Red Bag Waste vs. Sharps Waste: How to Properly Segregate Medical Waste

Proper medical waste segregation is of the utmost importance in healthcare settings as it ensures safety, regulatory compliance, and environmental sustainability. By failing to correctly sort your waste, you can accidentally create safety hazards and be on the hook for fines or higher costs. By learning how to handle medical waste with caution, though, you can avoid this issue.

Two of the most common types of medical waste are red bag waste and sharps waste. Both may contain potentially infectious materials, but they have unique and distinct requirements for disposal. Break down what qualifies as red bag waste and what falls under sharps waste in order to properly dispose of each to maintain a safe and compliant work environment.

What is Red Bag Waste?

Red bag waste, sometimes called biohazardous waste, includes any soft medical waste that is contaminated with blood, bodily fluids, or other potentially infectious materials. It gets its name of ‘red bag waste’ from the designated red biohazard bags that the items can be stored in which are leak-proof and approved for handling. Some common examples of red bag waste include:

• Blood-soaked gauze, bandages, and dressings
• Contaminated gloves, gowns, and personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Non-sharp medical instruments with visible contamination
• Tissue, organs, or human remains used in medical research
• Fluid-filled suction canisters or IV bags that contain blood

All of this waste is regulated under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and must be treated and disposed of properly to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. The improper disposal of red bag waste can expose everyone from healthcare workers to patients to a slew of harmful pathogens. This is why it often results in regulatory penalties if you are caught.

What is Sharps Waste?

Sharps waste, on the other hand, consists of any object that can puncture or cut the skin and has been used in a medical setting. Unlike the former type of waste, sharps waste must be placed in FDA-approved sharps containers that are puncture-resistant and clearly marked for biohazard disposal. If you’ve ever had blood drawn you may have noticed one of these containers being used to dispose of the needle that was used on you. Other common examples of sharps waste include:

• Needles, syringes, and injection pens
• Scalpels and razors
• Lancets and blood-testing devices
• Broken glass contaminated with blood or bodily fluids
• IV catheter needles

Sharps are arguably one of the most dangerous types of medical waste because they can cause needlestick injuries. This can expose people to diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis B, and a variety of other bloodborne diseases. Properly disposing of sharps in designated containers will help to prevent workers, patients, and waste handlers all from accidental exposure.

Best Practices for Proper Segregation and Disposal of Waste

To maintain a safe and compliant medical waste disposal process, all healthcare facilities should follow the below best practices:

• Use the right containers
  • Only use red bags for soft and non-sharp biohazardous materials, and ensure that they are leak-proof, labeled, and securely sealed before disposal. Sharps need to go inside FDA-approved and puncture-resistant sharps containers that are placed in accessible locations for immediate disposal after use.
• Train healthcare staff on proper segregation
  • Your employees should all be trained on what qualifies as what type of waste. This training should cover OSHA regulations, state laws, and disposal protocols to ensure compliance is in place. Consider also adding posters and color-coded bins in your workplace to reinforce proper waste sorting habits.
• Follow state and federal regulations
  • All medical waste disposal is regulated by OSHA, the EPA, and state-specific agencies. It is your healthcare facility's responsibility to comply with all regulations to avoid fees or legal issues. Some states have additional requirements, though, such as stricter labeling laws or specific disposal timelines, so check up on your local guidelines.
• Ensure timely disposal occurs
  • Any overfilled sharps containers or red bags can pose a health risk and should be disposed of well before capacity is reached. Try to schedule regular hazardous waste pickups with licensed medical waste disposal services to prevent overflowing waste and any compliance violations.

Keep healthcare workers safe through waste segregation

By using the correct containers at your business, training your staff, and following all regulations, you can reduce the likelihood of exposure incidents with waste. Always consider working with a licensed provider who can keep your waste management process efficient and legally compliant if you are unsure of the policies that you need to follow.