Frequently Asked Questions

Anatomical waste is defined as any human or animal body parts. This can include organs, tissues, surgical specimens and bodily fluids removed during surgery or autopsy and must be properly disposed of in an approved anatomical waste container.

The term “biohazard” is defined as biological material (for example plants, animals, microorganisms or their byproduct) that poses potential risk to the health and well-being of humans, animals, or the environment 29 CFR 1910.1030 (g)(1)(i)(A). All biohazardous waste must be disposed of in an approved biohazardous medical waste container.

Using a foot-pedal opening mechanism and bagless system means hand contact with the biomedical waste container is no longer required. This no-touch alternative results in a dramatic reduction in the infection transfer risk that currently exists using standard medical waste containers. The Medismart reusable system ensures that once full, each container is removed from your premises, emptied, and then subjected to a rigorous 6-stage robotic wash and decontamination process that eliminates challenge organisms and proves a 6 Log (99.9999%) reduction in bacterial load.

Different facilities have their own policies and processes in place, but typically the following items are classified as biomedical waste: Gauze, bandages or other items saturated with blood, Gloves, personal protective equipment (PPE) and plastic tubing that is contaminated with blood or body fluid, and disposable sharps containers. What should not be disposed of in a biomedical waste container includes medications, loose sharps, cytotoxic waste and hazardous wastes.

Biomedical waste (sometimes referred to as yellow bag waste) is the classification for wastes that are contaminated with blood or body fluids

There are both provincial regulations that govern the labeling, containment, storage, transport and treatment of medical waste.

Provincial governing bodies constantly investigate breaches of the regulations. Infringements can result in corporate fines.

Yes, the activated carbon and solution that is used in both products is non-corrosive and non-toxic to the skin and eyes. The carbon is non-flammable and is stable under normal conditions. There are no known harmful effects associated with ingestion of carbon. If ingested, contact The Canadian Association for Poison Centres and Clinical Toxicology at 1-844-764-7669.

Yes – the Pharmaceutical Waste Stream includes residual medicines which may be contained in partly emptied glass vials, hard capsule or tablet medication, broken ampoules and drawing up needles. These wastes should always be disposed in an approved pharmaceutical waste container.

Any destruction method applied to a controlled substance must render it “non-retrievable” and no longer available for use. The testing results of both Rx Destroyer and Secure a Drug have shown to meet these standards. Ultimately, it is up to the individual waste generator to ensure that they comply with facility, local provincial, and federal regulations.

A controlled substance is any type of drug that the federal government has categorized as having a higher-than-average potential for abuse or addiction. Controlled substances range from illegal street drugs to prescription medications, and require special disposal to ensure they are not illicitly consumed.

Water treatment facilities struggle to filter out pharmaceuticals from the water. There are thousands of published reports of the occurrence on pharmaceuticals in sewage, surface water, ground water, and elsewhere. Because of these findings, most federal, provincial and local authorities are recommending that pharmaceuticals NOT be disposed in the toilet or sink. Health Canada forbids flushing of unused pharmaceuticals, and strongly discourages the disposal of medications to landfill.

Sharps waste is a stream of biomedical waste composed of used “sharps”– these include any device or object used to puncture or lacerate the skin. Common items that would typically be disposed of in a sharps container are: disposable scalpels and blades, hypodermic needles and lancets, broken capillary tubes, broken rigid plastic, and culture slides. All used sharps must be disposed of in an approved sharps disposal container.

All Daniels medical waste container solutions are designed to provide safety of use and unhindered deposition of sharps and waste in a fast paced OR environment. The best suited containers for the OR are Daniels Surgismart for the collection of surgical devices and SUD’s, the Daniels Sharpsmart sharps disposal containers with full access openings for quick disposal or safety-trays for smaller syringes and finer needles, and the Daniels Medismart for the collection of Biomedical Waste. All containers can be mounted on static stands or carts with dual mounting options to have two containers positioned at point-of-use.