What are the Types of Biohazard Bags and How to Handle Them?

There are certain waste materials that possess the capacity to harm humans and the environment dangerously. Therefore, the need to contain them becomes a priority for everyone. Such harmful materials are termed as biohazardous wastes that are usually found in clinical laboratories, healthcare facilities, pharmaceutical industries, and research facilities. The containers used to seal off biohazardous wastes are known as biohazard bags.  

What are Biohazard Bags?

The name itself is a self-explanatory term that accentuates upon the word biohazard. The necessity to collect, seal, and dispose the toxic waste has been elucidated by all the scientists, health practitioners, and environmentalists. Therefore, such contaminants are collected in special type of bags called as biohazard bags that are made up of high density polyethylene, polypropylene, plastic, and polyethylene.

These bags are popular with all the healthcare departments, especially in the times of the Covid-19 pandemic. The demand for the biohazard bags to caste off waste from the coronavirus infected patients has enhanced drastically in the past seven months. According to a report published by Research Dive, the global biohazard bags market will cross the $469.1 million mark by 2027, owing to the increase in its usage in all the medical facilities. 

Commonly used Biohazard Bags:

There are different categories of bags used for containing various types of biohazard materials. The significant biohazard bags that are preferred by all the sectors dealing with detrimental waste are mentioned as follows:

1. Red Biohazard Bags:

These types of bags are commonly used to segregate noxious materials from the uncontaminated ones. The red biohazard bags are used to collect pathological wastes and only those objects that have blood on it. Commonly included contaminants are anatomical wastes and body fluids like semen, tissues, saliva, animal carcasses, and organs. Apart from this, dresses that are soaked in blood, specimen swabs, toxic medical equipment, and infected gloves are also gathered and sealed off in this type of biohazard bag.

Avert putting wastes like alcohols, chemicals, solvents, lead, radioactive wastes, wrappers of food, and pharmaceutical effluents in the red biohazard bags as they aren’t designed to handle such wastes.  

2. Yellow Biohazard Bags:

Such bags are utilized for disposing chemicals, infectious clinical materials, and pharmaceutical medicines. Moreover, dressings, swabs, tissues, aprons, soiled gloves, nappies, and pads are also collected and packed in yellow biohazard bags. Some other uncommon objects such as IV (intravenous) lines, fluid bags, syringes, and metallic parts are also a part of biohazard waste that go into these bags.

Things such as anatomical wastes, placental remains, pathological trash, domestic litter, and non-infectious rubbish are not included in the yellow biohazard bags.

3. Autoclave Biohazard Bags:

These bags comprises of colours like red, yellow, and transparent that helps in distinguishing the type of waste that goes in each one of them. 

The autoclave biohazard bags consist of special features that are enlisted as follows:

• They are burst and tear proof under normal circumstances.

• A biohazard symbol is printed on all of these bags.

• They have qualified the ASTMD 1709-85 165 gram dart test.

• Tolerable temperature is 141?C

• These are made of HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) and LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) plastics.

Dos and Don’ts while Dealing with Biohazard Bags:

Like every systems, devices, and technology; the biohazard bags too have a strict protocol that is to be followed while handling them. The major rules are as follows:

1. Label every bag with a biohazard symbol.

2. Always wear apron, gloves, eye protection, and face masks while transferring the contaminated wastes in the biohazard bags.

3. Do not dispose the biohazardous waste in city or municipal trash cans, such harmful wastes are collected by a licensed medical waste contractor only.  

4.  Line the medical waste container with biohazard bags.

5. Carry out autoclaving process on site before disposing the contaminants.

6. Use a tray or a bucket while dealing with liquid biohazard wastes as a precautionary measure.  

7. Treat the liquid waste with bleach or autoclave it before disposal; however, deter from such procedures in case of body fluids and chemicals.

8. For sharp objects use biohazard bags that are resistant to puncture and are leakage proof.

9. Utilize double bags for pathological wastes to prevent leaks.

What Kind of Poisonous Waste Goes in the Biohazard Bags?

Any contaminated material that is highly infectious and can harm an individual is compiled and discarded in the biohazard bags. Some of the prominent noxious items are as follows:

1. Blood and things covered with blood

2. Tainted personal protective equipment (PPE)

3. Recombinant DNA and RNA

4. IV (intravenous) tubing

5. Any sharp objects covered with contaminants

6. Laboratory apparatus, microbial cultures,  and stocked specimens

7. Pathological wastes

8. Waste produced from person infected with communicable diseases

9. Discarded vaccines

10. Animal waste   

About the Author(s)

Princy A. J

Princy holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the prestigious Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. University at Chennai, India. After a successful academic record, she pursued her passion for writing. A thorough professional and enthusiastic writer, she enjoys writing on various categories and advancements in the global industries. She plays an instrumental role in writing about current updates, news, blogs, and trends.