Santa Ana, CA

Santa Ana is located in Southern California, adjacent to the Santa Ana River, about 10 miles away from the California coast. Founded in 1869, the city is part of the Greater Los Angeles Area, the second largest metropolitan area in the United States with almost 18 million residents in 2010. Santa Ana is a very densely populated city, ranking fourth nationally in that regard among cities of over 300,000 residents (trailing only New York City, San Francisco, and Boston). In 2011 Forbes ranked Santa Ana the fourth-safest city of over 250,000 residents in the United States.

Medical Waste Disposal Santa Ana, CA

Situated in the middle of Orange County along the Santa Ana River is the city of Santa Ana (Spanish for “Saint Anne”). The city has been the county seat since 1889 and carries the motto “Downtown Orange County!” Santa Ana is the second most populated city in the O.C. and has a diverse ethnic population with over 75% of inhabitants coming from Hispanic or Latino backgrounds. Santa Ana lends its name to the nearby Santa Ana Mountains, and the Santa Ana winds, which have been known to fuel seasonal wildfires throughout Southern California.

Santa Ana is known as the financial and governmental center of Orange County and the downtown areas feature a variety of retail outlets. The city has been going through a period of commercial growth and has been in competition with its fast growing neighbor, the city of Irvine. The expansion of the city has led to the development of a variety of healthcare providers including hospitals, dental clinics and veterinary surgeries. The growth has meant a call to action for medical waste disposal companies in Santa Ana. All facilities generating medical waste, whether large all small, must ensure that their waste is disposed of properly so that it doesn’t become a potential health hazard to healthcare workers, the public and the surrounding environment.

Rules and Definitions in Santa Ana

Like all Californian states, Santa Ana regulates biohazard waste disposal in accordance with the California Medical Waste Management Act (MWMA). The Act governs the management of medical waste in all jurisdictions of the State and in many counties it is the State that is the Local Enforcement Agency. However, in Santa Ana it is the Orange County Healthcare Agency that is responsible for implementing and enforcing the MWMA.

The MWMA defines medical waste as waste that is generated or produced as a result of the diagnosis, treatment, or immunization of humans or animals. This includes waste generated in clinical research. Medical waste is often incorrectly assumed to include all products used in healthcare practice. However, medical waste does not include waste that is not biohazardous, such as paper towels or other products commonly found in healthcare facilities that do not contain an infectious agent.

All generators of medical waste are required to register with the Environmental Health Division. This includes both Large Quantity Generators (LQGs) that generate 200 pounds or more of medical waste in any one-month, and Small Quantity Generators (SQGs) – those that generate less than 200 pounds of medical waste per month.

Containment and Storage Is Important

The Orange County Healthcare Agency and Environmental Health Division ensure that the city’s public health and surrounding environment are protected from biohazardous and potentially infectious materials. Rules for the handling, storage, treatment and disposal of medical waste vary depending on the type of waste. Initial containment must include:

• Segregating medical waste from other municipal waste (trash) at the point of origin.
• Biohazardous waste must be placed in a red biohazard bag clearly labeled with the words “Biohazardous Waste” or with the international biohazard symbol and the word “BIOHAZARD.”
• Sharps must be placed in rigid, leak-proof, puncture-resistant containers. Pathological waste such as human surgery specimens must be segregated from other medical waste and labeled with the words “Pathology Waste” or “PATH”.

Waste must be stored in such a way that it does not pose a risk to those that handle it. Therefore, biohazard bags must be tied to prevent leakage or expulsion of contents during all storage, handling, or transport. Containers must be clean and leak resistant. Containers should be regularly inspected for damage and discarded when no longer fit for purpose. Sharps containers must be tightly closed with tape and not left for longer than seven days.

All of your waste should be secured to prevent access to unauthorized persons and marked with warning signs in English and Spanish.

You Have Options For Disposing of Medical Waste

Handling and treating your own medical waste is a complicated process and requires significant financial investment in treatment infrastructure. Facilities in Santa Ana that treat medical waste “on-site” or store medical waste for more than one generator are required to obtain a permit from the Environmental Health Division in addition to maintaining current registration. They must also have the appropriate infrastructure and equipment in order to compliantly treat their regulated medical waste.

There are a number of methods available in managing biohazard waste treatment. Incineration is the most common method and uses extremely high temperatures to kill bacteria. At such high temperatures, no bacteria are able to survive and the items are deemed safe for recycling or disposal. Incineration must take place at a permitted medical waste treatment facility in a controlled-air, multi-chamber incinerator. Other alternative medical waste treatment methods, such as steam sterilization that result in the destruction of pathogenic micro-organisms, can also be approved.

Many medical waste generators choose to use medical waste disposal companies to fulfill these needs and treat waste “off-site”. Medical waste companies have the knowledge and understanding of biohazardous waste disposal and management needs and offer reliable and flexible services to their customers. This removes the burden of meeting stringent treatment requirements and you can rest assured that your waste is disposed of correctly and that the process is documented from the point of collection right through to final destruction.

Contact MedPro Disposal Today

MedPro Disposal provides effective and safe medical waste disposal for Santa Ana, CA. Our reputation has been built on a disposal service that is safe, reliable and affordable. Our customer service is second to none and our teams of specialist experts will work with you to create a customized disposal program. We will take the time to understand your needs and will never sign you up for a something you don’t need.

MedPro Disposal aims to take the stress out of medical waste disposal and we adapt to changing times. Our mail-back service can be a cost-effective solution for some smaller practices and we offer a low-cost provision of OSHA training services. We are ready to deliver, give us a call today.