"The Most Medical Waste Expertise in One Place"
NEWS YOU CAN USE
July 7, 2020
SPURGIN & ASSOCIATES expands services and offerings to customers of all sizes. Check out my website! You'll find information on services from permitting to engineering to compliance to equipment. There's a News You Can Use section with short articles and videos on a range of topics. Help for your company whether you're in the Fortune 500 or Fortunate Small Businesses that drive our economy. You're neither too big nor too small to help you navigate the world of waste. Check it out and get in touch!
July 10, 2020
CDC Reports Case Based Mortality Figures for Covid19. Note the excerpt below and the full article that follows. Have questions? Let me know!
Case-based surveillance
Demographic and clinical data about COVID-19 cases are reported to CDC from 50 states, the District of Columbia, New York City, and U.S. territories using a standardized case-report form (case-based surveillance) or in aggregate. Data on 52,166 deaths from 47 jurisdictions among persons with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 were reported individually to CDC via case-based surveillance during February 12–May 18, 2020. Among the 52,166 decedents, 55.4% were male, 79.6% were aged ≥65 years, 13.8% were Hispanic/Latino (Hispanic), 21.0% were black, 40.3% were white, 3.9% were Asian, 0.3% were American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN), 0.1% were Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander (NHPI), 2.6% were multiracial or other race, and race/ethnicity was unknown for 18.0%. Median decedent age was 78 years (interquartile range (IQR) = 67–87 years). ... information about underlying medical conditions was missing for the majority of these decedents (30,725; 58.9%), data regarding medical conditions were not analyzed further..
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6928e1.htm?s_cid=mm6928e1_e&deliveryName=USCDC_921-DM32780
July 25, 2020
CDC issues re-opening guidelines for schools! The Centers for Disease Control, along with the American Academy of Pediatric Physicians are supporting the opening of schools in the fall, and have issued guidelines to teachers, administrators and parents. With so many variations from state governors on this issue I hope you'll look at the science and data to keep everyone safe.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/
June 18, 2020
How COVID19 is transmitted. CDC Update June 16. Let me know if you have questions or need assistance!
https://www.cdc.gov/…/prevent-getti…/how-covid-spreads.html…
June 23, 2020
FOOD and the CORONA VIRUS. CDC reports very low risk of contamination. See below and let me know if you have any questions!
https://www.cdc.gov/…/daily-life-co…/food-and-COVID-19.html…
June 24, 2020
IS THERE SUCH A THING AS COVID19 WASTE?? NOT!
I've discussed this before but it bears repeating. Waste generated by a patient who tests positive for COVID19 is not treated any differently than regulated medical waste as defined by individual states. This is so important as I see small nursing homes and facilities throughout the country throwing everything away in a red bag. Please don't and advise your clients or facilities accordingly. It's wasteful, it's costly, and it's unnecessary. If you have any questions, call me at 949-677-0700. Let's do this!
May 28, 2020
CDC Issues COVID19 Guidelines for Pharmacies! Take a look and let me know if you have questions. Spurgin Compliance can help you work safely and optimally.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavir…/2019-ncov/hcp/pharmacies.html
April 30, 2020
REDUCING THE RISK OF EXPOSURE: How to clean and disinfect your workplace safely. This link to CDC guidelines provides practical help in protecting yourself, your colleagues, coworkers and clients as we start opening up. Be well, stay safe, and let me know if you have any questions!
https://www.cdc.gov/…/2019-n…/community/reopen-guidance.html
May 6, 2020
COVID19 Guidelines for Business Owners! If you own or manage a business CDC has published guidelines to help you navigate your business logistics. If you need more help or have questions let me know!
https://www.cdc.gov/…/2…/community/general-business-faq.html
May 4, 2020
Caring for Someone With Covid19? Take these precautions:
We've all seen reports of families with multiple infections in the same household. Use the CDC guidelines below to help limit the spread of infection and keep you and your loved ones safe.
https://www.cdc.gov/…/2019-ncov/if-yo…/care-for-someone.html
OSHA Temporarily Suspends Reporting Requirements
April 14, 2020
OSHA Temporarily Suspends Reporting Requirements
With the stay at home order, non essential businesses may have trouble determining if an employee's exposure to COVID19 occurred in the workplace. Thus OSHA is temporarily suspending enforcement of recordkeeping requirements for industries other than healthcare and first responders. See the article below for further details or contact me with any questions!
https://www.osha.gov/news/newsreleases/national/04102020
Medical Waste Treatment Capacity
April 4, 2020
Does the US have enough Medical Waste Treatment Capacity to handle Corona virus and COVID19 waste? I am happy to clarify!
Over the past few weeks various news outlets have postulated that this might be an issue, even interviewing service providers to try and make that claim.
Each of these service companies has some excess capacity, and even more to the point, the US has such a diversified network of medical waste treatment throughout the country that there's more than adequate capability to meet the demand.
Finally we're noticing that volumes are actually trending down in many areas. The reasons for this include reduction of elective surgeries, deferring non-essential trips to doctor offices or urgent care facilities, and some care facilities consolidating or closing during this time.
This week I'll be doing a short video to elaborate (stay tuned). Meanwhile let me know if you have any questions!
OSHA Update COVID-19
March 22, 2020
Good morning and a healthy day to you all. OSHA has updated their workplace guidance (not a requirement or regulation) to mitigate workplace exposure to COVID-19. Let me know if you have any questions!
Navigating the EPA : Compliance not Confusion
March 23, 2020
I'll be speaking this October at this important and timely event. Hope to see you there!
Navigating the EPA: Compliance Not Confusion
Corona Virus 2019 (COVID-19)
March 16, 2020
CDC has a direct link to updated accurate information. Get it from the source and not the news. Includes all the latest updates, FAQ's, procedures and recommendations. It's not about politics folks, it's about public health and safety.
March 18, 2020
OSHA Addresses Medical Waste and COVID-19
The following is from OSHA and the solid waste update. The link below will take you to the solid waste info but here's the quote on Medical Waste:
"Medical Waste
For medical waste with potential or known COVID-19 contamination, manage like any other regulated medical waste. COVID-19 is not a Category A infectious substance.
Use typical engineering and administrative controls, safe work practices, and PPE, such as puncture-resistant gloves and face and eye protection, to prevent worker exposure to the waste streams (or types of wastes), including any contaminants in the materials, they manage. Such measures can help protect workers from sharps and other items that can cause injuries or exposures to infectious materials.
For regulated medical waste information, consult the regulated medical waste information in CDC’s Guidelines for Environmental Infection Control in Health-Care Facilities (2003). This document provides additional information related to management of waste streams from hospitals and other healthcare facilities.
CDC also provides information on medical waste management as a Question and Answer page on its coronavirus website."