Everything in our universe sooner or later turns into a very final result - a waste that does not carry anything useful for creating something, only takes its place, and in some cases it is completely dangerous. In this article, we will tell you about medical waste, as well as how to dispose of it.
General information
The medical waste management procedure is being developed at the legislative level.
The largest amount of waste is disposed of through landfill at separately prepared sites. This method involves a lot of financial costs for transportation, processing, processing, as well as creating the very place for their destruction.
Any organization whose work is related to medicine is obliged to provide its existing employees with safe conditions for fulfilling work duties. If the waste was not disposed of properly, this can lead to the emergence of various diseases among workers, including the worst and most dangerous.
The danger of such waste is that it contains a huge number of microbes, a variety of viruses and bacteria. If you handle them carelessly, violating the requirements for the collection of medical waste and their disposal, then the risk of infection, any disease. Having become infected, a person carries a threat to people around him, spreading the disease.
To prevent such infections, special rules have been adopted for the disposal of medical waste.
Key activities prior to waste disposal
The destruction of medical waste occurs according to this scheme:
- Initially, it is necessary to determine the hazard class of the waste, depending on which a decision will be made that directly affects the disposal method.
- After determining the hazard class, the company that utilizes the waste prepares certain bags or containers. They all vary in color.
- After determining the class and container, hazardous waste is transported in special machines to enterprises, where it will be eliminated in various ways, which we will describe later in the article.
The cargo must be sent together with the following documents:
- Address of the hospital or other medical institution that requested the removal of hazardous waste.
- Documents confirming the class of waste, its exact weight, as well as the names and surnames of employees transporting dangerous goods to the place of disposal.
Sanitary and epidemiological rules and regulations (SanPiN) of medical waste are developed on the basis of the requirements of the current legislation of Russia. Compliance monitoring is carried out by special bodies involved in the sanitary and epidemiological welfare of the population.
Waste classification
The following medical waste classes are available:
- And - this is a fairly harmless waste, their composition is somewhat similar to municipal solid waste. They had no contact with patient fluids and infected infections. It can be various packaging containers, stationery items.
- B - hazardous waste, they can be infected with any viruses. These include any items that have received blood or other biological materials of the patient.
- B - especially hazardous waste. Such materials have come in contact with patients who are carriers of dangerous diseases. If they get to healthy people, they can lead to infection of people and the environment. Particularly hazardous waste is under special protection. This, for example, the remains of laboratory production.
- G - toxicologically hazardous waste. These include various medicines, disinfectants that have lost their suitability for use. For example, items containing mercury, waste from drugs and what remains after the operation of the equipment.
- D - waste that has been affected by radiation. They include any waste in which the level of radiation exceeds the maximum permissible level.
After the sterilization process of classes B and C of medical waste, they can be temporarily stored, transported and disposed of together with class A waste if they are packed with a mark that they are completely disinfected.
The main methods of treatment of medical waste
The most common processing methods for the further disposal of medical waste include:
- Incinerator burning.
- Sterilization under pressure and at high temperature.
- Chemistry disinfection.
- The use of microwaves.
- Sterilization by special radiation.
Each of the above methods has both its pros and cons. After applying any of the above processing procedures, medical waste can be disposed of together with household waste in a general landfill. If the waste is in liquid form, then it can be safely dumped into the sewer, which is what most companies specializing in this do.
Incineration
In this process, the waste is burned in special furnaces. Such garbage can not be sorted beforehand, since it is completely destroyed. The advantage of incineration is that this method is suitable for any type of medical waste. The main drawback is that at the time of burning the waste, together with smoke, a large amount of harmful chemicals are released into the atmosphere, which can subsequently affect the environment.
Steam sterilization
This is done with a special drug - an autoclave, under pressure and at high temperature. With its help, clothes, dressings are sterilized, laboratory glassware is also used before waste disposal in landfills.
Choosing this type of disinfection, the waste should be subjected to additional processing - grinding, so that in the future they would not be used for other purposes. Then you can not be afraid of the disposal of medical waste in general landfills.
Chemical disinfection
It is carried out using chlorine-containing substances. Most of all, such a procedure is suitable for the disposal of liquid waste. After successful processing, they can be discharged into the sewer, along with any other liquids.
Using microwaves
Before destruction by this method, any waste is subject to grinding, after which it is mixed with water and exposed to microwave radiation. Due to the heat and steam generated, the waste heats equally and all hazardous substances exit. After that, medical waste can be disposed of in landfills. This method is one of the newest in comparison with others and is considered a good alternative to the combustion process, since it requires much less financial cost.