Medical Waste Worker Career Summary

Duties and Responsibilities

The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) defines medical waste as solid waste generated through the immunization, treatment or diagnosis of animals or human beings, in research connected with thereto, or in the testing or production of biologicals. Medical waste falls under the category of hazardous materials, and as such must be collected, transported and destroyed in a different method than standard municipal waste. Medical waste workers, also known as medical waste transporters, handle the collection and drop off of medical waste from hospitals, clinics, blood banks, veterinary hospitals and other healthcare locations where medical waste is generated.

Medical waste workers have a variety of responsibilities besides simply driving the waste to an appropriate location. Workers must always identify the type of waste prior to transportation. If they discover a waste other than the type they are authorized to carry, they are not allowed to complete the transport. They must maintain daily records of the amount of waste they transported to the disposal facility, and that facility must be an authorized waste receiving facility. The transporter is responsible for ensuring waste is transported in a proper vehicle, and the vehicle must be maintained so that no leaking or discharge of waste occurs.

The following excerpts represent actual medical waste worker duties and responsibilities as found in Monster.com and the Human Resources department at Duke University (www.hr.duke.edu), respectively:

• 'Pick up specified waste from each customer site scheduled for the day. Ensures that customers have packaged and prepared the waste according to all federal, state, and local rules and regulations before transporting. Ensures waste, supplies, and material handling equipment are secured prior to operating vehicle on public highway.' -Stericycle
• 'Operate hand truck and drive van for transport, delivery, loading and unloading of supplies/sealed medical waste boxes. Maintain accurate records of all needle boxes/ medical waste transactions on a daily basis using a medical scanner. Properly seal all medical waste boxes by standard procedures. Report improper waste disposal violations to manager immediately.' --Duke University

Job Requirements

In terms of education, medical waste workers typically only need a high school diploma or equivalent to obtain work; however, they must also be licensed by the state or states through which they will be transporting medical waste. Regulations for obtaining the license vary by state. In addition, they sometimes need a special commercial driver's license (CDL), which will allow them to carry hazardous waste. The following excerpts represent actual medical waste worker job requirements as found in Monster.com and the Human Resources department of Duke University (www.hr.duke.edu), respectively:

• 'Education equivalent to graduation from high school, or the equivalent in related work experience, demonstrating the ability to read a map, interact professionally with various levels of internal/external customers. Completion of an accredited driving school, or one or more years of Commercial Driving experience required.' -Stericycle
• 'High School Diploma or GED preferred. Work requires the ability to read, comprehend and follow oral and written instructions. Must have valid NC Driver's License.' --Duke University

Employment Outlook

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), www.bls.gov, the occupation of hazardous materials removal workers is projected to grow at a much faster rate than will the average occupation; the projections go through the year 2014. A hazardous material removal worker earned $16.02 per hour (median hourly earnings) in 2004. With enough experience, medical waste workers may move into supervisory positions and eventually they may be in control of an entire fleet of drivers.