Red Bag Waste

ex8018 · 04-16-2008, 12:34 PM

What should go in? At work we have specific criteria : visibly soiled dressings, with blood etc...most of the garbage, including gloves, (this is in a hospital) does not go in a red bag, it goes in a regular bag. What are your protocols?

FDAMT · 04-17-2008, 03:16 AM

If I'm not mistaken in the ambulance you can throw any medical waste in the red bag (IV bag/tubing, gauze, gloves, blood soaked dressings, etc.) You can't throw like food garbage away though. I think the state can actually fine you for having trash thats not supposed to be in there.

MFD594 · 04-17-2008, 03:55 AM

"Red Bag" is exactly what it says... "bad shit"

If a DOH inspector wants to sort through your red bags and fine you for a half-eaten sandwich, thats his call.

Anything with a "Biohazard" type symbol, skull & crossbones, etc, its usually not a smart idea to start "poking around".

ten83 · 04-25-2008, 02:19 AM

I'd edp someone for actually deciding to go through whats in my red bags haha

EMSJEEP · 04-26-2008, 12:08 AM

What if my patient bleeds on my sandwich? That stuff gets incinerated, so I would say, no batteries or anything that would explode, though it wouldn't really matter anyway. There is no real harm, except that the hospital has to pay for its disposal, in putting regular trash in the red bag.

Navy076996 · 04-26-2008, 03:40 AM

I've been putting soda cans in there. Oops.

ten83 · 04-26-2008, 04:18 AM

Found a half eaten subway sandwich in there at work today... guess one of the guys on tour 2 couldnt handle the footlong sub

EMSJEEP · 04-26-2008, 05:23 PM

I'm tempted to ask why you were looking in there...anyway, would that be the $5 foot long I have heard so much about?

ten83 · 04-26-2008, 05:36 PM

Well at the start of our tour we have to empty out the red bag, if we don't and a boss sees it were screwed. The half eaten sandwich happened to be half sticking out of the already full bag lol. Not sure if it was the $5 foot long... I did spot what appeared to be a peice of chicken teriacki on the stretcher.

NozzleNose · 04-30-2008, 05:45 AM

2 questions.....where do i get this 5 dollar footlong, sounds like a good deal.

and 2ndly...if they incinirate the red bag garbage then how does it wash up on the beach every so often just out of curiosity?

ESU2422 · 04-30-2008, 06:06 AM

Subway has the 5 dollar foot-longs.

The stuff that washes up on the beach can come from anywhere. Insulin dependent diabetics can dispose of needles in the regular trash, depending on the municipality it can be landfilled. Also in NYC in a heavy storm the stuff in the storm drains can actually wash out into the water.