Laserfiche WebLink
I ] <br />Infectious Waste -- Handling and Disposal <br />Policy <br />Infectious waste is "medical waste" as defined by Section 25023.2 <br />of the Health and Safety Code. This includes any clinical <br />laboratory specimens, contaminated sharps, tissue removed at <br />surgery from a patient suspected by the attending physician of <br />hosting a communicable disease, fluid blood at the point of <br />transport, recognizable anatomical remains and any waste <br />contaminated with excretions or fluid of a patient known to <br />harbor a communicable disease. <br />The facility shall secure and maintain a medical waste generator <br />permit as required by the Medical Waste Management Act (Chapter <br />6.1 of Division 20 of the Health and Safety Code). <br />The facility shall make arrangements with a licensed hazardous <br />waste hauler for medical waste pick-up. After each pick-up, the <br />hauler will present a "tracking document." The document will <br />contain information about the hauler, the size of the load and <br />the type of waste (biohazardous, sharps or anatomical). A <br />representative of the facility must sign the tracking document <br />before the hauler departs, and keep the original for the files. <br />Tracking documents must be kept for three years. <br />Precautions <br />Health care workers should wear gloves and protective eye wear or <br />masks as applicable when contact with blood and body fluids from <br />patients will occur. The use of gloves does not replace hand <br />washing. Hands should be washed when gloves are removed. <br />Blood Precautions <br />1. Anticipate accidental exposure by wearing gloves when <br />starting intravenous injections. <br />2. Do not recap needles. Deposit syringes directly into <br />disposal box. <br />3. Wear gloves when emptying or manipulating equipment or <br />containers with blood contents; i.e. Jackson Pratt <br />devices, transfusion bags, catheters, suction <br />canisters. <br />4. Wear protective eyewear when blood is likely to <br />aerosol; i.e. suction, splash or splatter close to your <br />face. <br />5. To avoid strike -through, wear a plastic apron under <br />your sterile gown if a case is anticipated to be very <br />bloody or wet. <br />