Health Care Waste Management Essay | Lecture notes Public Health

Health Care Waste Management

I. Summary

This is a summary of Department of Health (DOH) Academy’s online course on Health Care

Waste Management.

Health care wastes generated by healthcare facilities potentially contain infectious agents that

could risk the safety of health care workers. Wastes produced by healthcare establishments,

laboratories, and research facilities are classified as general waste, medical waste, and chemical

and radioactive waste. Infectious, solid, liquid, sharps, and pathological wastes are the most

common types of medical waste in health care facilities.

There are two types of health care waste: hazardous and nonhazardous. In healthcare settings,

15% of hazardous wastes are generated, 1% are sharp wastes, and 85% are non-infectious wastes.

All health care workers, patients, visitors, and the general public are at risk of being exposed to

health care wastes. In general, the risks include infection transmission, unintentional

contamination, public nuisance, environmental pollution, fire outbreaks, and so on. Proper health

care waste management is critical for minimizing exposure and prioritizing the safety of all

individuals exposed to infectious diseases such as covid-19, particularly waste cleaners, handlers,

and collectors the ones who are also primarily exposed.

Waste minimization, segregation, handling, transportation, treatment and disposal are

extremely considered in managing health care wastes. All of it are ensured to be properly

performed and complied in health care settings so there will be no possibility of exposure to

hazardous materials. Formulating a system for waste management is a process that should be

implemented for enforcing appropriate guidelines and rules for health care wastes. Effective waste

management especially in covid-19 pandemic requires the trained health care staffs to know how

the treatment and segregation of generated wastes. Autoclaves, microwaves, cement capsulation

and pit burial are the disposable or waste treatment options for health care wastes. Generally, the

color coding of waste containers is practiced in health care facilities which are the following:

medical waste (yellow), general waste (green), liquid waste (commode bucket) and pathological

wastes (bucket).

Appropriate precautions and preventive measures are used for treating wastes especially

the infectious wastes. It includes wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), securing the bin is

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Health Care Waste Management I. Summary This is a summary of Department of Health (DOH) Academy’s online course on Health Care Waste Management. Health care wastes generated by healthcare facilities potentially contain infectious agents that could risk the safety of health care workers. Wastes produced by healthcare establishments, laboratories, and research facilities are classified as general waste, medical waste, and chemical and radioactive waste. Infectious, solid, liquid, sharps, and pathological wastes are the most common types of medical waste in health care facilities. There are two types of health care waste: hazardous and nonhazardous. In healthcare settings, 15% of hazardous wastes are generated, 1% are sharp wastes, and 85% are non-infectious wastes. All health care workers, patients, visitors, and the general public are at risk of being exposed to health care wastes. In general, the risks include infection transmission, unintentional contamination, public nuisance, environmental pollution, fire outbreaks, and so on. Proper health care waste management is critical for minimizing exposure and prioritizing the safety of all individuals exposed to infectious diseases such as covid-19, particularly waste cleaners, handlers, and collectors the ones who are also primarily exposed. Waste minimization, segregation, handling, transportation, treatment and disposal are extremely considered in managing health care wastes. All of it are ensured to be properly performed and complied in health care settings so there will be no possibility of exposure to hazardous materials. Formulating a system for waste management is a process that should be implemented for enforcing appropriate guidelines and rules for health care wastes. Effective waste management especially in covid- 19 pandemic requires the trained health care staffs to know how the treatment and segregation of generated wastes. Autoclaves, microwaves, cement capsulation and pit burial are the disposable or waste treatment options for health care wastes. Generally, the color coding of waste containers is practiced in health care facilities which are the following: medical waste (yellow), general waste (green), liquid waste (commode bucket) and pathological wastes (bucket). Appropriate precautions and preventive measures are used for treating wastes especially the infectious wastes. It includes wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), securing the bin is

closed, careful transportation, etc. which prioritizes the proper health care waste management. Moreover, practicing proper management of any kind of wastes is essential for a safety of environment and all individuals. II. Reflection The relevancy of health care waste management in any places particularly in health care settings is extremely practiced to minimize the risk of exposure on hazardous materials. I think the Department of Health (DOH) Academy’s online course on Heath Care Waste Management gave me pertinent information and ideas which are more specific and detailed. For me, the subject in the course module were explained effectively and constructively. Health care waste management is very crucial in health care settings. It was created to properly minimize, segregate, handle, treat, and dispose of waste based on its classification. Developing a waste management system for health care is, in my opinion, an act of concern for the safety of health workers, patients, and the community at large in order to avoid exposure to infectious materials. It was mentioned that non-hazardous wastes outnumber hazardous wastes. I honestly thought that all of the health care waste produced in health care facilities was potentially hazardous waste and was disposed of through incineration, but I was wrong. Health care wastes were treated and disposed of in various ways based on their classification using color coding as a guide. Proper management of wastes especially infectious wastes must be treated with greater caution. I think extra precautions and measures must be taken in order to have effective waste management. Workers who are assigned to clean, handle, and collect health care wastes are required to take precautions and preventive measures for their own safety in order to perform their duties without the threat of infection. The risk of health-care waste is associated with negative health outcomes which must be avoided. Aside from that, medical workers should also be trained and informed about proper health care waste management in order to be aware of and practice the appropriate methods and measures. In general, I believe that a proper health care waste management system should be improved more to recognize that health wastes generated in health care facilities and other establishments associated with medical procedures have an appropriate process to follow in order to avoid environmental issues and the risk of exposure to hazardous materials. Furthermore, in order to

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