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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 4 | O U T P AT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E
W A S T E D I S P O S A L
y facility has disposed of fluid waste in just about
every way imaginable. We've dumped it down the
drain. Solidified it and tossed it into red bag waste.
And we're currently trialing a fluid suction and collec-
tion cart on wheels.
We also considered a direct-to-drain system, but it would have
required more renovations to our OR plumbing system than we want-
ed to do. Staff safety and convenience count, yes, but when looking at
your fluid waste-disposal options, it's best to consider the hard and
soft costs of the 3 main options: dumping, solidifying and closed sys-
tems.
Dump it down the drain
The cheapest way to get rid of fluid waste is to take the canister after
a procedure and have a staff member dump it down the drain via a
sink or hopper. To dump the fluid waste down the drain, a staff mem-
ber must transport suction canisters by hand or by wheeling a cart to
the sink or hopper, where she then must open the canister and dump
it.
While cheapest in hard costs — because all you'll have to pay for
besides the suction equipment and canisters is a sewer bill — this
method poses the biggest infection and staff safety risks by far.
To start, canisters are fairly heavy — the average weight is about 8
pounds. When a staff member needs to dump the canisters, she then
has to do so in a hopper or sink, which means the possibly infectious
fluid could splash or aerosolize, endangering the person doing the
dumping. It's a dirty job, and can put staff at risk. Even if employees
are wearing gowns, masks and goggles, as required, they can still be
exposed.
Costs can skyrocket when you start to add how much it would harm
your facility if an employee was exposed to a bloodborne pathogen.
