A proper way of disposing of medical waste

Health care organisation such as hospital maternity centre clinical laboratory generate a large numbers of waste material that can be harmful to the community at large if proper precautions are not given for it disposal.

Any waste generated from health organisation are called special waste, because this waste may transmit infectious disease to the community.

The special waste are categorised into the following;

1 blood and blood products

2 microbiological waste

3 pathological waste

4 sharp instrument such as syringe and needle waste

5 disposable equipment such as syringe, tongue depressor, intravenous bag, and blood bag waste

It is very necessary to identify potentially infectious waste so that it can be separated from the main waste stream and dispose off in a proper way.

Handling of medical waste

A proper way of handling medical waste involved the guarantee that it is placed in a designated container and decontaminated in time using appropriate technology. Below the list of general guidelines of handling medical waste;

1 all generated medical waste should be placed in a leak proof container which is punctured free resistant and rigid enough to avoid leakage or puncture during transportation. They contain that should be labelled clearly with a biohazard symbol.

2 all sharp instruments such as needle surgical blade and glass object should be placed in a special puncture resistant container before placing them in the disposable bag. The needle should not be transported record bend over broken by hand.

3 waste should only the handle by those who have been trained for proper handling of medical waste.

4 All generated medical waste must be disposed off according to the recommended guidelines of disposing medical waste.

5 if contaminated waste need to be stored for any length of time before disposal, it is recommended that it is should be placed in a secured area accessible only to those who are responsible for its disposal.

Method of waste disposal

There are 5 proof method of medical waste disposal which are;

1 incineration

2 steam sterilization followed by removal to landfills

3 Inactivation by heat

4 chemical in activation or oxidation

5 encapsulation in a solid matrix

Fire breakout

Fire can break out in any a laboratory if proper safety precautions are not adhered too. It is very necessary that the laboratory staff is properly educated and trained on the cause and control of fire that are commonly occurs in the laboratory.

Below at the source that can cause fire outbreak in the medical laboratory or in the laboratory.

1 ordinary combustible such as paper and wood etc.

2 flammables liquid such as ether and alcohol etc

3 gases such as methane.

4 metal such as magnesium and potassium

5 faulty electric circuit or appliance.

Precaution measured against fire outbreak

1 the laboratory personnel should be trained and she’ll be having a fire drill from time to time.

2 fire extinguisher for all types of fire must be kept handy in the laboratory.

the commonly used fire extinguishers in the laboratories are;

Water

Foam

Dry powder

Carbon dioxide

And halogen

Halogen has effect on ozone layer so the uses of halogen may be discontinued as times goes on

3 fire extinguisher should always be free and make sure that they are in good working condition

4 keep flammables liquid away from naked flame.

5 in case of major fire outbreak someone should be selected to take responsibility of fighting the fire.

regular fire drill training will help to reduce the casualty