by the pound would later pick up. Pour down the drain or red-bag —
neither option safe, efficient or economical.
But thanks to today's direct-to-drain units, we can empty canisters
directly into a sanitary sewer system — a clean, safe no-pour solution
to fluid waste disposal that not only reduces staff exposure to infec-
tious fluid but also shaves minutes off of room cleanup and may in the
long run lower waste disposal costs.
With a closed direct-to-drain system like ours, staff attach full con-
tainers to wall-mounted drainage units, which pump the waste directly
into the sewer. We also considered direct-to-drain disposal with high-
capacity roving units that collect fluid directly from the surgical site,
suction mats or floor wicking devices. Staff simply wheel filled rovers
to a docking station, hook them up and stand back as the contents are
automatically emptied into the sewer.
Going direct-to-drain
Before we switched to a direct-to-drain suction canister system 5
years ago, we packaged untreated liners into red biohazard bags. But
with the expense, the leaks and the constant risk of exposure to dan-
gerous fluids, we knew we needed a change.
Cost was the most pressing concern we had with our red-bag sys-
tem. Yes, we saved on reusable canisters, but we were spending a
small fortune on waste removal. You'd be surprised how much con-
tainer-based disposal methods can cost, so it's important to remember
you're buying containers and paying more for red bag waste on a reg-
ular basis.
We considered dumping the unsealed canisters of fluids into a hop-
per. Simple, yes, but hardly safe. We couldn't expose staff members
handling the disposal to splashback and contamination.
The main cost of installing a fluid-waste-disposal system right in our
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