In the evolving healthcare industry, the disposal of medical waste is an essential facet of ensuring both patients and public safety. Medical waste refers to any waste that is generated during the treatment or immunization of humans or the public. Legitimate handling and management of this waste is essential to prevent health risks and environmental hazards. With the increasing volume of medical waste generated, understanding its various types has been ever more critical.
In this detailed blog, we will shed some light on the classification of medical waste and understand the significant categories that waste falls into. Have a look:
What is Considered Medical Waste?
Medical waste refers to all forms of waste commonly found in healthcare facilities. This included used needles, bands, cotton wool, etc., pharmaceutical products such as tubes of ointment, pill boxes, and other products that cannot be thoroughly cleaned and reused.
Medical wastes usually have the potential to be harmful to human beings or even the environment. The components that may be present in the medical waste may differ from one another in most of the cases.
These may include sharps or needles or blades, pathological wastes, human tissues, or wastes generated from laboratory activities. Indeed, every type of waste has its way of handling and removal in order to reduce the risks involved.
Types of Medical Waste
The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified medical waste into four types based on the origin and composition of the waste:
Hazardous Medical Waste
Some of the hazardous manufactured waste includes those with toxic properties, fire alarms, and those that cause a chemical reaction. Such waste is dangerous to the health of personnel in the facility and can also have an adverse impact on the environment in case of improper disposal.
Some examples of such product sectors are drugs and medicines, chemicals used in laboratories, and products that are contaminated with chemical wastes. Healthcare waste must also be properly disposed of, and needy waste must be separated from other types of waste for the protection of the environment and human health.
Infectious Waste
The type of waste that is potentially hazardous since it contains disease-causing organisms includes infectious waste. This includes items like used surgical gloves and culture dishes, among numerous others, which are stained with blood or bodily fluids.
Infected waste is highly hazardous waste and generally must be subjected to autoclaving or incineration to eliminate all the pathogens on it.
Radioactive Waste
Radioactive waste production is the result of the utilization of radioactive substances in curative and diagnosing therapies, including cancers and other imaging examinations. This waste can be active for an appreciable time and requires special procedures to be disposed of to avoid effects such as radiation. Those with radioactive waste have strict regulations to follow in order to ensure safety in storing and disposing of it.
General Waste
General waste is non-hazardous and non-infectious waste, which should also require careful handling. This comprises packing, office waste, food waste generated from healthcare facilities, and non-hazardous materials. Though less risky than many forms of medical waste, their incorporated wrong disposal can cause pollution. Therefore, even general waste must be taken care of in order to make overall waste management effective.
Conclusion
Proper management of medical waste is essential for public health and environmental protection. Each medical waste category requires different handling and disposal procedures to eliminate risks. If you need more clarification on this and need professional help with biohazard waste management, contact us for trusted biohazard cleaning services.
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