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Biomedical waste management
Biomedical waste management is an essential aspect of healthcare facilities, ensuring the safe and environmentally responsible disposal of medical waste. Proper biomedical waste management helps minimize the risk of infections and protects public health. It involves the collection, segregation, transportation, treatment, and disposal of hazardous waste, such as sharps, chemicals, and infectious materials, in compliance with regulatory standards. Effective biomedical waste management is critical for hospitals, clinics, and laboratories to maintain a safe and sustainable environment.
what is biomedical waste management?
Definition of Biomedical waste:
The waste generated by hospitals, nursing or maternity homes, clinics, dispensary, veterinary institutions, pathological laboratory, blood banks during the diagnosis,
The handling or immunization of human beings or animals, or research activities that are potentially infectious to human health and the environment, is referred to as Biomedical waste.
Proper biomedical waste management is crucial for preventing contamination in healthcare settings.
Sources of generation of Biomedical waste:
Following are the sources of Biomedical waste:
1. Waste generated by Hospitals
2. Waste generated by nursing homes
3. Waste generated by clinics
4. Waste generated by pharmacies
5. Waste generated by pathological laboratory
6. Waste generated by blood banks
7. Waste generated by medical research laboratory.
8. Waste generated by funeral homes etc.
Biomedical waste management protocols help reduce the environmental impact of hazardous medical waste.
Types of hospital waste-clinical and non-clinical
Following are different types of biomedical waste:
1. Human anatomical waste (such as tissues, organs, body parts, etc.)
2. Animal waste (similar to the above, generated during research, experimentation, or from veterinary hospitals, etc.)
3. Microbiological and biotechnological waste such as laboratory cultures, microorganisms, human and animal cell cultures, toxins etc.
4. Sharps waste, including hypodermic needles, syringes, scalpels, broken glass, etc.
5. Discarded medicines and cyto-toxic drugs.
6. Soiled waste, such as dressings, bandages, plaster casts, and materials contaminated with blood, etc.
7. Solid waste, including disposable items like tubes, catheters, etc., excluding sharps.
8. Liquid waste generated from any infected area.
Ensuring safe biomedical waste management practices can save lives by reducing the risk of infection.
Storage of hospital waste
1. Storage of waste is necessary at two points a) at point of generation and b) common storage for total waste inside a health care organization.
2. It must be noted that waste generated at source should not be stored beyond a period of 48 hrs.
3. The container/bag used for storage should be sturdy without any puncture or leakage. It should have a cover preferably operated by foot. The bag/container should not be filled 3/4th of its capacity.
4. For ease of identification and handling it is necessary to use color coding i.e., specific colored container for particular type of waste.
Many hospitals are adopting innovative biomedical waste management systems to comply with environmental regulations.
Colours Coding storage of biomedical waste
Following are the various methods of segregation of BWM in colour coded bags or containers:
1. Yellow bags:
All the infectious wastes are collected into these bags. It may include soiled bandage, cotton or any other thing which is infected. The waste from these bags is treated by incineration only.
2. Red bags:
All the plastic wastes such as injections, syringes, I. V. tubing, Bottles are collected into these bags. They are treated by incineration only.
3. Blue bags:
It consists of all the types of glass bottles and broken glass articles. It is classified as hazardous waste and treated by incineration only.
4. Black carboy:
All sharps of metal are collected into these bags like blades, needles without syringes, etc.
5. Purple container:
It consists of Cytotoxic and cytostatic wastes, clinical waste. It is hazardous waste and has to be treated by incineration only.
6. Yellow and Black containers:
It consists of offensive but hygiene waste from health centres. Itβs non-hazardous and can be treated by incineration, landfill.
7. Black containers:
It consists of domestic waste mixed with municipal waste which is classified as non-hazardous waste.
8. White containers or bags:
It consists of dental amalgam and mercury such as spent and expired capsules.
The role of biomedical waste management in maintaining public health cannot be overstated.
Collection of hospital waste
1. Collection activity of the hospital waste takes place at two events, firstly for larger hospitals collection of waste collection of waste inside the hospital and then from the common storage area to the transport vehicle.
2. For smaller units, there is no requirement for a common storage area and hence waste is collected at once and directly put up into the vehicles.
3. Waste collection inside the hospital should be done with the help of wheeled containers. Two-wheeled containers of 120-330 lit capacity and four-wheeled containers of 500-1000 lit capacity are generally used.
4. For collection of non-clinical waste such as waste from office, kitchen, garden, etc. normal handcart with the container is used.
5. To avoid any confusion, the colour code applicable to the bags/containers should also be used for the collection containers.
6. Collection of disposal items such as syringes, gloves, etc. should be undertaken only after mutilation (cutting in smaller parts) and chemical disinfection (by dipping in 1 % hypochlorite solution for 30 minutes).
Biomedical waste management requires strict guidelines to ensure that all medical waste is handled safely and disposed of responsibly.
Transportation of hospital waste:
1. In case of off-site treatment, the waste has to be transported to the treatment/disposal facility site safely.
2. Vehicles used for the transportation of biomedical waste must have the βBio-Hazardβ symbol.
3. The vehicle should be covered and secured against accidental opening of the door, leakage, etc.
4. The interior of the vehicle should have a smooth finish so that it can be easily washed and disinfected.
5. There should be adequate arrangements for drainage and collection of leachates that may accidentally come out of the waste containers.
6. Generally, vehicles having a capacity of 2 β 5 m3 are used in the transportation of bio-medical waste.
Investing in biomedical waste management technologies can help healthcare facilities reduce waste and promote sustainability.
Disposal of hospital waste- Incineration:
1. In Biomedical Waste Management and Handling Rules, Incineration is recommended for human anatomical waste, animal waste, cyto-toxic drugs, discarded medicines and soiled waste.
2. Incineration is a high temperature thermal process employing combustion of the waste under controlled conditions. The temperature range is about 800Β°C to 1100Β°C.
3. Incineration of medical waste should be performed in a controlled facility to ensure complete combustion and minimize any negative effects for the environment.
4. Broadly three types of incinerators are used: multiple hearth type, rotary kiln and controlled air. The chimney heights for the incinerators should be minimum 30 meters above ground level.
5. Other methods of disposal of biomedical waste include: Autoclaving, Chemical Treatment,
Microwave treatment, Landfilling etc.
Biomedical waste management is vital for preventing the spread of infections and ensuring a cleaner, healthier environment in medical establishments.
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