Biomedical waste management by DR. C P PRINCE

DR. PRINCE C P explains the importance of Biomedical waste management

1. DR.PRINCE C P Associate Professor , Department of Microbiology, Mother Theresa Post Graduate & Research Institute of Health Sciences (Government of Puducherry Institution) Bio Medical waste management

2. Definitions “Bio Medical waste” is any waste, which is generated during the diagnosis, treatment or immunization of human beings or animals or in research activities pertaining to or in the production or testing of biologicals . Hospital waste: refers to all waste, biological or non biological, that is discarded from a hospital and is not intended for further use Medical waste : refers to materials generated as a result of patient diagnoses, treatment, immunization of human beings or animals Infectious waste : are the portion of medical waste that could transmit an ‘infectious disease’.

3. Hazards of Hospital Waste Fire Breeding of flies and insects Proliferation of rodents Air pollution Water pollution Land pollution Transmission of infections viz hepatitis B, HIV, other microbes Mechanical injury Re-circulation of waste Loss of aesthetics Nuclear waste hazards & carcinogenic effect

4. Steps involved in hospital waste management Sorting Handling Treatment- Decontamination Interim Storage Disposal

5. Categorization of waste and the method of disposal Categorised into 10 categories based on hazardous nature of the waste.

6. Category Waste Type Treatment and Disposal Method Category 1 Human Wastes (Tissues, organs, body parts Incineration / deep burial Category 2 Animal Waste Incineration / deep burial Category 3 Microbiology and Biotechnology waste Autoclave/microwave/incineration Category 4 Sharps chemical Disinfection treatment )+/autoclaving/microwaving and mutilation shredding Category 5 Discarded Medicines and Cytotoxic Drugs Incineration/ destruction and drugs disposal in secured landfills Category 6 Contaminated solid waste Incineration/autoclaving / microwaving Category 7 Solid waste (disposable items other than sharps) Disinfection by chemical treatment+ microwaving/autoclaving & mutilation shredding Category 8 Liquid waste (generated from laboratory washing, cleaning, housekeeping and disinfecting activity) Disinfection by chemical treatment+ and discharge into the drains Category 9 Incineration ash Disposal in municipal landfill Category 10 Chemical Wastes Chemical Treatment + and discharge in to drain for liquids and secured landfill for solids

7. Color codes for Biomedical waste collection and segregation

8. Symbols

9. Disposal sharps

10. Sorting Sorting is separating waste by type (e.g., infectious waste, pharmaceutical waste) into color-coded bags at the place where it is generated.

11. Treatment- decontamination Chemical disinfection Autoclaving

12. Interim storage Interim storage is storing waste within the facility until it can be transported for final disposal.

13. Final Disposal of Solid Medical & General Waste There are two different ways of final disposal at a facility: Burn and Non-Burn techniques.

14. Non-burn techniques Burying solid medical waste. To use the burial method of waste disposal there must be enough space available to dig a burial pit and to enclose it in a fence or a wall

15. . Burn technique Incineration of solid medical waste Incinerating is the best option for solid waste disposal, since the high temperature (1300 °C) destroys microorganisms and reduces the amount of waste. Burning in an incinerator or oil drum is recommended. Facilities that generate low levels of solid medical waste can use a small drum incinerator. A drum Place the incinerator on hard earth to prevent grass or vegetation from catching fire. The drum incinerator should have sufficient air inlet to allow for efficient and complete burning of medical waste. Burn only medical waste to minimize the amount of waste to be burned.

16. incinerator Suitably designed pollution control devices should be installed/retrofitted with the incinerator to achieve the above emission limits, if necessary. Wastes to be incinerated shall not be chemically treated with any chlorinated disinfectants. Chlorinated plastics shall not be incinerated. Toxic metals in incineration ash shall be limited within the regulatory quantities as defined under the Hazardous Waste (Management and Handling Rules,) 1989. Only low sulphur fuel shall be used as fuel in the incinerator.

17. Containers – Colour Container colour Tells other staff what is in the container Tells the contractor what to do with the waste Can apply to both sacks and rigid containers Safe for Disposal to General Waste Lab plastics Carcass, anatomical Sharps Cytotoxic

18. segregation

19. Incinerator

20. General Principles of Waste Management A clear policy for waste management. The policy should describe in detail the methods of waste segregation, collection, storage, and disposal. Roles and responsibilities of different team members should be clarified. One key person should be assigned the responsibility of waste management. All used sharps must be discarded without resheathing in a puncture-resistant container that is readily accessible. All clinical waste e.g., waste contaminated with blood and/or bloody fluids should be discarded into a colored bag (e.g. red or yellow). Segregation of waste should take place at its site of origin.

21. Don'ts for handing and Disposal of Hospital Waste 1. Don’t mix the infectious with non-infectious waste. 2. Don’t throw sharps in the trash or into non-puncture proof containers. 3. Don’t recap the needle or bend or break needles by hand. 4. Don’t fill the waste container more than 3/4th of capacity. 5. Don’t allow unauthorised persons access to waste collection/storage areas. 6. Don’t use open buckets for infectious waste or sharps. 7. Don’t incinerate plastic waste.

22. Waste management rules Reduce Reuse Recycle Research

23. Thank you “ Cleanliness is next to Godliness ”