Dr: Gehan M. A. MostafaLecturer Nursing Administration DepartmentFaculty Of Nursing - Helwan univeristy 
Waste management

 
 

Introduction

 The hospitals infections and wastes can inflect different harm to man and the environment depending on the type of waste . The potential harm of infections can be pathological and infectious wastes , physical injuries from sharps and chemicals substances

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Definitions of waste

A waste is any object whose owner does not wish to take responsibility for it 

A solid waste is a waste material, which has served its original intended use and sometimes is discardedHealth care facilities wastes are all waste produced by health care system, hospitals, clinics, health care centers Medical waste is material generated as a result from patient diagnosis, immunization or treatment such as soiled dressings or intravenous tubing  
Types of waste

Infectious waste is material contaminated by pathogenic or disease producing microorganisms e.g. microbiologic waste and sharps.

Infectious waste is a subset of medical waste.  Hazardous Waste; Impacts on health Hazards from infectious waste and sharps: Infectious waste may contain any of a great variety of pathogenic microorganisms. Pathogens in infectious waste may enter the human body through a puncture, cut in the skin, mucous membranes, inhalation and ingestion’      
Liquid infectious wastes can be placed in capped or tightly stopper bolus or flasks . Large quantities may be placed in containment tanks .      
Solid or semisolid wastes such as pathological and laboratory wastes may be placed in plastic and tear resistant bagsHazardous health-care waste causes fatal diseases. Major diseases are AIDS, hepatitis B and C. The viruses of above-mentioned diseases are generally transmitted through injuries from syringe needles contaminated by human blood.     Sharps waste may not only cause cuts and punctures but also infect these wounds if they are contaminated with pathogens. Because of this double risk of injury and disease transmission sharps are considered as a very hazardous waste class. Hypodermic needles constitute an important part of the sharps waste category and are particularly hazardous because they are often contaminated with patients’ blood   Waste  includes:1- Air contaminants.2- Litters.3- Biomedical waste4- Refuse

5- Special wastes that produce from using for a useful purpose .

   

Waste management plan

A- Objective The hospital should preparedness plan to help in the minimize or prevention the hospital infection by implementing the procedures and policy of using equipment and supplies that using in patients diagnosis, or treatment in every department. 

B- The code color should be implemented

Color code (A) Red : as follows1- Red plastic bag used for risky health care waste        2- Red containers used for  sharp objects   
3- Sharps wastes should be placed directly into rigid                               and puncture resistant containers to eliminate                                           the hazard of physical injury     Color code (B) Black : as follows1- Black plastic bag used for non_risky health care waste e.g paper cover of syringe and paper        
2- Double bagging when it is impossible to keep the outer surface of a single bag free from contamination the second bag should be labeled or color-coded to alert nursing personnel when handling contaminated material

C- System of trademark the wastes:

System of trademark the wastes and refuses container or bag should be oriented to the all healthy team as following  
              Radiate substances.      

Chemical substances.

 Reactive with water

   

System of trademarks the wastes .cont.

 

 

Chemical substances

     
Poisoning drugs.     
Poisoning substances.     Infectious biological substances
Flaming substancesRole of nurse in the waste management of health care waste in their department   1*The nurse must be completely responsible for the segregating the non-risky health care waste from risky ones.2* The nurse has oblige all who work in the department to separate between the types of wastes . 3* The nurse is responsible to observe the housekeepers during collecting waste bags , separating between their colors , and closing and labeling them well . 4* The nurse is responsible to sure about the collection of color bags from the small medical baskets surrounding the department and recording the numbers of them .  5* The nurse is responsible to see the porter empties the large collecting basket from the storage room without spilling any of the infected contents around the room  .6* The nurse is responsible to recording and reporting of deficiencies of supplies related to waste management     Role of housekeepers in the management  of health care waste 

1* Housekeepers is responsible to collect waste bags separately according to its colors , label and closed them well, store them in the storage room and transport them by using a trolley to a final storage room

 2* Housekeepers and cleaners should carry wastes containers, which are small enough to be easily held away from the body to avoid infection  3* Housekeepers don’t have to put hands into or under the wastebaskets  4* When housekeepers collecting bags and waste containers should handled its carefully and lifted by the top  5* Housekeepers must not touch the wastes and its bags by bare hands but wear gloves to prevent the infection  Recommendation of waste management :

When deal with the wastes in our  hospitals should be

  Wash hands should be done continuously 

 Segregation of infectious wastes should be done from the general wastes.  Storage of infectious wastes should be done for a minimum amount of time and be packaged securely enough to prevent contamination with infectious wastes  Housekeepers should be wearing the gloves when transport the wastes and wear the double gloves when transports the infectious wastes  . Infectious wastes should be burned and prevent the recycle the sterilization in autoclave. regular in-service training programs to health team and housekeepers  
Precedure  Performanse  Checklist for nurse in  Waste management Performanse  Checklist for houskeepingin waste management