By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    medicare part d benefits
    Everything that You Need to Know About Medicare Part D
    August 15, 2022
    Best Ways to Boost Your Immune System this Winter
    Best Ways to Boost Your Immune System this Winter
    November 15, 2022
    back pain issues
    Ways to Treat Constant Back Pain
    August 21, 2023
    Latest News
    How Probate Planning Shapes the Future of Your Estate and Family Care
    July 17, 2025
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
    The Wide-Ranging Benefits of Magnesium Supplements
    June 11, 2025
    The Best Home Remedies for Migraines
    June 5, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    More On Wellness Programs To Improve Health and Reduce Costs
    January 25, 2012
    Privatizing Social Security and Medicare: Who Can Defuse Political Dynamite?
    June 12, 2011
    Study: Risk of Death in Elderly Patients with Dementia Doubled with Some Antipsychotic Medications
    February 26, 2012
    Latest News
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
    How Health Choices and Legal Actions Intersect After an Injury
    July 17, 2025
    How communities and healthcare providers can address slip and fall injuries with legal awareness
    July 17, 2025
    Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
    July 6, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: How Medical Professionals Should Handle Waste During COVID-19
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Business > Hospital Administration > How Medical Professionals Should Handle Waste During COVID-19
Hospital Administration

How Medical Professionals Should Handle Waste During COVID-19

emilyfolk
emilyfolk
Share
5 Min Read
SHARE

  Properly handling medical waste and following disposal regulations can be a significant challenge, even with robust procedures and policies in place. These challenges are amplified by the current crisis, which is beginning to put considerable strain on medical facilities and increase the amount of waste they generate. There are also federal regulations and guidance regarding COVID 19-contaminated waste that medical professionals should be aware of. Most notably, a new EPA policy has relaxed enforcement of certain environmental regulations during the outbreak. Here is how professionals should handle medical waste during the COVID-19 crisis.

Contents
What We Know About Coronavirus-Related Medical WasteLegal Guidelines Medical Professionals Need to FollowGuidelines and Best Practices for Handling Coronavirus-Related Medical Waste

What We Know About Coronavirus-Related Medical Waste

If the outbreak in America is similar to what was seen in China, hospitals and disposal companies are about to deal with a major uptick in medical waste. Wuhan, the city most impacted by the outbreak, was producing more than six times the average amount of medical waste in mid-March, pushing all facilities in the city to capacity. The increase in waste is generated by the number of patients, rather than the disease itself. It’s mostly in the form of used PPE and nontraditional waste contaminated with COVID-19. While it isn’t known right now how long COVID-19 can survive on various surfaces, current research suggests that the virus can live for up to three days on plastic and stainless steel. Medical waste, even if it is several days old, may still pose a risk of transmission if not properly disposed of. Medical waste in America hasn’t hit Wuhan levels yet, but there is evidence that it’s beginning to accelerate. Stericycle, one of the country’s largest medical waste processors, has already reported a significant increase in used PPE over the past few weeks. Advanced waste disposal technology may be an option for some health systems. Northwell Health recently adopted a medical waste disposal platform, the Envetec 200, that simultaneously shreds and sanitizes it, producing regular trash.

Legal Guidelines Medical Professionals Need to Follow

Certain federal agencies have published more specific guidance on how medical facilities should handle waste contaminated with COVID-19. PPE should be used when handling it whenever possible to minimize the risk of transmission. Typically, medical facilities that generate hazardous waste need to ship it off-site within a certain timeframe to maintain Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) generator status. Toward the end of March, however, the EPA announced that the agency would be temporarily exercising enforcement discretion regarding environmental legal obligations during the panic. As of March 13, 2020, if compliance is not “reasonably practical,” generators will be able to keep hazardous waste on-site without losing their generator status and being reclassified as a treatment, storage and disposal facility. However, it must be properly labeled and stored. Generators will also need to note the nature and date of each specific noncompliance, as well as describe how COVID-19 was the cause. Generators classified as a Very Small Quantity Generator or Small Quantity Generator that produce and store hazardous waste in excessive volumes will still retain their status. However, this is only as long as compliance is not reasonably practical, and instances of noncompliance are properly documented.

Guidelines and Best Practices for Handling Coronavirus-Related Medical Waste

If the outbreak in America follows trends seen in China, U.S medical facilities will soon face a surge in coronavirus-contaminated medical waste. Federal agencies, in response, have issued special guidance and — in the case of the EPA — relaxed some regulations around the storage and handling of it. The changes are likely good news for medical facilities worried about losing generator status. However, it’s not clear if they will be enough to help health care centers handling the growing medical waste problem.

More Read

Depression and Diabetes Linked
Implementing Data To Increase Employee Engagement In Healthcare
Patient Context Workflow
Meaningful Use, VNAs, and Addressing the Challenges Each Present
Ways Listen to White Noise Can Improve Your Health
TAGGED:covid-19healthhospitalsmedical wastepublic health
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
Global Healthcare Policy & Law
July 17, 2025
paramedics in surgical gloves and masks
How Health Choices and Legal Actions Intersect After an Injury
Health care
July 16, 2025
a woman giving a key
How Probate Planning Shapes the Future of Your Estate and Family Care
Health
July 16, 2025
a woman with kinesio tapes on her back arm
How communities and healthcare providers can address slip and fall injuries with legal awareness
Health care
July 16, 2025

You Might also Like

Hospital Administration

How To Improve Your Experience At The Doctor’s Office

August 7, 2022
patient engagement
Hospital Administration

The Secret to Patient Engagement: More Engaging Physicians and Health IT

May 25, 2014

Noisy Hospitals = Patient and Staff Distress

October 19, 2012
eHealthHospital AdministrationNewsPolicy & LawTechnology

Cost of Non-Compliance with HIPAA and HITECH

October 11, 2017
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?