Study Finds Workers Handling Medical Waste Need More Training

A study co-authored by National Waste and Recycling Association (NWRA) Vice President for Technical and Regulatory Affairs Anne Germain was published in the American Journal of Infection Control. The study is entitled, “A Pilot Survey of the US Medical Waste Industry to Determine Training Needs for Safely Handling Highly Infectious Waste.”

The study, dealing primarily with the aftermath of the recent outbreak of the Ebola virus disease (EVD), found that workers and facilities were often unprepared to deal with the highly infectious waste that resulted from EVD, mainly due to complex regulations regarding the waste.

“This was a collaborative effort that yielded important results,” said Germain in a statement. “Based on our study, it is evident that workers who handle highly infectious medical waste should receive additional training and facilities should review their permits to determine if they can accept highly infectious waste. NWRA and the Healthcare Waste Institute look forward to working with our members and stakeholders on the issues identified in the study.”

The paper’s lead author was Aurora Le, who researches at the Biosafety and Infectious Disease Training Initiative at the Indiana University School of Public Health.