Medical waste management

Abstract

The potential for exposure to chemical, biological, and physical hazards during waste disposal is extremely high. Every hospital requires a strict medical waste management plan to eliminate the potential for infection for staff, patients, and the general public. The purpose of this paper is to present the basic processes involved in generating medical waste and the processes and problems in managing and disposing of this waste. Major components of medical waste from hospitals such as hypodermic needles, isolation room waste, used gowns and hand gloves, chemical and radioactive waste, waste from veterinary, laboratory, and kitchen facilities, recyclable waste, collection systems, and processing of waste are discussed. If done properly, medical waste can be managed as well as today's household waste.