Medical Waste Management – Main Features and Approaches
By Jeni Braxton
Medical waste refers to the hazardous waste material generated as a result of healthcare activities. This waste remains an issue both for public health and the environment. The management of the same is a technique adopted in hospitals to reduce the squander generated and find ways to recycle this material in order to lower the disposal costs and new material expenses.
The main features and approaches of Medical Waste Management are:
1. All forms of medical dissipate left after the performance of healthcare activities should be treated before being disposed.
2. Medical squanders include bio-hazardous and sharp materials like needles, syringes generated as a result of:
• Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Production or testing of biological
• Immunization
3. Medical waste should not be confused with:
• Medical solid elements like paper towels, cotton as they are not bio-hazardous.
• Household waste
• The excretes generated from livestock management on farms
• The squander generated in food processing which does not contain blood, infectious agents or blood products.
4. There are certain methods approved for the management of medical dissipate. They include:
• Steam sterilization
• Microwave technology
• Incineration
• Generators
It has become necessary to manage medical squanders since exposure to these infectious agents or bio hazardous materials can lead to causing diseases. The process for handling sharps is reusable sharps containers. These containers are taken to a permitted medical waste transfer station or off-site treatment facility for processing. These containers can reduce the medical squander stream by removing the weight of the single-use container.
A medical waste may be discharged without treatment to a public sewage system if it is not bio hazardous material. It can be liquid or semi liquid but should not contain any hazardous gases, infectious agents, blood or blood products. The liquid may be treated by a chemical disinfection process before being discharged in case it contains bio hazardous waste material.
For more tips about waste management systems and software, check out the Waste Management Software website which discusses the things to look for in buying a cost-effective and efficient Landfill Software solution and other waste management solutions.
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