ASSIGNMEMT 4

 What is hospital waste ?

Hospital waste is any kind of waste that contains
infectious material (or material that’s potentially infectious).
This definition includes waste generated by healthcare facilities
like physician’s offices, hospitals, dental practices, laboratories,
medical research facilities, and veterinary clinics.

Any waste , which is generated during the diagnosis ,

treatment or immunization of human beings or animals or in
research activities pertaining to the production of drugs in
pharmaceutical companies , animal waste generated in the
veterinary hospitals and also in the slaughter houses , etc.
Need for BMW Management

Some examples are culture dishes, glassware,

bandages, gloves, discarded sharps like needles or scalpels,
swabs, and tissue.

 List out different types of color coding used

in hospital waste Management ( HWM )
represent with neat tabular column .
 1.YELLOW • Pathological waste • Soiled (infectious) waste •
Medical chemical waste • Clinical lab waste • Pharmaceutical
waste (discarded / expired drugs and drugs) This is the color
code that covers most types of biomedical waste. However,
depending on how hazardous the waste is, you may need to
 use different types of containers for collection, and different
methods for disposal. Most can be found in yellow-colored
containers or non-chlorinated plastic bags, but in the case of
liquid medical waste, you will need a separate collection
system. Autoclaves are the best tools available on the
market for on-site sterilization, but in the case of hazardous
medical waste (like soiled waste), you will also need a
medical waste shredder to ensure safe disposal.
 2.RED: Contaminated waste (recyclable) As you can see,
the list is much shorter than the previous category. Waste
collection for red-coloured, non-chlorinated plastic bags or
containers. As for the medical hazardous waste of your
disposal, your safest (and most practical) bet is to get your
hands on an on-site sterilizer and medical waste shredder
(or ISS for short).
 3.WHITE: (or translucent) Sharps waste Considering the
nature of this hazardous medical waste, you will need
containers that are puncture, leak, and tamper proof. As for
disposal, the case is the same as the one in the Red
category: You need a medical waste shredder.
 BLUE : Medical Glassware Waste Depending on the sources
you look up, you may not even find this type of container, as
they are in the same category as sharps waste, as they are
also capable of inflicting puncture and cut wounds.
However, since medicinal vials and ampoules are more likely
to be hazardous than sharps, autoclaving may be sufficient
to sterilize the waste, and the safe disposal for prep.

3. Explain in detail about different types of

hospital waste categorization .
 Medical Waste Types
The term “medical waste” can cover a wide variety of different
byproducts of the healthcare industry. The broadest definition can
include office paper and hospital sweeping waste. The list below
displays the most common waste categories as identified by the
WHO.

 Sharps. This kind of waste includes anything that can pierce

the skin, including needles, scalpels, lancets, broken glass,
razors, ampules, staples, wires, and trocars.

1. Infectious Waste. Anything infectious or potentially

infectious goes in this category, including swabs, tissues,
excreta, equipment, and lab cultures.

Radioactive. This kind of waste generally means unused

radiotherapy liquid or lab research liquid. It can also consist of any
glassware or other supplies contaminated with this liquid.

 Pathological. Human fluids, tissue, blood, body parts,

bodily fluids, and contaminated animal carcasses
come under this waste category.

1. Pharmaceuticals. This grouping includes all unused, expired,

and/or contaminated vaccines and drugs. It also
encompasses antibiotics, injectables, and pills.
  Chemical. These are disinfectants, solvents used for
laboratory purposes, batteries, and heavy metals from
medical equipment such as mercury from broken
thermometers.

 Genotoxic Waste. This is a highly hazardous form of medical

waste that’s either carcinogenic, teratogenic, or mutagenic. It
can include cytotoxic drugs intended for use in cancer
treatment.

 General Non-Regulated Medical Waste. Also called non-

hazardous waste, this type doesn’t pose any particular
chemical, biological, physical, or radioactive danger.

4.Describe in detail about different types

medical waste such as : ( i ) . Hazardous waste
( ii ) . Infectious waste ( iii ) . Pathological waste (
iv ) . Microbial waste
ii ) . Infectious waste
Infectious waste: waste contaminated with blood and other bodily
fluids (e.g. from discarded diagnostic samples),cultures and
stocks of infectious agents from laboratory work (e.g. waste from
autopsies and infected animals from laboratories), or waste from
patients with infections (e.g. swabs, bandages and disposable
medical devices);
iv ) . Microbial waste
Microbiological Wastes (cultures and stocks of infectious wastes
and associated biologicals and microorganisms that can cause
disease in humans; discarded cultures, culture dishes and
devices used to transfer, inoculate and mix specimens, stocks,
cultures, live and attenuated vaccines and associated items if
they are likely to contain organisms likely to be pathogenic to
healthy humans);
( i ) . Hazardous waste
Health care waste is a source of generation of hazardous biomedical waste.
According to WHO Fact Sheet, of the total waste generated by healthcare
activities, about 80% is general waste. The remaining 20% is
considered hazardous that may be infectious, toxic or radioactive

Hazardous Waste Related to Bio Medical Waste Healthcare waste

includes a large component of general hazardous waste. Exposure to
hazardous healthcare can result in disease or injury. The hazardous
nature of healthcare waste may be due to one or more of the following
characteristics: it contains a genotoxic
• it contains toxic or hazardous chemical or pharmaceuticals
• it is radioactive
it contains sharps:

( iii ) . Pathological waste

Pathological waste should be separated from the rest of the red-
bag regulated medical waste. It possesses a few qualities that
may warrant different disposal procedures. Consider this when
developing your facility’s guidelines for pathological waste
collection and disposal:
 Pathological waste, specifically anatomical waste such as
organs, can be saturated or filled with bodily fluids. Special
measures, such as double-bagging or use of absorbents,
may need to be taken to prevent leakage.
 Pathological waste has to be refrigerated in order to slow
down decomposition and prevent odors. It’s best to have it
picked up promptly.
 Some pathological waste may be hazardous if it was in
contact with hazardous chemicals such as chemotherapy
drugs. It may also be infectious or potentially infectious. In
either case, it should be labeled accordingly