Health waste: what are, types and management

Any sanitary residue is defined as substance or object generated in health activities. That is, that residue that is generated in hospitals, clinics, sanatoriums, health centers, analysis or clinical research laboratories, as well as in veterinary centers and services.

A large number of this waste is potentially dangerous and can be contaminated due to contact with biological substances or fluids from humans or some other animal species. It should be noted that those containers and remnants of containers that have contained these waste are also considered health waste.

What are your risks?

Health waste means a risk to human health by possible infection of infectious diseases. A no less detail is that these waste fundamentally represents a problem of safety and hygiene for those who work in health centers. The risk of infection for the community is unimportant and is practically limited to certain diseases that are not endemic.

For example, those sharp and sharp sanitary waste can be a potential danger if they are not properly discarded. On the other hand, if waste is deposited that contain liquids in the wrong container, there is a risk of spill and splash, since the characteristics of said container are not conducive to containing liquids.

On the other hand, a bad treatment and a poor disposal of health waste can cause severe environmental problems. The greatest risks come from an incineration inadequate by the release of toxic gases towards the atmosphere and it is for this reason that, in many countries, an alternative measure to incineration is being used and that has to do with the treatment of waste through prior sterilization so that they can then be incorporated into urban solid waste.

Discover hazardous waste: classification, examples and handling.

Health waste must be separated in origin to facilitate their subsequent treatment. Next, we present the classification of health waste:

Sanitary waste assimilable to municipal or type I waste

They are residues that due to their composition and origin are inert or non -specialso they do not have special demands in their management. This group includes material such as paper and cardboard of offices and offices, bars, dining rooms, gardening and those waste from non -infectious patients.

Non -specific or type II health waste

Are residues on which we must adopt preventive measures In manipulation, collection, storage and transportation, only within the health center and not outside it. These are examples of type II waste, the cures, plasters, clothes and materials with a single use stained with fluids such as blood, secretions and other waste that are not included in Group III.

Specific risk or type III health waste

They are special waste that requires prevention measures both inside and outside the center generator, since they can be a risk to human health. Let’s see now how this waste is classified:

• Health or infectious wastecapable of transmitting some kind of infectious disease such as cholera, brucellosis, hepatitis, tuberculosis, among many others.
• Anatomical waste. Any anatomical rest of the people who are recognized as such.
• Blood and hemedivated In liquid form. Those containers containing blood, hemoderivates, or other biological liquids.
• Needles and sharp and cutting material. Any sharp or shear object used during health activities. Examples of health waste of this type are the needles, pipettes, scalpel leaves, slide, covers, capillaries and even glass tubes.
• Live and attenuated vaccines.

Group IV waste

Those waste that requires a Special management from the hygienic and environmental point of viewinside and outside the generator center. This group includes those waste that have particular regulations such as expired medications, remains of chemical substances, radioactive waste and others. In turn, cytotoxic waste (containers, materials, remains that have been in contact with medications for cancer treatments) are included.

In this article you can know all the types of garbage that exist.

Waste management is understood as the set of activities aimed at giving waste the most appropriate final destination. Those activities are:

• Classification in origin: For a correct separation of health waste, these must be classified respecting the established classification.
• Harvest: For optimal collection, certain basic standards that minimize risk must be taken into account.
• Storage: The storage areas must be delimited and marked and located in points close to the places of production, thus avoiding unnecessary transfers. The deposits must be ventilated and subsequently disinfected.
• Transport: It is recommended that the sanitary waste collected from the center be transported to the health waste warehouse with a maximum periodicity of 12 hours. Proper bags should be used so that they do not break at the time of transfer. Those workers in charge of these tasks must comply with certain safety standards to avoid accidents.
• Treatment and elimination of waste: The treatment and elimination of the health waste of Group III and cytostatic (Group VI) must fulfill certain criteria of safety, asepsis and health to guarantee the elimination of pathogens and the protection of the environment. The residues of Group I and II are considered municipal waste and the corresponding municipal entity will be the one who will ensure their correct management.

Now that you know what health waste is, what are their types and their management, we invite you to read these ecology articles about what solid waste is and how industrial waste is classified: what are, examples, types, classification and management.

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