds. "Not only does the SSM save institutions money by eliminating obvious expenses such as third party hauling, but its cost effectiveness is also apparent in subtle ways such as decreasing the labor needed for regulatory compliance documentation," added Bill Norton, President of Red Bag Solutions.

The SSM requires only 60 square feet of space. Its size and ease of installation offer institutions a great deal of flexibility when locating the unit. "The only accommodation we made for the SSM prior to installation was for utilities," stated Grinnalds. "Other technologies that we studied had physically larger machines and required substantial dumpster capacities or loading dock facilities in order to function."

"We are extremely pleased to have such a prestigious healthcare institution such as Johns Hopkins University select the SSM for its on-going disposal method. Their decision to seek an environmentally safe alternative to incineration or hauling is reflective of their status as a worldwide leader in the healthcare industry and their concern for the surrounding community," said Norton.

Red Bag Solutions provides on-site medical waste processing equipment to hospitals, laboratories, biotech and pharmaceutical companies both in the United States and internationally.

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