Safety Tips When You’re Exposed To Hospital Waste

Although it’s natural to think of healthcare facility workers as the people who handle medical waste, there are still other workers such as transporters and landfill staff who can still be potentially exposed to medical waste.

Of course, no matter what precautions are taken, there is still that chance of spills or other exposure. However, it’s always better to be safe and try to lessen the risk as much as possible.

Here are safety tips for those who are exposed to hospital waste:

•    Always follow your employer’s standard operating procedures and your supervisor’s instructions about how to report and handle medical waste.
•    Be aware of the waste that you may end up encountering and know what to do if you do find them.
•    Stay alert to any potential hazards.
•    Treat any red bag, red sharps container, or anything with the biohazard symbol, or other materials that seem to be hospital waste as if they are hazardous. Then, make sure to report what you find to your supervisor.
•    Wear PPE in cases where you might be directly exposed to the waste.
•    In the event of spills, splashing or splattering, or any unusual hazard, wearing special equipment like respirators, dust masks, face shields, boot covers and the like is necessary.
•    While on duty, make sure to cover all abrasions, cuts or areas with nonintact skin.
•    Avoid touching or being in any physical contact with medical waste, regardless of if they are in containers or not.
•    Never use your bare hands to handle medical waste.