2. Learning objectives
• At the end of the topic you should be able to :-
define biomedical waste
explain the importance of biomedical waste
describe the types of hospital waste
hazards associated with biomedical waste
segregation of waste
segregation of waste with colour coded container
method of disposal
transportation of waste
role of nurse in biomedical waste management
3. INTRODUCTION
• Bio hazardous waste is that waste
that is capable of producing an
infectious disease in humans and
includes at a minimum blood, body
fluids, discarded sharps, inoculated
culture media, tissues and slides.
4. Definition of biomedical waste
• It refers to any waste generated during the diagnosis,
treatment, or immunization of human beings or
animals or related research activities or during the
design or testing of biological or health in camps.
5. Importance of biomedical waste
It is necessary to treat biomedical waste to control
the infection risk outside the hospital for waste
handlers, scavengers and those living in the hospital
locality.
Biomedical waste management act (1998)as a barrier
to any infectious disease outbreak and protect the
community from its transmission.
6. • Benefits of biomedical waste management includes:-
1. Healthy and clean health care facilities.
2. Decreased occurrence of social and occupational health
hazards.
3. Little influence on ecological system.
4. Prevention of major epidemics.
5. Development of public health and cleaner surroundings.
6. Development of health care systems and growth in quality
of life.
7. Types of hospital waste
• Wastes suspected of containing pathogens.
• Example :- laboratory cultures, wastes from isolation
wards, tissues, materials and equipment in contact
with infected patients and their excreta
Infectious
wastes
• Originate from surgical procedures or research that
involves removal of organs, tissues or body parts. It
can be human or animal .
• Example:- body parts, blood and other body fluids
etc.
Pathological
wastes
• It composed of used sharps, which include any device
or object used to puncture or lacerate the skin.
• Examples:- needles , infusion sets, scalpel, knives,
Sharp wastes
8. Types of hospital waste
• Wastes containing medicinal drugs that
are expired, unused , contaminated,
damaged or no longer needed.
Pharmaceutical
wastes
• Waste containing substances with
genotoxic properties.
• Examples:- it includes waste containing
cytostatic drugs and genotoxic chemicals.
Genotoxic
wastes
• Waste containing chemical substances.
• Examples:-laboratory reagents, film
developer, disinfectants that are expired
Chemical
wastes
9. Types of hospital waste
• Includes batteries , broken
thermometer, blood – pressure gauges
etc.
Wastes with
high content of
heavy metals
• It includes gas cylinders, gas cartridges
and aerosol cans.
Pressurised
containers
• Waste containing radioactive substances.
• Examples:-unused liquids from
Radioactive
wastes
10. Hazards associated with
hospital wastes
1. Poor management of hospital waste causes
adverse effect on the environment.
2. It is harmful to hospital staff and also to the
people living in the surroundings.
3. Hepatitis A &B , AIDS, typhoid, boils etc. are
caused by infectious wastes.
4. Disease or injury can occur due to the contact
with hazardous hospital wastes.
5. Hospital waste contaminated with hospital
disinfectants is also hazardous.
6. Hazardous health care wastes cause may health
risks to those working in health care systems and
those handling such wastes.
7. 7.Hazards caused by infectious wastes and sharp
infectious waste might consists of a wide variety
of pathogens.
11. Segregation of wastes
• Segregation is the process of
categorising the waste into various
categories based on its nature and
disposal approach.
• It is an effective technique for the
minimisation and effective
management of health care wastes.
15. Category 4
• Sharp wastesIt composed of
used sharps, which include any
device or object used to
puncture or lacerate the skin.
• Examples:- needles , infusion
sets, scalpel, knives, blades and
broken glasses.
17. Category 6
• Solid wastes( items contaminated
with blood and body fluids,
including cotton, dressings, solid
plaster casts, linen, beddings and
other materials contaminated with
blood.
18. Category 7
• Solid wastes (wate
generated from disposable
items other than the waste
sharps, such as tubings.
Catheter, intervenous sets
etc.)
21. Category 10
• Chemical wastes:-
• Waste containing chemical
substances.
• Examples:-laboratory reagents,
film developer, disinfectants
that are expired or no longer
needed and solvents
23. Methods of BMW treatment
1. Incineration :- The procedure transforms the pathological and
pharmaceutical waste into ash, flue gases and heat .
Incineration is done at 800-1400 temperature.
It helps in reducing the harmful effect of waste on the environment by
decreasing its mass by 90-95%.
24. Methods of biomedical waste treatment
2. AUTOCLAVING:-During this process, a temperature of 121oC and
pressure of 15 psi is maintained for 20-30 minutes.
This helps to destroy pathogens and sterilise the medical instruments.
3.CHEMICAL DISINFECTION:- it is the most convenient way of
disinfecting objects. This process is only helpful in disinfecting liquid wates
(Blood, urine and hospital sewage.)
25. Method of biomedical waste management
4. Wet and Dry thermal treatment .
Wet thermal treatment:- This treatment uses steam disinfection process, in
which infectious wastes are treated with at high temperature.
Dry thermal treatment:- this treatment involves shredding of wastes and
beating them in a rotating auger. The result is 80% decrease in the volume and
20-30% decrease in the mass of waste.
26. Method of biomedical waste management
5) Microwave irradiation:- This process is used to sterilise a small volume of
waste at its origin point.
Many microorganisms are destroyed by microwave of 2450MHz frequency and
12.24 cm wavelength.
Microwave heating of water in the waste and killing of microbes by heat
conduction is the basic principle of this method.
27. Method of biomedical waste management
6) Inertisation:-
This process involves mixing the wastes with cement and other binding
materials, before disposal. This reduces the risk of wastes migrating into the
surfaces water or ground water.
28. Transportation of medical waste
1.Each health care facility should have a health care waste management plan
which should include collection points and routes of waste transport.
2.A time table of the frequency of collection should also be set up.
3.Untreated BMW should only be transported in a vehicle as may be
authorized for the purpose by the competent authority.
4. No untreated BMW should be kept stored beyond a period of 48 hours.
29. Transportation of biomedical waste
5. If it need to be stored beyond this period then the authorized person should
take permission from the competent authority.
6.Biomedical waste should be transported within the hospital by means of
wheeled trolley that are not used for any other purpose.
7. These trolleys should not have sharp edges and should be cleaned daily.
8. Biohazard symbol should be painted on the trolley.
30. Nurses role in BIOMEDICAL WASTE
MANAGEMENT
1. The nurse should decontaminate the waste to eliminate the source of
microorganism.
2. They should decease the demand of storage and transportation by dcreasing the
bulk.
3. They should make waste unidentified so that it does not look bad.
4. . They should make reusable objects, useless like cutting up syringes and damaging
the needles.
5. They should help in proper disinfection or sterilization of infected plastic wastes ,
which can be reused. E.g,(Glass, paper, carboard , almunium, X-Ray filim)
31. Role of nurse
6. Disposable articles (gloves, syringes etc.) should be destroyed by the nurse
after use to avoid repackaging and reuse.
7. The nurse should minimise the waste by:-
Purchasing reusable equipment made of glass, rubber , metal etc.
Choosing non PVC plastic.
Reinforcing sterilization procedure.
32. Role of nurse
Implementing appropriate procedures and policies of BMW.
Creating effective sound recycling policy.
8. The nurse should collect needles, syringes and other sharp equipment's in
puncture resistant plastic or metal container at the work station.
9.Before disposal of needles, syringes and other sharp objects, the nurse should
boil, autoclave or disinfect them with chemicals.
10.The nurse should transfer sharps to a central treatment site and reuse the
container only after cleaning and disinfection.
33. Summary
• In this topic we were discussed regarding biomedical
waste and types of biomedical waste and segregation,
method of disposal and transportation of biomedical
waste and role of nurse in biomedical waste management.
