January 2025

July 2024

Inside the January Issue

 

 

In Healthcare Settings
Medical Waste Management for BioHazards

Medical waste is a subset of waste generated at health care facilities, such as hospitals, physicians' offices, dental practices, blood banks, and veterinary hospitals/clinics, as well as research facilities and laboratories.

Generally, medical waste is healthcare waste that may be contaminated by blood, body fluids or other potentially infectious materials and is often referred to as regulated medical waste.

Primarily regulated by state environmental and health departments, the EPA has not had authority, specifically for medical waste, since the Medical Waste Tracking Act (MWTA) of 1988 expired in 1991.

Contact your state environmental protection agency and your state health agency for more information regarding your state's regulations on medical waste.

Other federal agencies have regulations regarding medical waste. These agencies include Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and potentially others.

Concern for the potential health hazards of medical waste grew in the 1980s after medical waste washed up on several east coast beaches. This prompted Congress to enact The MWTA of 1988, a twoyear federal program in which EPA was required to promulgate regulations on management of medical waste.

The Agency did so on March 24, 1989. The regulations for the program went into effect on June 24, 1989 in four states - New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Rhode Island and Puerto Rico, expiring on June 21, 1991. E

PA concluded from the information gathered during this period that the disease- causing potential of medical waste is greatest at the point of generation and naturally tapers off after that point. Thus, risk to the general public of disease caused by exposure to medical waste is likely to be much lower than risk for the healthcare workers. Full story »

 

 

today's news

IICRC Publishes ‘Standard of Care’ for Buildings

BSM Staff | 01.23.25

LAS VEGAS, NV -- The IICRC has announced the publication of a new American National Standard, ANSI/IICRC S400 Standard for Professional Cleaning, Maintenance, and Restoration of the Commercial Built Environment.

Full article »

Betco Names its Cleaner of Year

BSM Staff | 01.23.25

BOWLING GREEN, OH – Betco Corporation, a cleaning chemicals manufacturer, has named Laura Hinschberger from Cole Papers the winner of its 2024 Cleaner of the Year contest.

Full article »

Sciens Expands in NYS with FS&S Acquisition

BSM Staff | 01.23.25

SAN FRANCISCO -- Sciens Building Solutions, a fire and life safety company, has welcomed Latham, NY-based Fire Security & Sound Systems (FS&S) to its growing portfolio of companies.

Full article »

ABB and Wieland Join to Redefine Electricity via Plug-and-Play

BSM Staff | 01.22.25

ZURICH -- ABB Electrification’s Smart Buildings Division and Wieland Electric have formed a partnership to revolutionize modular and serial construction with advanced prefabricated electrical installation systems.

Full article »

Top Five Global Robotics Trends

BSM Staff | 01.22.25

FRANKFURT -- The global market value of industrial robot installations has reached an all-time high of U.S. $ 16.5 billion, and future demand will be driven by a number of technological innovations, market forces and new fields of business.

Full article »

 

 


PattersonKellyJan25