Bio Medical Waste Management

Bio medical waste is defined as any waste which is generated during diagnoses, treatment or immunization of human beings or animals or in research or production or testing of biologicals. The act was passed by the Ministry of Environment and Forests in 1986 & notified the Bio Medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules in July 1998. In accordance with these rules, it is the duty of every “occupier” i.e. a person who has the control over the institution or its premises, to take all steps to ensure that waste generated is handled without any adverse effect to human health and environment. 1 BIO MEDICAL WASTE MANAGEMENT Definition - Hospital waste refers to all waste, biological or non‐ biological that is discarded and not intended for further use. Bio medical waste 1,2 means any waste, which is generated during the diagnosis, treatment or immunization of human beings or animals or in research activities pertaining thereto or in the production or testing of biologicals, and including categories mentioned in Schedule I. Infectious waste: The wastes which contain pathogens in sufficient concentration or quantity that could cause diseases. It is hazardous e.g. culture and stocks of infectious agents from laboratories, waste from surgery, waste originating from infectious patients. Classification of Bio Medical Waste Good waste management depends on: •A dedicated Waste Management Team•Good administration•Careful planning•Sound organisation•Underpinning legislation•Adequate financing•Full participation by trained staff SOURCES OF BIO MEDICAL WASTE HospitalsNursing homesClinicsMedical laboratoriesBlood banksMortuariesMedical research & training centersBiotechnology institution/production unitsAnimal houses etc. Such a waste can also be generated at home if health care is being provided there to a patient (e.g. injection, dressing material etc.) Category of BIO MEDICAL WASTE MANAGEMENT Category of BIO MEDICAL WASTE MANAGEMENT Health Hazards of Healthcare Waste Hazard from infectious waste and sharps– HIV– Hepatitis B– Hepatitis C– Antibiotic resistant bacteria• Chemical and pharmaceutical waste– Corrosive– Burns– Explosives Genotoxic waste:– Toxic manifestations depend upon• Substance toxicity• Amount exposed to and• Time period of exposure• Radio – active waste– Headache, dizziness and vomiting after small exposure– Serious health problems if exposure is high• Public sensitivity:– Public is very sensitive to the visual impact of health care waste– Especially anatomical waste Reference - Ihatepsm.com Classification of bio medical waste Of the biomedical waste generated nearly 70–80% is nonhazardous but the remaining 10–15% is hazardous and can cause health issues if it is not properly disposed off.The hazards are both to generators and to the patients and can cause infections, injury from sharps, radiation hazards, burns, fires and many more TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE The waste may be temporarily stored at the central storage area of the hospital and from there it may be sent in bulk to the site of final disposal once or twice a day depending upon the quantum of waste. During transportation following points should be taken care of.Ensure that waste bags/containers are properly sealed and labeled.Bags should not be filled completely, so that bags can be picked up by the neck again for further handling. Hand should not be put under the bag. At a time only one bag should be lifted.Manual handling of waste bags should be minimized to reduce the risk of needle prick injury and infection.BMW should be kept only in a specified storage area.After removal of the bag, clean the container including the lid with an appropriate disinfectant.Waste bags and containers should be removed daily from wards / OPDs or even more frequently if needed (as in Operation Theatres, ICUs, labour rooms). Waste bags should be transported in a covered wheeled containers or large bins in covered trolleys.No untreated bio‐medical waste shall be kept stored beyond a period of 48 hours Container for bio medical waste TRANSPORT TO FINAL DISPOSAL SITE Transportation from health care establishment to the site of final disposal in a closed motor vehicle (truck, tractor‐trolley etc.) is desirable as it prevents spillage of waste on the way.Vehicles used for transport of BMW must have the “Bio‐Hazard” symbol and these vehicles should not be used for any other purpose. Truck for bio medical waste Sign of bio medical waste DISPOSAL OF BIOMEDICAL WASTE Deep burial: Category 1 and 2 onlyIn cities having less than 5 lakh population & rural area. Autoclave and microwave treatment- Standards for the autoclaving and microwaving are also mentioned in the Biomedical waste (Management and Handling) Rules 1998. All equipment installed/shared should meet these specifications.Category 3, 4, 6 and 7 can be treated by these techniques. Shredding: The plastic (I.V. bottles, I.V. sets, syringes, catheters etc.), sharps (needles, blades, glass etc) should be shredded but only after chemical treatment/microwaving/autoclaving.Needle destroyers can be used for disposal of needles directly without chemical treatment. Land disposal: Open dumpsSecured/Sanitary landfill: advantages.The incinerator ash, discarded medicines, cytotoxic substances and solid chemical waste should be treated by this option. Incineration A high temperature dry oxidation process, which reduces organic and combustible waste to inorganic incombustible matter.Usually used for the waste that can not be reused, recycled or disposed of in landfill site.The incinerator should be installed and made operational as per specification under the BMW rules 1998.Certificate may be taken from CPCB/State Pollution Control Board.Category 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 can be incinerated. Characteristics of waste suitable for incineration are: Low heating volume -above 2000 Kcal/Kg for single chamber incinerators and above 3500 Kcal/Kg for pyrolytic double chamber incinerators.Content of combustible matter above 60%.Content of non combustible matter below 50%.Content of non combustible fines below 20%.Moisture content below 30%. Waste types not to be incinerated are: Pressurized gas containers.Large amount of reactive chemical wastes.Silver salts and photographic or radiographic wastes.Halogenated plastics such as PVC.Waste with high mercury or cadmium content such as broken thermometers, used batteries.Sealed ampoules or ampoules containing heavy metals. References - BIO MEDICAL WASTE MANAGEMENT LECTURE FOR HEALTHCARE WORKER in HINDI By Aiims https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3430187/ Aiims BMW 1. Datta P, Mohi G, Chander J. Biomedical waste management in India: Critical appraisal. J Lab Physicians. 2018;10(1):6-14. doi:10.4103/JLP.JLP_89_17 2. Aljabre S. Hospital generated waste: a plan for its proper management. J Family Community Med. 2002;9(2):61-65. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23008674.

Bio Medical Waste Management

Definition –

Hospital waste

Bio medical waste ^1,2

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Definition –

Hospital waste

Bio medical waste ​1,2​

Continue reading

Bio medical waste ^1,2