Medical Waste Disposal El Paso, TX

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) defines medical waste from healthcare-related facilities as “special waste” that is comprised of bulk blood, bulk human blood, bulk human body fluids, microbiological waste, pathological waste and animal waste. In general terms, this includes any waste generated in the diagnosis, treatment or immunization of humans and animals. Sharps, due to their inherent ability to puncture and infect, must also be considered biohazardous waste.

Generators of medical waste have a responsibility to ensure that their untreated waste does not expose health care workers and patients to infection and injury. This means that the location of storage should provide protection against human and animal exposure, theft and vandalism, as well as defending from the natural elements outside. Sharps must be disposed of in dedicated, protective containers that are puncture resistant, labeled and leak-proof.

It is essential that all medical and infectious waste materials are segregated from ordinary garbage at the point of generation and disposed of safely. Proper packaging and labeling waste at the point of generation can reduce the amount of waste that needs to be handled by special means. This reduces the amount of treatment that needs to take place and saves you a few dollars too. Many medical waste disposal companies will work with you to ensure these requirements are met and provide you with compliant boxes, containers and liners at no extra cost. You should periodically observe and maintain your protective devices so that they do not become a source of transmitting infections.

El Paso allows some facilities to become medical waste collection stations. This allows them to receive household levels of waste from individuals before being collected and transported away. Collection stations are not allowed to treat the medical waste and must receive and store it in appropriate containers.

Medical waste must be treated to eliminate its infectious potential and protect waste handlers. The most common processes for treating medical waste include steam disinfection, incineration, chemical disinfection, and thermal inactivation. Disposing of pathological waste (tissues, body parts or carcasses) requires a special permit from the TCEQ.

Disposing of your regulated medical waste is not glamorous, but it is vital in ensuring the successful running of a healthcare facility. In El Paso facilities are permitted to treat their waste “on-site” (treating the waste at the facility in which it was generated) or “off-site” (transporting the waste to a different facility that is authorized to receive and treat waste generated elsewhere).

Treating “on-site” involves significant expenditure on treatment infrastructure and the required physical space to conduct treatment. Facilities are permitted to transport their own medical waste to a treatment facility, but they must register their intentions with the TCEQ, comply with strict transportation regulations and submit an annual summary of activity. For most healthcare providers it is cost effective to use a medical waste companies to relieve this burden. They will take on the responsibility and liability of safely collecting and transporting your waste to an authorized treatment center where it can be disposed of properly.

Wastes to be transported “off-site” for treatment must be packaged securely in bags and boxes meeting specified strength requirements. The outer container must be labeled twice in English and twice in Spanish with the words “CAUTION, contains medical waste that may be biohazardous.” The generator’s main responsibility is to determine that the waste is being released to a legitimately registered transporter and to obtain a signed receipt for each shipment of regulated waste. With MedPro you can rest assured that your waste is transported and disposed of correctly and the process is documented from the point of collection right through to final destruction.

MedPro Disposal is becoming the go-to medical waste collection and disposal service in El Paso, TX. We pride ourselves on our customer service and will work with you to create a bespoke and flexible pick-up plan. Our services are a reliable, safe and effective solution for your medical waste disposal needs. More importantly, we are affordable and will never sign you up for a service you do not need.

Our team of disposal experts will listen to you and work with you to develop a customized medical waste management program that can include compliant OSHA training for your employees. We will partner with you in keeping your patients and staff safe and that your organization remains on the right side of regulation. Our mail-back service offers an affordable and practical alternative for some smaller practices that produce less medical waste. Whatever your company’s needs, talk to us today to find out how we can relieve the stress of medical waste disposal.

The El Paso region has had human settlement for thousands of years, as evidenced by Folsom points from hunter-gatherers found at Hueco Tanks. The earliest known cultures in the region were maize farmers. At the time of the arrival of the Spanish, the Manso, Suma, and Jumano tribes populated the area and were subsequently incorporated into the Mestizo culture, along with immigrants from central Mexico, captives from Comancheria, and genizaros of various ethnic groups. The Mescalero Apache were also present.