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Improper disposal of medical waste brings fine

E-mail | Print | Comments () Posted by Gideon Gil July 14, 2010 05:52 PM

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By Patrick G. Lee, Globe Correspondent

The state Department of Environmental Protection has fined Boston Medical Center almost $39,000 for improperly sending hazardous medical waste to a disposal facility in Roxbury not licensed to handle such infectious waste.

Joe Ferson, a spokesman for the department, said today that the incident last year was an isolated case that occurred because the hospital’s autoclave machine, which sterilizes medical waste before it is shredded, was broken.

Boston Medical Center issued a statement today, saying that it is committed to appropriate and safe disposal of biological waste, and that the hospital has already instituted changes, such as building a new biological waste storage area, instituting regular inspections, and retraining operating room and custodial staff.

In exchange for these changes, the state reduced the fine by nearly $13,000. The medical center has paid the remaining fine amount and has submitted a formal plan outlining alternative, legal waste disposal options if its normal method is unavailable, Ferson said.

In May 2009, the state’s Environmental Strike Force received a complaint about medical waste being left on Howard Street in Roxbury. The investigators used surveillance-camera footage to track down the source of the garbage, which included used blood bags and biohazardous materials, and eventually determined that Boston Medical Center had sent it to a waste facility on Norfolk Street.

Patrick G. Lee can be reached at patrick.lee@globe.com

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About white coat notes

White Coat Notes covers the latest from the health care industry, hospitals, doctors offices, labs, insurers, and the corridors of government. Chelsea Conaboy previously covered health care for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Write her at cconaboy@boston.com. Follow her on Twitter: @cconaboy.

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