Micro-Waste Corporation® Installs Its Latest Micro-Waste^® Disinfection System^® (MDS^®) Treatment System at a Major University and Research Facility

Micro-Waste^® installed its latest Micro-Waste^® Disinfection System^® (MDS^®) treatment system at a major university and research facility in only 3 1/2 hours with no impact to the operations of the facilities. The new Model MDS-2481, which uses microwave-assisted moist heat disinfection as in its other model, was modified to meet the unique needs of the facility to install the system in the limited space available in the existing incinerator building while allowing the discharge of the treated waste to be directed to the dedicated solid waste compactor located outside of the building. This allows the operators to operate the MDS^® in a conditioned environment not subject to the weather conditions at the site.

The MDS^® treatment system was designed and manufactured in the United States by Micro-Waste Corporation^®. The MDS-2481 has been tested to meet the relevant state regulations for testing and regulation of alternative treatment systems. Micro-Waste also performed onsite biological disinfection efficacy testing using a standard disinfection test protocol of commercial Bacillus atrophaeus spores [or Bacillus subtilis (Niger)] as generally recommended by the State and Territorial Association on Alternative Treatment Technologies (STAATT). Following employee training, completion of testing, and the installation of the custom treated waste compactor, the facility installed a solid wall and adjacent roll-up door to finalize the construction and installation process.

The system provides the capability for treatment of all regulated medical waste at all of the many facilities in accordance with state regulations. The system is expected to provide a total operating cost (including labor, utilities, repair, maintenance, and waste disposal) of approximately 8 to 10 cents per pound, much less than the typical commercial medical waste transport and treatment costs of 15 to 30 cents per pound. With this system, the facilities can maintain positive control of their regulated medical waste removing the necessity to transport untreated waste on the roads or costly treatment of the waste in the incinerator.

1. The morning of shipment, the Micro-Waste^® Disinfection System^® was prepared for shipment at Micro-Waste's^® fabrication facility in Fort Worth, Texas, and placed by forktruck on the trailer.

2. The complete spare shredder, gearbox, and motor, part of the standard sales package for the Micro-Waste^® Disinfection System^® Model MDS-2481, was placed on the front of the trailer.

3. The Micro-Waste^® Disinfection System^® was transported by low-boy trailer from Texas to the facility in 3 days.

4. On the blustery 27º F morning, the MDS-2481 was off-loaded from the trailer with a fork truck at the entrance to the installation location.

5. Skates were placed under one end of the MDS^® treatment system.

6. The MDS^® treatment system was rolled into the facility waste treatment building.

7. The facility installation location required that Micro-Waste^® engineers, facility architectural, engineering, and environmental health and safety management, and rigging personnel plan and work closely together from project award to installation to ensure that the MDS^® treatment system was designed and fabricated such that no modifications would be required to the existing waste building entrance. Less than two inches side clearance and four inches top clearance was ultimately available.

8. In the facility request for proposal process, limitations were specified regarding amount of area that could be occupied by the equipment and its location. Micro-Waste^® provided detailed engineering drawings and worked with facility architects and engineers to ensure placement would meet all requirements for operations and maintenance. The close coordination and engineering allowed the facility management to redesign and modify the existing floor drain system to accommodate the MDS^® treatment system..

 

9. To minimize the width of the MDS-2481 for installation through the existing building entrance, the air conditioner normally installed at the factory was shipped inside the MDS^® to be installed onsite.

 

10. With the MDS-2481 through the building entrance, it was side-shifted on the skates to the final location to provide proper personnel operations and maintenance access.

 

11. After the MDS^® was in its final location, the air conditioner was re-installed on the exterior of the MDS.

 

12. The standard OSHA handrails were installed to maximize employee safety when performing maintenance activities on the top of the MDS^®.

 

13. Again, Micro-Waste^® was able to meet the unique needs of the facility at no additional cost by modifying the lift system to reduce the height of the MDS^® allowing it to pass through the existing building opening. The lift system "candy canes" were re-installed following installation of the safety rails.

 

14. The upper portion of the microwave treatment section (MTS) was attached to the lower portion of the MTS prior to removal of the protective film from the stainless steel screw housing and insulation.

 

15. THe facility management requested that the length of the discharge portion of the microwave treatment section (MTS) screw be lengthened by approximately four feet to better interface with the treated waste compactor. The location of the MTS screw support stand was also modified to allow placement within the building.

 

16. Facility personnel installed a temporary wall on the waste treatment building while awaiting the final wall and roll-up door to match exactly with the final installation location.

 

17. Facility personnel installed a temporary treated waste container to allow for startup testing of the MDS^®.

 

18. Facility personnel connected the electrical power supply, the water supply and installed a steam blowdown and drain cooler to the floor drain system.

 

19. Following the facility's connection of the utilities to the MDS-2481, Micro-Waste^® performed its initial system checkout and began training the facility Environmental Health and Safety personnel who were responsible for operation of the system.

 

20. As part of the Micro-Waste^® training, facility Environmental Health and Safety management, supervisors, and operations personnel operated the system during component functional testing and biological efficacy testing.

21. Micro-Waste^® performed biological testing by inserting standard commercial biological test samples below the shredder.

22. Biological testing was performed in accordance with procedures established for more than 17 years for moist heat disinfection systems and in accordance with recommendations by the State and Territorial Association on Alternative Treatment Technologies (STAATT). Treated test samples were incubated with control test samples to ensure proper quality control of test samples and incubator operation.

 

23. The facility's temporary open top container was installed to allow for functional testing of system components. Routine solid waste and biohazardous waste was used for functional component testing and during biological disinfection efficacy testing.

 

24. Following acceptable biological disinfection efficacy testing, the Micro-Waste^® Disinfection System^® began full-time operation to handle all medical waste from the facilities.