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About Our Biohazard Waste Disposal Service
San Diego Medical Waste Services is your go-to resource for safe and reliable sharps container disposal. With our wide selection of services, you can be sure that your sharps disposal needs are taken care of. We have the experience and expertise to get the job done right, providing you with a safe disposal solution. Contact us today and let us help you take care of your sharps disposal needs.
Step 1
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Place the primary biohazard waste container within the immediate area of use.
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Prior to use, line each biohazard container with an approved biohazard bag.
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Label each biohazard bag with your facility's name, address, and phone number.
(San Diego County Ordinance SEC. 68.1205)
Placement & Labeling
Step 2
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Upon generation, immediately place any biohazard or infectious waste into the lined biohazard container.
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Continue to fill this container until it is full or ready to dispose.
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Once full or ready to dispose, tie the liner (biohazard bag) into an approved knot.
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Remove the tied liner from the biohazard waste container and place it into the Regulated Medical Waste (RMW) Container (Next Step).
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Replace the liner with a new one to repeat the disposal process.
(California Health And Safety Code SEC 117750)
Interim Storage Area
Step 3
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On or before your scheduled service, remove biohazard bags from your interim storage areas or patient rooms and place the entire biohazard liner inside of the Regulated Medical Waste (RMW) container.
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Replace the now discarded sharps container with a new sharps container
PRO TIP: Both sharps containers and biohazard bags are commingled into Regulated Medical Waste (RMW) containers for disposal.
(California Health And Safety Code SEC 118310)
Designated Accumulation Area
Step 4
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On your scheduled service day, we will perform a one for one exchange of your onsite regulated medical waste (RMW) container and deliver any pre ordered products (sharps containers, biohazard bags, etc).
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Any waste that does not make it into the medical waste container prior to our arrival may be placed into the new container for pickup on your next scheduled service day.
(California Health And Safety Code SEC 117660)
Scheduled Medical Waste Service
Biohazard Waste Disposal Guide
Price Lock Guarantee
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No Additional Fees
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Low Disposal Cost
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Total Compliance
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Why San Diego Medical Waste Is The Clear Choice?
Community Leading Sharps Disposal Services
At San Diego Medical Waste Services, we are dedicated to keeping your business compliant and safe. We understand the importance of proper sharps handling and disposal, which is why we provide the best medical waste management services in the area.
What Is Biohazard Waste?
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Sharps are objects that can penetrate a worker’s skin, such as needles, scalpels, broken glass, capillary tubes and the exposed ends of dental wires. If blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM), as defined in the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens standard (29 CFR 1910.1030), are present or may be present on the
sharp, it is a contaminated sharp and appropriate personal protective equipment must be worn.
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Needles: Hollow needles used for injecting medications.
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Syringes: With or without needles
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Blood vials
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Lancets: AKA “fingerstick” devices. These short, double-edged blades are used to get blood drops for testing.
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Infusion Sets: Tubing/needle systems used to deliver medications beneath the skin.
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Connection Needles / Connection Sets: Needles that connect to tubes. Mainly used for home hemodialysis patients.
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Scalpels and other blades.
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Scissors: used to cut flesh or dressings.
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Glass: Broken and unbroken glass that hasn’t necessarily been contaminated may still need sharps disposal.
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Sharp Plastic may need special disposal.
What Is A Biohazard Waste Container?
A sharps container is a specialized container designed for the safe disposal of medical sharps, which are objects or instruments with sharp edges or points that can puncture the skin. A “sharps container” means a rigid puncture-resistant container used in patient care or research activities meeting the standards of, and receiving approval from, the United States Food and Drug Administration as a medical device used for the collection of discarded medical needles or other sharps.
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1 Quart
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1 Gallon
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5 Quart
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2 Gallon
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3 Gallon
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5 Gallon
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8 Gallon
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10 Gallon
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12 Gallon
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18 Gallon
*** Sharps containers are single use and are expendable to the generator. Sharps containers may be purchased from San Diego Medical Waste Services separately from your disposal service by visiting https://www.sdmedwaste.com/shop
Where Should I Place My Biohazard Container?
When placing your sharps container, it is important to consider safety, accessibility, and compliance with local regulations. San Diego Medical Waste recommends that sharps disposal containers be located with consideration of the following factors:
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Choose a secure location: Sharps are a "point of use disposal" item. Select a secure location that is out of reach of children and pets to prevent accidental access or injury. Make sure the sharps container is stable and cannot be easily knocked over.
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Keep sharps containers close to where sharps are used: Place the sharps container in a convenient location near where you typically use sharps. This should be in the area where you administer injections or perform medical procedures.
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Use a locking sharps container wall mount when available: An ideal standing instillation height for a fixed sharps disposal container is 52 to 56 inches. (Place containers slightly below eye level.)
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Healthcare workers should be able to comfortably view the entire inlet opening of the disposal container.
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Containers should be located within arm's reach.
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Place all needles and sharps in a verified sharps container immediately after use.
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Storage requirements and community guidelines vary by state and county. Please check your local regulations state page for a full list of regulatory requirements.
What Should NOT Go Into A Biohazard Container?
Sharps containers are reserved for those items that are contaminated and that could puncture the skin. Proper sharps handling and proper training can help ensure staff are fully aware of what can and cannot be disposed of in a sharps container.
Things that should not be thrown in a sharps container include:
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Medications: Sharps containers are not meant for the disposal of medications, including pills, liquids, or creams. Medications should be disposed of following specific guidelines provided by your local pharmacy, healthcare provider, or drug take-back programs. To learn more on medication and pharmaceutical disposal click here.
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Tape, paper, bandages/gauze, exam gloves, alcohol preps (These items go into a biohazard waste container)
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Aerosols or inhalers (These items are typically hazardous or "RCRA" Waste and go into a hazardous waste container
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Garbage or liquids of any kind
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Batteries of any type
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Hazardous, chemical, radioactive or red bag waste (non-sharps regulated medical waste)
Frequently Asked Questions
The Biohazard Disposal Answers You Need
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YES! Sharps containers are single use and are expendable to the generator. Sharps containers may be purchased from San Diego Medical Waste Services separately from your disposal service by visiting
https://www.sdmedwaste.com/shopThe medical waste container labeling, San Diego County Ordinance SEC. 68.1205, was enacted in 1989 as a response to medical wastes that were washed ashore on area beaches and were found dumped in County landfills. Proper labeling must include: generator’s name, address and phone number.
As of September 1, 2008, California State Law prohibits the disposal of home-generated sharps into any container used for the trash, recycling or green waste.
San Diego Environmental Services Department 858-694-7000
https://www.sandiego.gov/environmental-services/ep/hazardous/needles-sharps
