Safe Management of Wastes from Health-care Activities

A guide to the safe and efficient handling, treatment and disposal of all categories of hazardous waste generated by health-care activities.

The work opens with a definition and characterization of hazardous health-care wastes categorized as infectious waste, pathological waste, sharps, pharmaceutical waste, genotoxic waste, chemical waste, waste with high content of heavy metals, pressurized containers, and radioactive waste.

The health consequences of exposure to each category of waste are described in the next chapter.

Other chapters consider legislative, regulatory and policy issues, and offer a step-by-step guide to the planning of waste management, including a model survey questionnaire for gathering data on waste generation and management practices in hospitals.

Against this background, five chapters offer guidance in a range of specific practices and procedures for safe waste management.

The remaining chapters discuss costs, health and safety practices for health-care personnel and waste workers, the management of spillage and other emergencies, basic principles of hospital hygiene and infection control, and training needs. The final chapter sets out a minimum programme of essential waste management practices considered suitable for smaller rural health-care establishments and field hospitals in refugee camps and other temporary situations.