Due to the hazardous nature of medical wastes, it is necessary for them to be handled in ways that are safe. Many different collection devices are available to receive hypodermic needles. Secure waste receptacles can accept bandage materials, surgery accessories, gloves, tubing and other similar types of items. There are also specialty containers for tissue and fluids that must be disposed of. There is widespread use of these waste containers throughout the medical field, including doctors offices, health care facilities and hospitals.

There are also many procedures, regulations and laws that address this type of waste material. This is meant to protect the public, health care professionals, and the patients. It details how the material is collected and handled, and the type of equipment that is required. It also addresses how this material is ultimately disposed of. Often, it must be incinerated under very high temperatures and tight control. The cost of disposal can be quite high, so it is important to monitor this material to assure that it is not disposed of improperly.

To implement control, the material is weighed using precise industrial scales. The waste containers can be placed on a platform scale or bench scale. Generally, the weight value will be printed, and also sent to a computer system for entry into a database. The electronic scale should be equipped with a communication port, such as Ethernet or USB that can be connected to the computer. There should be an equivalent scale at the facility that will complete the final disposal. Weights are checked and correlated.

The digital scale itself must use rugged construction to accept the waste receptacles. Most important is the device that converts the weight into an electronic signal, known as the load cell. While many scales will use aluminum for this purpose, the best platform scales, such as those produced by Arlyn Scales, use a heat treated stainless alloy.