Sharps Waste & Medical Waste Disposal San Diego, CA

Physicians have asked for a series of services and benefits from medical waste disposal companies, and our company has responded with the MedPro Advantage. More than a catchy slogan, it’s a solution-based commitment to work as a partner with our customers and remain responsive. For more info about our medical waste solutions, call us now. We are confident we will be able to accommodate your requests.

Cost is a major concern for doctors and MedPro has responded with several improvements including “right-sized” service plans. We will create a pick-up plan based on our customer’s needs, not our schedule. We try to congregate medical waste and sharps containers of various sizes pick-ups with other facilities nearby and on the same days to save fuel, time and money. Then we pass those savings on because it’s common sense and good for building a long-term business relationship.

Doctors and medical administrators asked for simplified invoicing and MedPro responded with simple invoices that can be viewed and paid online. For more details, call MedPro now.

The healthcare industry asked for more and better training. The MedPro Online Safety Compliance Portal is the result of years of study to create this unique platform available through the MedPro website. Contained in this secure, cloud-based system are modules for every conceivable training requirement and safety plan/audit. OSHA, HIPPA, HazCom training and MSDS/SDS forms are all current and online for training and certification. Customized safety plans including exposure control and fire safety can be created on the platform and safely stored.

Lower risk is always a concern throughout the medical profession, and MedPro helps our partner-customers achieve that through training, with printed material and posters for display in facilities, and with substantial insurance. MedPro has always maintained very significant insurance coverage in every area we service. Peace-of-mind for our customers is a top priority.

Customers have asked for improved customer service and so MedPro instituted the Dedicated Consumer Advocate program so every customer knows to ask for – by name – the person assigned to their account. Questions, comment, complaints? The dedicated advocate is always responsible to answer the call and provide resolution.

Doctors want full-service medical and hazardous waste disposal San Diego, CA including mail-back programs for sharps and for unwanted or expired prescription drugs. MedPro does it.

Being a teammate on the San Diego healthcare team is a responsibility relished by MedPro Disposal. We accept our role and pledge to remain vigilant and responsive to our respected customers, the doctors, nurses, and medical professionals on the front lines of healthcare in southern California.

San Diego is known as the birth place of California. The city was home to the first European settlements in the 17 th century. San Diego has 21 Franciscan missions that were founded from 1769 to 1823. The first mission, San Diego de Alcalá, is open to the public for self-guided tours. Besides historical spots, the city also boasts the beautiful Balboa Park, which is the site of the San Diego Zoo. There are many MLB fans in the city, as it is the base of the San Diego Padres. It goes to show how people value their health and wellness, as well as the healthcare system in their place.

The medical needs of the city’s residents are handled by excellent hospitals and clinics. Graduate medical schools such as the UC San Diego Medical School provide the city with an exceptional medical background. is one branch of the industry that enables small clinics and dental practices to comply with state health regulations.

In California, the disposal regulations for biomedical waste are based on the Medical Waste Management Act (MWMA). The act details the guidelines of the proper treatment, containment, and storage of biohazardous medical waste from healthcare facilities. There are also other rules that small healthcare businesses in the state must adhere to.

Here are some ways to responsibly manage California medical waste in compliance with other health and safety regulations:

Compliance to HIPAA

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule protects the privacy of many types of protected health information, such as electronic or written medical records. Based on HIPAA, any type of medical paper waste must be disposed to an unreadable state using pulping or shredding methods. If a healthcare center opts to transport their paper trash to sanitary landfills, the waste must be put in properly labeled and covered containers. It is also vital for personnel in a medical center to work with recycling experts who are HIPAA compliant.

Many hospitals and clinics in San Diego have resorted to digitizing their medical records. For example, one premier healthcare system in the state uses Health Information Exchange (HIE), that allows medical professionals to safely share their patients’ health information. The HIE is based on a health exchange network that operates for HIPAA purposes only.

Compliance to OSHA

Medical practitioners must follow the regulations of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). OSHA requires medical facilities to label and disclose the type of hazardous waste inside the bin. Here are the guidelines for the use of proper medical waste container:

• Warning labels must be affixed on the side of the bin indicating infectious or potentially infectious materials.

• The label must have the biohazard symbol.

• The label must be light orange or orange red with letters in a different color.

• The container must have its appropriate cover and closed for the entire duration of transport.

• For liquid waste, the container must be in good condition to prevent leakage.

Safe and Legal Sharp Disposal

The County of San Diego has waste disposal guidelines that regulate the management of waste from dental, veterinary, and other medical practices. Sharps are one type of waste regulated by the county.

Medical sharps are needles or blades that have been used or are going to be used for animals or humans in clinical, surgical, or laboratory settings. If mishandled after use, sharps could spread viruses such as Hepatitis B, HIV, or even Hepatitis C. OSHA states that waste bins for sharps need to be placed in areas where personnel would not have to make unnecessary movements while accessing the bin or holding a sharp. Here are some unsafe areas in a medical facility to place a sharps waste bin:

• Areas where the bin might be hit or dislodged

• Areas where patients or personnel will sit or lie down

• Near moving equipment, wheelchair access points, and pedestrian traffic

• Near utility access points, light switches, and room environment controls

• Narrow areas (under sinks and cabinets, room corners, and back of doors)

Segregation and Storage

A color-coding system is used for segregating San Diego medical waste. Each type of waste has its own type of bag or bin. The container is an indicator of what it contains and helps personnel in landfills separate waste for its special treatment process. Segregating clinical waste ensures that unnecessary trash is not placed in special expensive processes that are meant for other biohazard waste. Here are some classifications of bags and bins:

• Red Bins – Sharps

• Blue Bins – Pharmaceutical Waste

• Yellow Bins – Chemotherapy Waste

• Red Bags – Regulated Hazardous Waste

• Black Bins or Bags – Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Hazardous Waste

Once the waste is segregated, it is then placed in a temporary storage area before it is transported to a designated landfill. According to San Diego regulations, the bins must be locked in a storage area or under direct supervision. The containers’ biohazard symbol or warning sign must be seen from five feet. If warning signs are used, the text should be bilingual and readable from 25 feet; it should also comply to state regulations in the MWMA. The signs are not required for areas where biomedical waste is produced.

Training

OSHA requires medical practitioners from small or large clinics to undergo training for handling hazardous waste. Employers have the duty of ensuring that their medical personnel are trained in identifying the different types of waste from medical centers. They also need to ensure that their personnel are aware of how waste is contained, segregated, treated, and disposed of.

Health authorities recommend that the handling and disposal process should be detailed in a manual, which the personnel can review before they are hired. The details in the manual should be updated once new regulations arise in the state. The changes should be effectively communicated to the personnel immediately to prevent non-compliance or accidental mishandling.

This way, healthcare facilities could maintain a safe environment for their staff and patients, as well as avoid fines or penalties. The rapid and continuous spread of communicable diseases will also be prevented.

Medical waste disposal companies near San Diego, California offer biohazard disposal, medical waste management, sharps pick up and more.