Handling and Disposal of Waste

Injection Waste Disposal

Of the total waste generated in any hospital, about 20% constitute Bio medical waste which is hazardous and need to be properly disposed.

Types of Sharp waste

As per the BMW Rules, sharp wastes are classified in category 4 and include needles, syringes, scalpel blades, glass etc. that may cause puncture and cuts. This includes both used and unused sharps, which should be treated.

Segregation of sharps

• Sharps should be segregated at source by responsible clinical staff
• Awareness posters should be displayed at the site of segregation.
• Appropriate and different types of wastes containers have to be placed at different points like. In the Ward, OT, ICUs, Clinics.
• Blue \ White translucent puncture proof containers should be placed at easily accessible sites.
• Sharps should be disinfected and the site of generation should have Hub cutters \ needle and syringe destroyer.

Safe Handling of Sharps

• Extreme care should be taken to avoid auto- inoculation.
• The syringe is discarded in the colour coded container.
• The disposable needles should be never manipulated, bent, broken, recapped or removed from syringes.
• The use sharps should never be passed directly from one person to another.
• Always one should dispose of his or her own sharps.
• Needles in the needle destroyer are discarded in puncture - proof rigid containers after disinfection in 1% freshly prepared sodium hypochlorite solution and never in other waste containers
• The puncture proof container should be disposed as per Bio-medical Waste Rules.

Source: National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)

Related resources

• Guidelines for Management of Healthcare Waste as per Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016
• Pictorial guide on Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016