Safety

Oregon squeezes medical center for dumping compacted infectious waste

OSHA Healthcare Connection, February 7, 2006

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The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) hit St. Charles Medical Center in Bend, OR, with $119,361 in penalties for mishandling untreated infectious waste and dumping it at a landfill not permitted to accept such waste, according to a February 2 DEQ news release.

Infectious waste from St. Charles Medical Center first appeared in the landfill on October 21, 2005, when tubing containing blood became entangled with the drive system of a bulldozer at the dumping site. An investigation revealed that the Center compacted unmarked garbage bags containing biological and pathological wasteâ?"including bone parts, cartilage, body tissue, needles, bloody plastic bags, plastic catheters, and syringesâ?"and hauled the waste to a landfill on 17 occasions.

Oregon environmental law requires separation of infectious waste from other wastes at the point of generation and treatment before compacting.

The medical facility has 20 days to appeal the citation.



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