Biomedical Waste Management
Definition
Biomedical waste : waste from clinic, hospital, clinical laboratory
Potentially infectious materials
Potentially injurious like needles, surgical blades
Materials soiled with blood, serum, pus etc.
Solid or liquid
Body parts (amputations, debridements of wounds or any other tissues
Hazardous materials like chemicals, radioactive materials
Methods of disposal
Onsite disposal - for very big hospitals
Offsite disposal - for smaller setups - hiring a biomedical waste disposable service
Containers must be leak proof - bear a biohazard symbol
Discarded sharps - in specialized boxes often called needle boxes
Chemical waste containers - Burkle funnel or ECO funnel
Storage and handling
Wastage storing time is prescribed
Workers transporting the wastes must observe standard precautions : Hand hygiene - hand washing with soap and water or hsnd sanitizers - facilities for clean running water for washing, clean non sterile gloves, clean non sterile fluid resistant gown, mask and eye protection or a face shield
Education of health workers, patients and visitors
Waste treatment
treated to reduce or eliminate the waste's hazards
Incineration
Autoclaving
Microwave irradiation for disinfection
For liquids in small quantities - 1-10% Bleach, Solutions of sidium hydroxide or anyother suitable chemical disinfectants, alkaline digesters
Shredders to make the waste unreconizable
Guidelines for segregation
Red Bag : syringes without needles, soiled gloves, catherers, IV tubes
Yellow bag : dressings, bandages, cotton swabswith body fluids, blood bags, human anatomical waste, body parts
Cardboard box with blue marking : glass vials, ampules, other glass ware
White puncture proof container (PPC) : needles (cut away from syngers), sharps, blades
Black bags : non bio-medical waste like stationary, vegetable and fruit peels, packages including from medicines, disposable caps, cartons, sweeping dust, kitchen waste etc.
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