Biohazard bags are designed to store human remains and body fluids in a safe and sanitary manner while they are being transported from one location to another, usually to a medical facility or the coroner’s office.
According to one study, healthcare facilities in the United States generate 5.9 million tonnes of medical trash per year, accounting for 14.75 percent of the total waste generated in the country (250 million tonnes).
According to data published by NCBI, private hospitals account for 28.8% of total trash, while state hospitals account for 57.9% of biohazard waste output.
Medical waste, which is contaminated with biological fluids, blood, and pathogens, can endanger people’s lives as well as the environment. Medical waste disposal that isn’t done properly can result in risks such as:
- Syringes are dumped in to the water bodies
- Infectious blood dumped inside landfills affects soil
- Pathogens infect drinking water supplies and air
- Humans and animals can contract dangerous infections after coming into contact with medical waste
- Sharps can cause injuries
If you work in the healthcare industry, you should be familiar with the different types of biohazard bags that are available so that you can choose the right one depending on your situation. If you’re looking to purchase new biohazard bags or replace old ones, keep reading to learn more about the different types of medical customized biohazard bags and how they can be used most effectively.
There are Four (4) Types of Medical Waste Disposal Bags
Plastic, Paper, Metal, and Rigid Plastic. Each of these bag types is classified by how hazardous they are to transport. If your medical waste is classed as category one (non-infectious), then you can use any of these four options. For categories two and three (infectious) waste, plastic bags cannot be used; metal or rigid plastic should be used instead. Category Four (chemically hazardous) wastes should never be put in a bag at all; they need to be transported via a sealed leak-proof container or drum with a form of absorbent material on the inside.
Biohazard Type III Bag
This type of bag is for the most infectious waste, such as body fluids and tissues. It is often used with Type III bags. This bag also has a red biohazard label on it that lets everyone know that it contains hazardous material. The color-coding system makes it easy to store different types of waste in different bags, which helps prevent cross-contamination from occurring. With that being said, both biohazard Type III bags and biohazard Type IV bags can be stored in either a red or black biohazard bag dispenser, depending on your facility’s preference.
Infectious Waste Bag
Infectious waste can be dangerous because it might contain bacteria or viruses that could cause serious illnesses or infections. If you come into contact with these pathogens, they could spread throughout your body and lead to life-threatening conditions like hepatitis and HIV/AIDS. This is why it’s imperative to dispose of infectious waste in a manner that prevents its spread—this is where medical biohazard bags come in handy.
Sharps Container Bag
Not to be confused with a medical waste disposal container, a sharps container bag is used for safely storing and transporting sharp or potentially dangerous objects.
These bags are classified as biohazard bags because of their impermeable nature. They prevent any potential contaminants from passing through and into another substance such as clothing or other items that come in contact with them.
Sharps containers also have special straps so they can be securely fastened to metal receptacles like carts and gurneys. This prevents them from sliding around and possibly injuring someone. Some safe-needle devices include their own protective containers, but if yours doesn’t, you’ll want to make sure you have your own readily available when using it on a patient to avoid puncturing yourself or someone else by accident.
Pathological Waste Bag
Pathological waste is generated from a pathological examination. This waste typically consists of tissues and organs removed during an autopsy, biopsy, or surgery.
It may also include body fluids and blood products, such as fetal blood, that originate from health care services. The majority of pathologic waste is potentially infectious material that requires special handling and disposal techniques to minimize potential risks to human health and safety.
Pathological bags come in different colors, with color indicating what type of infectious disease it holds as well as how they should be handled by hospital staff. White bags hold infectious substances such as urine and feces; however, customized yellow-colored biohazard bags require additional caution due to their association with highly communicable diseases like AIDS or Hepatitis C.
Understanding the Medical Biohazard Bags by Colors
Biohazard bags have color codes to identify different types of waste they carry. This way, you can figure out what type of medical waste should be put into what color. Generally, there are two types of bags in terms of color coding–Red and Yellow.
The different types of medical waste are stored separately in red and yellow biohazard containers.
Red Biohazard Bags:
Red biohazard bags are used to collect anatomical waste such as human body fluids such as sperm, saliva, tissues, organs, and animal corpses. They’re also used to get rid of medical equipment, swabs, blood-soaked drapes, gloves, and anything else that’s been exposed to blood or body fluids.
Yellow Biohazard Bags:
Swabs, bandages, tissues, dirty gloves, aprons, pads, and nappies are all disposed of in yellow biohazard bags. IV lines and fluid bags used for pharmaceutical drugs, disposable metallic pieces, and syringe bodies can all be collected in these bags.
HOW TO HANDLE MEDICAL BIOHAZARD BAGS
Biohazard bags, like all other systems, gadgets, and technologies, have a rigorous protocol that must be followed when handling them. The following are the main guidelines:
- A biohazard symbol should be placed on each bag.
- When moving hazardous wastes into biohazard bags, always use an apron, gloves, eye protection, and face masks.
- Do not dispose of biohazardous garbage in the city or municipal trash cans; only a licensed medical waste firm can collect such hazardous waste.
- Biohazard bags should be used to line the medical waste container.
- Before disposing of the impurities, perform an autoclaving process on site.
- As a precaution, while dealing with liquid biohazard wastes, use a tray or a bucket.
So, you must have understood about medical biohazard bags. If you are looking for the high-quality medical customized red yellow biohazard bags, look no further than iSell Packaging. At iSellPackaging, with our high-quality biohazard bags, we promote regulated medical waste processing solutions that save money, ensure sterilization, and have a less environmental impact. Our wide product selection, customer support, competitive pricing, and quick turnaround time are the reasons why we have so many long-standing, committed customers, including big healthcare companies.