OXFAM – TBN 18 (V1 – 21/05/08)
Hazardous Wastes
This Technical Brief looks the handling and storage of Hazardous wastes such as hospital waste, industrialwastes, chemical, asbestos, batteries, gas canisters and other such waste. Oxfam staff would generally beunlikely to be involved in final disposal of hazardous wastes.
What are Hazardouswastes?
Hazardous wastes are likely to include asbestos,batteries, gas canisters, hospital wastes, industrialwastes, oils, chemical wastes, pesticides, fungicides, etc.Hazardous wastes from all sources can cause serioushealth risks through uncontrolled containment andhandling.Often emergency clean-up work is undertaken byvolunteers and local residents who are unaware of thehazards associated with different wastes and may beunable to identify hazardous materials. It’s important thatwhere Oxfam staff and volunteers are involved inemergency clean-up that they are made aware of thehazards associated with various wastes and are able toidentify hazardous wastes and know how to appropriatehandle and storage of such wastes.Hazardous wastes should be separated, handled anddisposed of separately from normal municipal solidwaste.Generally speaking Oxfam is unlikely to deal with mosthazardous wastes, other than those contained withingeneral waste on a routine basis, but it is possible fromtime to time the Oxfam public health staff will need todeal with such materials.
Medical wastes
Medical wastes typically constitute only 10 to 25% of health care generated waste. The remaining non-clinicalwaste includes office and kitchen waste. The medicalwaste presents the greatest risk to health. Medical wastecan be further divided into the following:
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Infectious waste (lab cultures, wastes fromisolation wards, tissues, used dressings)
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Pathological waste (body parts, human foetuses,placentas, blood and other body fluids)
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Pharmaceutical waste (unwanted drugs, expireddrugs)
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Chemical waste (chemicals from diagnostic work,cleaning materials)
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Sharps (needles, blades and broken glass)
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Radioactive waste (radioactive substances fromradiotherapy and lab work)
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Pressurised waste (gas cylinders, cartridges andaerosol cans)
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High heave metal content (batteries, brokenthermometers, blood pressure gauges)In most emergency situations the predominant types of medical waste are infectious waste, pathological wasteand sharps.Medical/clinical waste poses significant risks to health,the most obvious the transmission of diseases throughcontact with infected waste items such as needles,discarded dressings, human tissues or fluids. Additionalrisks include disease transmission through vector andpollution of the surrounding environment, including waterpollution. There are also risks associated with handlingradioactive or toxic wastes.
Asbestos wastes
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that hasexcellent tensile strength properties, a poor conductor of heat, is relatively resistant to chemical attack and is non-biodegradable. As a result of these properties asbestos iswidely used throughout the world, particularly in buildingand as an insulating material. However, damage toasbestos containing materials can result in the release of small asbestos fibres, which can cause serious lungdisease. There is no minimum threshold or safe level of exposure to asbestos fibre.There main types of asbestos are white, blue and brownasbestos. White asbestos is the most commonly usedform of asbestos.Asbestos can be found in many common building andinsulation materials including:
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Boiler and heating vessels and insulation
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Cement pipes
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Clutch, brake and transmission components
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Conduits for electrical wires
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Pipe covering and insulation covering
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Roof sheets and roofing products
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Duct and home insulation
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Fire protection panels
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Furnace insulating pads
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Sheet vinyl and floor tiles and underlay
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Partition walling and plasters.
OXFAM Technical Brief – Hazardous Wastes
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OXFAM – TBN 18 (V1 – 21/05/08)
Separation of HazardousWastes
Where hazardous wastes are identified it is importantthat they are kept separate from normal municipal wasteand stored in appropriate labelled sealed containers untilthey can be properly disposed of. For example, hospitalwaste should be separated into sealed containers forsharps, swabs and other blood-contaminated materialsand for medicine, which required disposal. Thesecontainers should appropriately labelled, including asuitable hazard warning label and if possible thesecontainers should be different colours depending uponwhat they are storing.Labelling of hazardous wastes should include thecontents, e.g. hospital sharps, and the date the containerwas filled and sealed. It should also include anappropriate hazard-warning label.Hazardous wastes should be handled with great care.Advice should be sought from those familiar andexperienced in handling such wastes wherever possible.Where this is not possible and the waste needs to bemoved extreme care should be taken.
Hazardouswastes should only be moved if there is animmediate threat to human health.
Where existing containers are leaking and no longerdeemed to be safe, waste should not be transferred outof one container into another as this could create greaterhealth and environmental risk than leaving the wastes inthe poor quality containers. Instead the waste togetherwith its existing container should wherever possiblecontained within a bund.Appropriately contained and labelled hazardous wasteshould be stock-piled/stored in flat areas protected bybund walls and tarpaulin. Effort should be made toensure that the storage area is protected from rainwater.The storage area should be secured to prevent animals,children, etc entering and accessing the area.
Risks
Hazardous wastes cause direct risk to health and theenvironment through contact directly or through indirectcontact resulting from release into the environmentaffecting soil, groundwater and air.Hazardous waste should not be mixed with other waste,should not be burnt and should not be piled up in anuncontrolled manner.Hazardous waste should be separated from each otherand from general municipal waste.All hazardous wastes should be handled with great care.Different hazardous wastes will require specific measuresto be taken to reduce the risk to those handling them.For example, when handling asbestos particular careshould be taken to ensure that it is not broken orfractured to prevent spreading of fibres.Greatest risk from hazardous waste will be to thosecreating the wastes, those handling the wastes and thosedisposing the waste. Oxfam staff are only likely to beinvolved with the handling and storing of hazardouswastes and on very rate occasions disposing thesewastes (such as with some medical wastes).Others who are at risk from hazardous wastes are wastepickers who are involved with the collection andseparation of general waste where hazardous wastesmay be contained within.
How to Minimise Risk fromHandling Hazardous Wastes
The location of hazardous materials should be identifiedand a
risk assessment
carried out to establish theparticular risks associated with the particular wastesidentified.It is important that the people involved with waste clean-ups are adequately informed of the risks and methods of best practice in handling wastes. They should be madeaware of the particular risks associated with hazardouswastes and how to identify them.It is important the disturbance of all types of hazardouswastes is kept to a minimum. This will reduce the risk of the release of hazardous material into the broaderenvironment, by preventing dust, providing containmentfor leaks, etc.Minimise the extent to which people have contact withthe hazardous wastes is also very important. Hazardwastes should not be moved unless there is animmediate risk to public health or the environment.Where hazardous need to handled and contained, it isvital that those handling the waste are provided withappropriate personal protective equipment. A minimumwill be heavy-duty gloves, safety glasses, overalls(preferably disposable), dust mask, appropriate to thewaste being handled (care should be taken whenhandling asbestos that a mask sufficient to block asbestos fibres is used).
Photo:
E
xamples of Storage of Hazardous Wastes
(Note: containers are labelled and stored under cover.The storage area would also benefit from a concrete slaband cut off drainage)
OXFAM Technical Brief – Hazardous Wastes
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OXFAM – TBN 18 (V1 – 21/05/08)The waste management system used should be designedto minimise contact with hazardous wastes. For example,reduce double handling, provision of good storagefacilities, effective transportation, etc.)Hazardous wastes must not be burnt under anycircumstances (the only exception to this would be somemedical wastes but only under controlled and appropriateincineration methods).Risks of indirect contact with hazardous wastes can bereduced by appropriately containing the wastes in sealeddrums, which are appropriately labelled. Vector controlshould be applied, such as covering waste and containingwithin strong vector resistant drums. Water sourcesshould be protected from contamination from hazardouswastes. Good hygiene practice should be implemented bythose handling and dealing with the wastes, such ashand washing and not taking contaminated personalprotective equipment home.
Separation of HazardousWastes
Hazard wastes should be sorted from the general wasteand stored separated in order to prevent contaminationwith normal waste. Hazardous wastes should beseparated by chemical and physical properties. Manywastes change over time so on-going monitoring shouldtake place.
Separation of medical wastes
Medical wastes can be easily separated at source byproviding a minimum of three separate segregatedcontainers. One for general waste, one for infectious andpathogenic waste, and the third for sharps. Otherseparate containers can be provided if additional disposaloptions for example, placentas that are disposed of separately from infectious waste in for example aplacenta pit.A minimum of three separate containers should beprovided at each treatment, diagnosis and consultationarea, such as wards, laboratories, immunisation points,etc. to enable appropriate disposal options to beundertaken for each type of waste.
Storage of HazardousWastes
A storage area should be identified for hazardous wastes,so that they can be stored safety whilst final disposaloptions are being identified. The storage area should beon solid impermeable ground (preferably concrete),sheltered from rainwater where possible and bunded.The storage area should be secure, fenced withappropriate signage. This could include a specificallyidentified structurally sound building.The storage site should be located away from watersources, water holes and land depressions (a minimumdistance of 150m) and located away from heat sources.Additionally, the storage site should not be on thehighest point.Good access to the storage area would be preferable toease the transportation of the waste to the temporarystorage area and also transportation to the final disposalsite.Separated hazardous wastes should be stored in sealedcontainers appropriately labelled including a hazard-warning label. Labels should include content and dateplaced in drum.A register should be kept of all waste stored.The relevant government body (Ministry or Departmentfor Environment) should be informed about the location,kind and amount of hazard waste being stored.
WastematerialGuide
Asbestos
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Separate from general waste
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Do NOT crush
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Must use personal protectiveequipment
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When working with asbestos ensurethat is kept wet to prevent dust
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Store in a safe and protected area
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Store in sealed and labelled drums orstrong plastic bags
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Do NOT burnWaste oil
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Collect and store in sealed drums onbunded hard standing
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Take care of leaky drums
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Do NOT burnClinical waste
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Collect and store in sealed drumsappropriately labelled
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Do NOT burn uncontrolledHeavycontaminatedsoil
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Store in drums on a safe site
Photo:
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xamples of Labelling of Hazardous(Medical) WasteOXFAM Technical Brief – Hazardous Wastes
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Handling and Storage of Hazardous wastes
Hazardous wastes are likely to include asbestos, batteries, gas canisters, hospital wastes, industrial wastes, oils, chemical wastes, pesticides, fungicides, etc. Hazardous wastes from all sources can cause serious health risks through uncontrolled containment and handling. Hazardous…
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