medical waste and its efficient management
Post on 21-Jan-2018
520 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
As the name indicates, medical waste is the waste generated from the healthcare
sector and it encompasses all kinds of infectious and hazardous wastes etc.
Healthcare wastes emerge out of hospitals, doctor’s chambers, clinics,
nursing homes, pathologies and medical laboratories etc. and could include
elements made up of metal, plastic, fiber or composite materials.
Regulated Medical waste is a category of medical wastes and includes majorly seven categories:
Infectious wastesHuman pathological wastes
Blood and other liquidSharps waste
Animal wastesFew isolation wastesSome unused sharps
Infectious waste refers to a waste that contains live pathogens and its exposure to
the environment could cause infectious diseases- to humans and to the animals etc. as well. It could also be called as biohazardwaste. Plus, the infectious wastes could be
harmful for the environment too, if left untreated.
Infectious wastes are of following types: Isolation wastes
Cultures and stocks of infectious pathogensBlood and blood productsBody organs and tissues
Contaminated sharpsContaminated animal organs
Other miscellaneous wastes, such as autopsy wastes and laboratory wastes
Sharps waste refers to medical wastes that include sharp objects such as needles, sharp
metallic products and contaminated IVneedles.
Sharps waste could be much more dangerous as they cause immediate harms and a slight mishandling could lead to troubles ranging
from mild to life-taking. Therefore, it requires proper safety measures for sharps waste
removal.
Since it is highly disastrous in nature, medical waste should be stored with
utmost safety. Use tips such as:
Contact an efficient waste managementorganization
Do not store it for too longEnsure proper packing of the waste
Do not allow access to the storage areaSegregate the medical wastes well
Medical waste is generally transported by an agency that has adequate knowledge and
experience. Hire an agency which:Has a proper medical waste transportation
licenseHas experience in its work
Provides safe vehiclesHas knowledge of the bylaws and regulations
Has a clean track recordConsiders environmental safety
Medical waste could be treated by the following advanced methods:
IncinerationAutoclaving
Vapor/gas sterilizationThermal InactivationChemical DisinfectionIrradiation sterilization
If you work or own a healthcare organization, it is essential to train your staff for the refusal and safety methods relating medical waste. Also it is essential to educate them of the
deadly consequences that the medical waste could lead to. Be safe, so that you could save other living beings and the environment too.
877-633-7328Secure Waste, Inc.#1 Research CourtRockville, MD 20850
top related