By implementing best management practices now, the hospital can help to avoid the need for increased regulations in the future. However, it may not be possible to replace all of the hospital's mercury products at once and, in a few cases, there may not be a substitute that is considered to be reliable and cost-effective. For these products, best management practices are effective procedures for handling and either recycling or disposing of the mercury-containing products.
Recycling is recommended.
Disposal should be the last resort. Mercury-containing products can be found almost anywhere in the hospital. They range from medical instruments and clinical laboratory chemicals to electrical equipment and cleaning solutions. In all cases, when a mercury-containing product is still in use, the hospital's hazardous waste management coordinator will have the ultimate responsibility for its recycling or disposal. All personnel within the hospital who handle mercury-containing products must cooperate with the hazardous waste management coordinator to develop appropriate procedures for the handling of items to be discarded and their transportation to the designated hazardous waste collection point.