How to manage hospital waste?
HOSPITAL WASTE :
Hospital waste is “Any waste which is generated in the diagnosis, treatment or immunization of human beings or animals or in research” in a hospital.
Hospital Waste Management means the management of waste produced by hospitals using such techniques that will help to check the spread of diseases.
Waste Minimisation Hierarchy
- Reduce
- Reuse
- Recycle
- Infectious
- Non-Infectious
- Hazardous
- Non Hazardous
Segregation by color coding system
Three categories
Infectious waste - Red bags
Domestic waste - Green Bags
Sharps - Needle cutters / Puncture proof containers
Segregation at Source ( ward, operation theater, laboratory, labor room, othere places).
SEGREGATION
The different waste groups have different colours for the containers and bags for the identification according to the hazards and applied throughout the complete disposal chain (segregation, collection, storage, transport, disposal):
➢ Warning colors for hazardous waste (Red, yellow, orange)
➢ Positive colors for recycling (Blue, green, etc.)
➢ Neutral colors for normal waste (Black, etc.)
The colour coding makes the process understandable even for low-skilled workers with language and read problems.
Proper disposal of waste
All infectious waste and sharps containers :Incineration
All Domestic waste : Landfill
All hazardous waste : Chemical treatment before disposal
Hazards associated with poor health care waste management
- Injuries from sharps to all categories of health care personnel and waste handlers.
- Increase risk of infections to medical, nursing and other hospital staff.
- Poor infection control can lead to nosocomial infections in patients particularly HIV, Hepatitis B & C.
- Increase in risk associated with hazardous chemicals and drugs being handled by persons handling wastes
- Poor waste management encourages unscrupulous persons to recycle disposables and disposed drugs for repacking and reselling.
- Organic portion ferments and attracts fly breeding.
