STORAGE OF WASTES IN HOSPITALS

STORAGE OF WASTES IN HOSPITALS

No permanent waste storage facilities are present in the hospital. However, some common plastic dustbins are available in and around the wards. But they are not mostly water tight and dust resistant. Besides, the available dustbins are not properly covered from form the top and mostly access to the containers by the users are not within their limits. Furthermore, no facilities or arrangement is provided to store the liquid waste, which is highly infectious. All type of toxic and hazardous liquid containing blood chemicals, germs are discharged through the city sewerage system. In case of refuse lying in the premises for days requires an adequate number of suitable containers with proper coverage. The solid and semisolid wastes are to be stored in the same manner. If standard containers are used with separation of many components of the wastes, it will make very easy the handling of disposable wastes.

COLLECTION OF SOLID WASTE

The collection of solid waste is obviously the initial problem in waste management system. It has been observed that about 80% collection of the total waste is made through the sanitary staff with naked hands using land filling method. And for the remaining 20% incineration method is used. Therefore, collection of solid waste in the hospital is one of the main components in waste management system. Small dustbins and baskets full of various wastes are collected and disposed within the hospital premises. Rough and broken drums or containers are used for collection purposes. They are neither movable nor portable.

RECOVERY AND RECYCLING

Probably we will never be able to recycle all of the wastes but we should try to recycle many of them due to scarcity of raw materials and harmful impacts on human environment.

Recycling of wastes reduce the volume of wastes as well as economically reduce the cost of getting the resources. The selection of recycling technique depends upon the purpose to be achieved. The three main purposes can best be enumerated.

1. To reduce the waste

2. To reuse the usable material

3. To recycle it

Composition of hospital wastes reveals that some items can be recycled, if they are properly separated in the time of generation and collection. If some care is taken under medical supervision then it will make the recycling processes easy. Objects like empty bottles and glasses can be recycled. However, certain disposable items like, urinary bags, drips bags, transfusion sets and disposable syringes collected by sweepers should not be reused. Modern separation techniques are to be applied in hospitals in sorting out non reusable items. Incineration and decomposing techniques are available to dispose the waste.

FAILURE OF THE PRESENT SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Efficient and effective solid waste management needs to ensure that all type of wastes are collected, properly handled and disposed in an economical way with no or very little environmental impacts. Solid waste management is, therefore, thought to be a multifunctional activity based on sound environment principles with an economic efficiency.

THE STORAGE PROCESS

Due to lack of proper education, people of poor country not aware about solid waste management system. People dispose all types of wastes haphazardly and therefore make the condition serious then it needs extra staff to control and over come such situation. To collect certain waste for storage is difficult to handle involving health hazards. Mostly the storage facilities are not enough to overcome the problems of storage. Either the containers are very old and useless or in broke shape. No emergency control system for storage is available which otherwise disturb the sewerage management system.

Storage facilities are very limited. Neither storage containers are suitable, nor do people use it properly which creates many problems for sweepers to perform their duties. All the solid and semisolid waste with different composition is collectively stored for long period of time which creates enormous threats for infection disease. In HMC the containers are not covered from the tops, which cause bad smell and spread pollution. The numbers of waste containers are limited and are extremely dirty, therefore, not fit for wards use.

Due to enormous rush of patients extra beds are lying in different wards that create a lot nuisance in these ward and simultaneously produce extra waste with no proper disposal arrangements. On the top of it the huge number of visitors provides more chances for creating more waste. No doubt few newly constructed blocks are reasonably clean with good environment but insufficient storage facilities are making the situation vulnerable. Beside, ignorance of the people and the patients are one of the serious problems in high rate of waste generation. Several wards like surgical and chest needs special care in using antiseptic materials and properly designed container to avoid the spreading of many germs. Certain items are recyclable or reusable of these are kept and stored separately in the time of generation. However, no separate storage facilities are provided in the HMC.

DRAW BACKS IN COLLECTION PROCESS

Due to lack of instrumental facilities, storage disorder and poor worker performance makes the collection process more difficult, expensive and risky too. All wastes are stored in one container therefore collection is more complicated. Frequency collection is missing and wastes are removed at will of the sweepers.

Disposable solid waste should be separately made and be properly treated. No facilities are providing for sweepers to protect their bodies during collection and to perform their duties well. The sweepers are not aware about the effects of these infections waste. The bags are often overloaded and floor sweepers are slack in performing their duties to dispose the wastes. Hand carts are limited am: are not properly designed to collect wastes on scientific methods with proper tools and equipment. The collection frequency varies from wards to wards depends on administrator and ward in charge. Round the clock collection services are badly needed to avoid wastes dumping for more than 12 hours.

DRAW BACKS IN TRANSFER STATION

Transfer station is the local dump or temporary station for final disposal, This station is situated with in the premises of the hospital having no fixed walls from where the waste are easily dispersed and the liquid is equally spreading all sides. The waste is lifted from the main station on weekly basis. Sometime this waste is burnt in the open areas which badly affect the hospital wards environment.

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY

EQUIPMENT AND CLOTHING

No.	Safety Equipment/Clothing	Use
1.	Heavy duty gloves	Hand protection while moving the bags, hold bag by the neck.
2.	Industrial boots	Feet are protected for spillage of sharps. Protect the feet from falling the bags or container.
3.	Apron	Protect body from bags.
4.	Eyes protestors and nose mask	Protect eyes in accident and spillage operations. Inhalation protection.
5.	Fork	Waste segregation.
6.	Helmets	Protect incinerators while loading incinerator manually or when removing ash for disposal.