Waste Management and Hazard Communication

Most waste generated in oral healthcare settings is office waste, a subset of municipal waste.¹⁰ Standard methods of collecting, storing, transporting, and disposing such wastes are regulated by state or local jurisdictions. It is of import to note that municipal solid waste regulations often include mandatory requirements for recycling certain materials (e.g., newspapers, cardboards, plastics, glass containers, aluminum cans, etc.).

The remaining percentage of waste generated in oral healthcare settings is classified as either: hazardous waste (e.g., lead aprons, computers, digital scanners), universal waste (e.g., batteries, fluorescent lamps, pesticides), or medical waste (e.g., infectious or non-infectious). Infectious medical waste is further categorized as regulated medical waste. OSHA and its counterpart state agencies are responsible for developing and enforcing rules related to regulated medical waste. The rules are based on anticipated risks of exposure to blood and OPIM and relate to workers’ health and safety. A more in-depth review of regulated medical waste management is presented elsewhere.¹⁰ Non-infectious medical waste is managed as office waste.

Hazardous and universal wastes include items used or generated in the workplace, which pose a hazard to human health or to the environment when handled improperly. A more in depth review of hazardous and universal waste management is presented elsewhere.¹¹

OSHA and its counterpart state agencies are also responsible for developing and enforcing rules for hazardous chemicals as they relate to workers’ health and safety. These rules are predicated on anticipated risks of exposure to chemicals in the workplace and the need to communicate this information to workers based on the principle of “right to know.” A review of hazard communication compliance in oral healthcare settings is presented elsewhere.⁹