Handling Hazardous Waste With The Threat of Ebola
Waste removal is the process through which the end and unuseful products are eliminated in a manner that does not endanger people’s lives or pollute the environment. In big cities, the management of waste is usually carried out with the efforts of garbage producers, dumpster/waste removal companies, and the local authorities that designate the proper grounds for the dumping of the waste. As a matter of precaution, hazardous waste is managed differently from other compositions of waste/garbage.
Hazardous waste
Garbage can be classified as hazardous if improper management (handling, transit to dump site and absolute elimination) poses a health threat to human beings, plants, animals and any other living organism. Bio hazards and radioactive materials comprise some of the waste that is classified as a bio-hazard. Any equipment, clothing and human waste that has come into contact with Ebola, has recently been declared some of the most hazardous waste in the world.
Ebola
Ebola is a deadly viral disease that kills more than half the people who catch it. The disease kills people within days or even hours of contracting it. Ebola is not airborne, but it can be transmitted through contact with items that have been in contact with an Ebola patient, as well as a patient’s body fluids and waste. Listed under Category A infectious agent, Ebola-contaminated items and waste must be handled with special protective gear, put into special hazard waste containers, and, then, incinerated or disinfected and buried.
Waste management of Ebola hazardous waste
As aforementioned, Ebola-related waste must be handled with special gear, containers and disposed of safely. Management of this waste has not been without challenges in the US given the fear people have of contracting the disease. Whereas the CDC says proper handling, disinfection and incineration of the waste is enough to contain the virus, the department of transport (DOT) is still too cautious. DOT regulates the licensing of medical dumpster companies from handling this virus-related waste until such waste is cleared off this virus’ threat. In the same spirit, waste disposal facilities, such as the Chemical Waste Management Inc. In Louisiana, are hesitant about accepting Ebola-related waste.
Normal waste management
Managing household, office, commercial or construction site garbage does not have as many regulations as handling hazardous waste. Premises owners or users simply contact a dumpster company for their waste management needs. These companies dispatch proper-sized dumpster and several people to handle the garbage. The dumpsters may be rented on a fill-and-haul on the same day basis, or for as long as the client needs them. The companies charge dumpster rental fees depending on a number of factors. The duration of dumpster hire, the distance between the company location and the client’s premises, the distance between the client’s premises and the dump site, garbage amount, garbage weight and garbage composition comprise some of the factors that influence dumpster rental pricing. Depending on the composition of the waste, some waste, such as paint and batteries that require special site dumping that charge a fee, a waste removal company may pass on the dumping site fees to the client.
Conclusion
Ebola poses such a transmission and killing threat that its waste management is being hampered by this threat. The Ebola virus has been classified as one of the deadliest, and any waste related to these disease has been classified as hazardous waste, which must be handled with extreme caution. Many waste management companies, even those specializing in medical waste, are limiting their trips to the hospitals that need Ebola waste eliminated because the department of transport requires all the waste be cleared of the virus first.