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Q: What are a few things I can do to reduce pollution associated with
healthcare at my I workplace?
There are many things you can do:
- Encourage your organization to phase out the use of mercury and mercury
based products. This might include switching to aneroid sphygmomanometers,
digital thermometers, and digital monitoring equipment. Proper disposal
of mercury and mercury products is essential to protect worker health
and the environment.
- Isolate potentially hazardous wastes from regular trash and red bag/biohazard
wastes. Items such as batteries and mercury from broken thermometers
should be kept separate and discarded as hazardous waste. If your facility
is small, contact your county waste authority to see if they offer any
assistance for small businesses. Some communities have a hazardous waste
collection program, or have special days when batteries, fluorescent
light fixtures, mercury waste and other hazardous items can be discarded.
Every soiled utility area and at least every department should have
a "battery waste" collection container plainly labeled and
readily accessible so that batteries can be properly disposed of either
as recyclable or hazardous waste (depending on type of battery) and
most importantly, kept out of the "incinerator-bound" waste
stream.
- Make sure that your organization uses Cadmium-free red bags and sharps
containers. Cadmium is a heavy metal and a know carcinogen. When cadmium
containing red bags and sharps containers are incinerated, cadmium is
emitted into the air.
- Carpool to work whenever possible. For every mile not driven, a pound
of air pollution is not created. Air pollution is responsible for an
increasing number of respiratory ailments. CO, NO2, S02, ozone and particulates
are a few of the pollutants associated with poor respiratory health.
If you need further information or technical assistance, please contact
Hollie Shaner R.N., M.S.A., Environmental Health Coordinator, Community
Health Improvement Office at Fletcher Allen Health Care 802-656-2399 or
by email at Hollie.Shaner@vtmednet.org.
Additionally, she would welcome your questions to answer in future editions
of the Vermont Registered Nurse.
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