What is HIPPA Compliant E-waste Recycling?
The healthcare institution should already have in place policies and procedures for handling the disposal of electronic waste containing protected health information (PHI). The US Department of Health and Human Services has some stringent rules for the use of PHI and the proper disposal of media containing PHI.
PHI contains any or all
of the following:
- Social security number
- Credit or debit card numbers
- Diagnosis
- Name
- Date of birth
- Driver’s license number
- Treatment information
Prevent Fines and Audits
Acceptable Disposal Methods
Ensuring that PHI is safeguarded even during disposal is essential to prevent fines and audits by the Department of Health and Human Services. Their website offer some examples of disposal methods for handling the disposal of PHI containing items. While not an exhaustive list, some examples of disposal related to electronic media include:
- Purging by disrupting the recorded magnetic domains using a strong magnetic field on
the media, also known as degaussing - Destroying by shredding, disintegration, incineration, melting or pulverization
- Clearing by overwriting non-sensitive data over PHI using hardware or software
products
Following the above guidelines and any others your institution has implemented prior to recycling the electronic media helps keep your institution HIPAA compliant while not adding additional waste and chemicals to local landfills.
Interstate Metal and Alloy works closely with medical institutions to ensure their guidelines and the HIPPA rules set forth by the US Department of Health and Human Services are adhered to.
Give us a call and help us keep electronics from causing problems for public health and our environment.
