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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 | N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 4
Practice Greenhealth
cites a study that says
the cost to initially
treat an exposed
employee is between
$500 and $3,000, while
OSHA warns that
when you include long-
term costs of medica-
tions, lab work, lost wages and disability payments, it could be more
than a million dollars. The human costs for these exposures are
immeasurable. That's why my facility went away from drain-dumping
several years ago.
It's also important to remember that while the EPA considers dump-
ing fluid waste into the sewer system satisfactory, you may have to
meet local and state laws before you can consider doing this practice,
and often you need a special permit to do so. Plus, some say that this
method brings an added risk of citations, with some interpreting
dumping fluid waste as a violation of OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens
Standard. Many facilities have moved away from this in recent years
and several national organizations discourage the practice.
The middle ground: solidifying
Solidifying fluid waste is often considered the middle ground. It's a
good option for facilities that don't have a large number of fluid-heavy
cases, as it's safer than dumping down the drain but requires less in
capital costs.
Solidifying comes with problems and costs of its own. Fluid is not
light. Basically, you're taking what you threw away for free in the
drain (minus the sewer bill) and throwing it away in red bag waste at
W A S T E D I S P O S A L
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN
SOLIDIFYING WASTE
Disposing of fluid
waste by using a
solidifier is a "middle-
ground" in terms of
cost and risk to staff.
