Hospital waste management involves segregating, containing, and disposing of hazardous medical waste properly. It is critical for healthcare facilities because medical waste can be pathogenic and harmful to the environment if not handled correctly. The document outlines best practices for hospital waste management, including color-coding waste bins for different types of waste and segregating waste at the point of generation. It also highlights some issues observed at one hospital, such as a lack of signage and shortage of supplies, and proposes solutions such as creating waste bin signage and monitoring healthcare workers.

1. HOSPITAL WASTE MANAGEMENT
By
CHISA NYONDO (EHT )

2. What is Hospital Waste
Management?
• Hospital waste management, also called medical waste
management, is a system that handles the segregation,
containment, and disposal of hazardous, hospital-
generated, infectious waste. Efficient waste
management is critical for healthcare institutions
because medical waste can be pathogenic and
environmentally hazardous.
• Non-compliance with proper hospital waste
management can lead to serious health risks, fines, and
damage to a healthcare institution’s reputation.

4. Best Practices for Hospital Waste
Management
• Medical waste such as infectious items,
chemicals, expired pharmaceuticals,
radioactive items, and sharps (used needles,
lancets, etc) are hazardous and, if not properly
disposed or treated, can be lethal and a threat
to the environment. To achieve safe and
sustainable management of medical waste,
consider these practices:

5. Color-code containers and waste bins
• Hospital waste disposal involves the proper
identification of the different types of medical
waste and each type of medical waste requires a
different disposal method. Segregating medical
wastes based on their type helps ensure that
each waste is discarded, transported, and
destroyed properly.
• Waste bin color coding in hospitals help
healthcare staff easily segregate waste and
identify which waste goes to which container to
help prevent issues arising from random or
improper disposal.

7. • Red – anatomical (e.g. blood, organs)
Orange – clinical/infectious
Yellow – clinical/highly infectious
Blue – medicines (e.g. unused drugs)
Purple – cytotoxic and/or cytostatic products (e.g.
chemotherapy medicines)
Black – municipal waste – ie. not clinical or medical
waste
White – dental
• Healthcare waste segregation is done ideally at the
very first opportunity to avoid hazardous hospital
waste from getting mixed with regular waste.

9. General waste management

10. cont

11. Infectious waste

14. Loopholes highlighted
• The hospital has no signage to assist in
segregation of waste at point of generation .
• Shortage of bin liners and sharp boxes
• Shortage of bin liners can lead to mishandling
of both domestic and infectious waste .
• No adequate fencing at the waste storage area
• Shortage of waste bins in critical araes

21. WAY-FORWARD
• Create waste bin signage to help in segregation at
points of generation
• Monitor health care providers and others working
in the hospital in collaboration with the Infection
control committee, to prevent spread of
infections from them to patients.
• raising awareness of the risks related to health-
care waste, and of safe practices;
• Have regular orientations on waste management

22. Any contributions ??

23. CONT