How to Dispose of Biohazard Waste Bags

How to Dispose of Biohazard Waste Bags?
22 August 2021

How to Dispose of Biohazard Waste Bags

How to Dispose of Biohazard Waste Bags

Just as recycling and inert waste are separated from general household rubbish to prevent contamination, hazardous waste must be dealt with in a sensitive way to make sure its impact on people and the environment is minimal.

Biohazard waste consists of body fluids like urine and blood, along with any tools, equipment or materials that have been contaminated with body fluids, like needles. Biohazard waste can’t be disposed of in the General Waste due to the potential of coming into contact with people or animals that could be infected or get ill.

It is vital that biohazardous waste is disposed of responsibly. We use bright yellow and orange coloured waste bags to help waste disposal staff quickly identify hazardous clinical waste. Here’s what to do with a biohazard bag of waste.

How to dispose of biohazard waste bags

What goes into biohazard disposal bags?

Ensure you only use biohazard waste bags for biohazard waste material disposal. This saves waste collection teams confusion when picking up other types of waste and minimises cross-contamination. Similarly, there are things that shouldn’t be put in biohazard bags and instead dealt with by other waste disposal means, like food waste that hasn’t been contaminated with body fluids, or rubbish. 

What to put in biohazards disposal bags:

  • Blood
  • Urine
  • Faeces
  • Vomit
  • Semen
  • Body Tissue
  • Hair
  • Animal Remains
  • Materials contaminated with body fluids or tissues (e.g. broken glass or wood, needles, knives). 
  • PPE worn when cleaning up a biohazard
  • Haz-Tab Granules and residue used to soak up body fluids
  • Scoops and Scaprers (and any other cleaning tools that come in a Biohazard Kit)

Checks before Disposal 

1. Check the exterior of the bag. The last thing you want is for biohazardous material to be leaking out of the bag while you transport it to a waste collection point. Before you finish cleaning up, check the bag for holes or tears to make sure it is intact. If you are disposing of sharp material like broken glass, ensure it is wrapped in blue roll, tissue, newspaper, or anything else you have to hand to make sure it doesn’t piece the bag.

If you regularly work with sharp materials that need to be disposed of in a biohazard kit, such as syringes, make sure you have a supply of Sharps Bins available. Sharps Bins ensure you can safely dispose of sharp objects into hazardous waste bags without the risk of hurting someone or damaging the bag.

2. Do a final sweep of the area. Once you have cleaned up, make a final check of the affected area in case you’ve missed any spots of body fluid, pieces of broken glass, tissues used to clean up, or anything else that could have been overlooked. This will save you from breaking out another Biohazard Kit. Stock up on heavy-duty, UN-approved hazardous waste bags like our Steroplast Waste Bags will minimise the likelihood of breakage.

3. Seal the biohazard waste bag. Seal the bag off tightly to ensure none of the material inside will escape. Our Bedside Clinical Waste Bags come with a special adhesive strip that makes them easy to attach to trolleys or lockers. The adhesive strip can then be used to completely seal the bag before disposal.

4. Wear PPE when handling a biohazard bag. You will have already been using gloves to clean up a biohazard, but you should also protect your hands when moving the bag to a waste disposal point. Put on new disposable gloves to close the bag and move it, ensuring you protect yourself from potential infection at all times.

Large 25mu UN-approved 5kg bags for clinical waste and biohazard waste
Strong, durable heavy-duty bags for medical disposables
Polythene bags with an adhesive strip to attach to trolleys and hospital furniture
80L medium-duty black bin bags in packs of 200

How to Dispose of Biohazard Waste Bags

You can usually spot a clinical waste disposal point by its clear yellow and black icons. The best way to deal with a biohazard disposal bag depends on your environment. Here’s what you should do.

  1. Take the bag to the clinical waste collection point

If you operate in a facility that deals with clinical waste on a regular basis, the business will almost certainly have a biohazard waste collection point. This will likely be a signposted biohazard bag disposal bin or shoot that collects all clinical waste ready to be taken away. This is where all clinical waste and biohazard waste should be stored until it is collected by specialist waste disposal staff. The waste will be taken to an incinerator to be dealt with safely.

If you are the owner or manager of a facility that deals with biohazard waste regularly, inquire with your local council to find a trustworthy waste disposal specialist who can arrange a regular collection.

  1. Arrange a collection

How do you dispose of biohazard waste bags if there isn’t a special disposal point? If you don’t operate a facility that needs regular biohazardous waste disposal you canrequest a clinical waste collection from your local council. This can be a one-off visit so that your clinical waste can be disposed of responsibly. The waste disposal company will communicate with you directly about where to leave your biohazard waste and what to do.

Watch our video below on how to safely dispose of biohazard waste bags: 

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