Biomedical waste also referred to as hospital waste is material that is dangerous and infectious. It could be in the form of liquids such as the body’s fluids and blood, or in a solid state such as sharps (needles or syringes that have been used in damaged ampules) and packaging, old bandages or even human body tissues.
Unsafe sharp bins collection management creates numerous health risks for hospital employees as well as non-employees. This is why numerous organisations such as the US EPA and OSHA strictly require proper waste management guidelines.
Apart from the health risk there are many other reasons why organisations need to ensure that they dispose of their bio waste properly.
The Legal Definition For Clinical Waste
The Waste Disposal Ordinance defines Clinical Waste as it applies to Hong Kong. It gives a legal definition that healthcare professionals, health care providers’ laboratory technologists, researchers and sharps box disposal handlers must be familiar with and adhere to.
As per Section 2 and to Schedule 8 to the Waste Disposal Order Clinical Waste is defined as waste made up of any material, substance or other thing that is produced by:
- a medical, dental or nursing practice;
- any other practice or establishment (howsoever defined) that offers medical treatment and services to those who are injured, sick, weak or require medical attention;
- dental or medical pathological or pharmaceutical research or
- A dental, medical lab, veterinary or pathological practice
and is up of in whole or part or entirely of any of the elements that are list in any of the following groups :
Contaminated or Used Sharps
Needles, syringes, ampoules, cartridges and other sharp instruments that have been used or have been contaminated with any other kind of medical waste.
* Needles include acupuncture needles.
Laboratory Waste
Laboratory stock cultures that are not sterilise, or the cultures of infectious agents as well as potentially hazardous waste that poses a health risk from dental, medical and veterinary laboratories.
Notice: “potentially infectious waste with high health risks from medical, dental, laboratory for pathology or veterinary” refers to those that are not sterilise or employ to transfer, culture or mix lab stock cultures or to create cultures of infective agents.
Human as well as Animal Tissues
All animal and human organs, tissues, and body parts, as and dead animals, excluding:
dead animals and animal tissue organs, body parts and organs that result from a veterinary clinic or Chinese medicine practice and
teeth that result from the practice of dentistry.
Note The Group 3 of clinical waste is not design to include small amounts of animal and human tissues that are not able to be separate from other items, such as dressings.
The Benefits Of Proper Biomedical Waste Handling
It’s been said that improper handling of disposal of sharps bins can pose health hazards, yet we don’t see the advantages of properly handling it. It is also not sufficient to stress that proper disposal of biomedical waste could help prevent potential issues like the ones listed below.
Reduced In The Occurrence Of Fatal Diseases
Diseases and illnesses such as sepsis, HIV/AIDS and other infections transmit through the use of medical equipment that is infectious can be prevent by ensuring that hospitals and other health organisations are aware of the proper bio waste disposal process.
It is essential to have proper training in the management of hospital waste to ensure that this practice is maintain within an organisation like hospitals and testing centres, labs and even clinics for animals and humans.
Protects Against The Illicit Trading Of Used Medical Equipment
One of the most alarming issues that can be avert through proper disposal of hospitals’ wastes is illegal sale of medical equipment and instruments. This is a very well-know issue because the disposal of discard syringes has become widely report.
The health risks pose when using needles and syringes are the most significant cause for the widespread spread of disease. Syringes and needles that are use may be contaminate by some unknow substance which could cause the development of various illnesses after repeat use.
Low Injury Reports
If health care organisations adhere to and follow good health waste management practices and waste management, it can be likely to have a low number of injuries reported by health workers who suffer injuries on the job.
This is a serious concern because needle stick injuries can cause you to be expose to a variety of health issues. With proper waste handling and control, the issue is being handle and reports are gradually reduce.
How Do You Properly Dispose Of Biomedical Waste?
We have now recognized the advantages of proper management of hospital waste. We must learn how to dispose of them properly.
Healthcare facilities must be aware of how they treat those they treat, yet they’re accountable for ensuring that they aren’t the ones to blame for it. It starts with the practice to properly disposing of biomedical waste.
Classification Of Biomedical Waste And Segregation
The first step to correctly dispose of biomedical waste is to understand their classification. That means you’ll be able to perform the proper separation of them.
Segregation of waste is the first step to dealing with biomedical waste. When you understand how to properly separate your waste materials, then the remainder of the process can be complete quickly.
Proper Disposal Procedure
There are many disposal options for waste from healthcare. In some cases, it is base on the classification it is give.
Waste that requires a specific disposal procedure since their by-products can have negative consequences. One of the best examples is the burning of radioactive substances.
Burning radioactive material isn’t the right disposal option since the by-products can pose health risks, for instance inhaling smoke from the radioactive material sharp bins collection that has be burn.
There Are Six Hospital Procedures That Are Proper For Garbage Disposal Procedures:
1. Incineration.
Incinerating disposing of sharps is the burning of materials. Hospitals used a specialised incinerator during this procedure, which they commonly called hospital/medical/infectious waste incinerators (HMIWIs).
The controlled and slow combustion of waste from medical facilities takes place with the help of HMIWIs.
2. Autoclaves.
Treatment that makes use of steaming, heat and moisture to efficiently eliminate and eliminate microorganisms.
3. Mechanical/Chemical Disinfection.
The best method to treat biowaste is liquid base. Chemical disinfection is a method to kill microorganisms that can be hazardous once they are expose.
4. Microwave.
Another way to treat waste that contains water substance. Microwave treatment is use directly to treat medical waste that is liquid.
5. Vitrification.
The process of transforming the substance into glass. Once it has turn into an off-gas, or vitrifie material, combustible, pathogens, and waste materials can be dispose of sharp bins collection into a landfill.
There is no excuse for non-professional medical waste disposal. A familiarity with the regulations of the government regarding the disposal of clinical waste is strongly recommend for health professionals.
“Offensive” Waste
Non-infectious and non-clinical wastes that don’t contain chemicals or pharmaceuticals however it is unpleasant for those who come in contact with it.
Healthcare Waste Considered Offensive –
A non-hazardous material that can comprise items like clothing or personal protective equipment like masks, gowns and gloves that aren’t affect by bodily fluids.
These are waste medications that could be classified as hazardous (such as cytotoxic medicines) or as non-hazardous medications sharp bins collection.
Sharps And Other Wastes
Sharps waste status is classifie as dangerous and could include items which are contaminate with cytostatic or cytotoxic medications, as well as other medically contaminate items as well as non-medicinally contaminate products.
Clinical Waste That Is Bagged
Clinical waste that is infect and doesn’t contain pharmaceuticals or chemicals should be into an orange container and marked as hazardous, in addition to infectious clinical waste that is to be in the yellow bag.
Takeaway
Healthcare facilities and hospitals must be well-train, inform and well-inform about the significance of proper disposal of biomedical waste.
There are many conflict-relate illness and fatal injuries that are cause by inadequate hospital sharp bins collection and this can be prevent if staff members are educate on the proper disposal process. It starts when they realise the importance of proper bio waste disposal.
