In the process of activity of medical institutions and other institutions of a similar nature, a huge amount of waste, used materials and substances appears. They pose a potential danger to human health in case of possible contact, so the issue of disposal and disposal is quite acute.
Classification of medical waste. Groups A and B
Depending on the degree of danger inherent in the substance, the following groups are distinguished. The first group is class A waste . They are also called non-hazardous to humans. This includes garbage from administrative buildings, materials that did not have direct contact with patients (there are no biological fluids on them), food residues (except for infectious, venereal departments), furniture, diagnostic tools and devices. The second group is class B waste. They are considered hazardous. This category includes all substances on which blood or other secretions of a sick person, food debris and other materials of the infectious departments have got. If the laboratory carries out manipulations with microorganisms of 3 or 4 pathogenicity groups, then its waste also belongs to this category. Class B medical waste includes biological materials after surgical interventions.
Waste class B, G, D
Particularly hazardous wastes belong to group B. These include materials that were used when working with people with dangerous infections (including anaerobic). In addition, the sources of this type of garbage are laboratories conducting research on microorganisms of 1-4 degree of pathogenicity. Class D consists of those elements that pose a certain toxic hazard. It can be medicines with an expired shelf life, the same disinfectants. Unsafe are also drugs or devices containing mercury. The last category is D class waste. This group includes those materials that contain radioactive components.
How is the collection of waste class B
Class B medical waste is collected in special bags or containers. They must be yellow or at least have such markings. The collection of liquids or biological waste is carried out in a container, the lid of which should fit snugly. This is necessary to exclude the possibility of arbitrary opening of containers. Sharp objects are also collected in such Class B waste containers. Plastic bags are fixed on special trolleys. Fill them with ¾. Then the packages are tied so that the loss of waste is excluded. It is strictly forbidden to move containers in open form outside the area of the unit. At the end of the package must be signed. The name of the organization, department, surname of the person who collected the materials is indicated. Be sure to affix a date. After all the manipulations are completed, packages and containers are transported to a temporary storage location.
Class B waste storage
There are a number of requirements to the method of storing medical waste. First of all, they must be moved to a separate room. Do not mix materials that belong to different safety classes. If preliminary disinfection was not carried out, then class B wastes are placed in specialized chambers with a low temperature. If the substances are not dangerous, then storage at the open type site is allowed, but not less than 25 meters from medical buildings and blocks in which food products are present. However, it happens that the territory does not allow to allocate such a place. In this case, for waste of classes B and C, storage in the utility room (in freezers) is permissible. Unauthorized entry and misuse of the store is strictly prohibited. Class B waste is transported outside the hospital in sealed packaging.
Chemical disinfection
Since the risk of infection of medical staff is high enough, all waste can be disinfected. One of the methods used is chemical. It provides for the processing of special solutions, the effect of which is aimed at inhibiting the pathogenic flora. It is made directly at the place of accumulation of infected materials. However, chemical disinfection of Class B wastes has significant drawbacks. First of all, this is the fact that employees of medical institutions are in direct contact with unsafe means. In addition, the cost of their acquisition is increasing. Therefore, this method is used if it is not possible to carry out high-quality disinfection using special devices.
Hardware disinfection of waste
A better and more efficient way to clean hazardous substances (before class B medical waste is disposed of) is hardware. A room with a separate entrance is used, in which the corresponding microclimate is maintained at a certain level. Humidity should be at around 70%, the temperature inside - about 20 º (but not more than 25 º). Internal lining provides for the possibility of disinfection. A ventilation system and the presence of watering taps are very important for such rooms. A significant advantage of this method is that it is allowed not to carry out decontamination measures at the place of medical debris formation. Also, biological residues after surgical interventions are not subject to disinfection. Class B medical waste of this type is disposed of by burial or cremation. There are enterprises that specialize in the collection, transportation, and further processing of products of medical institutions.
Staff safety
In order to minimize the risk of infection, hospital and similar staff must adhere to certain rules. The use of gloves in any contact with waste is mandatory. It is forbidden to carry out any manipulations with needles from syringes (for example, remove it yourself after injection, separate from the needle holder). Class B waste must not be transferred to other containers without sealed packaging. All sharp objects must be collected in a solid container. It is also unacceptable to place containers for collecting hazardous substances near heating appliances. And, of course, it is forbidden to store such material unpacked.
Waste Management
In each medical institution, a responsible officer is appointed for carrying out all waste manipulations. Under control from the production side, a visual and documentary check is carried out. The presence of containers for packaging waste is examined, it is determined whether there are any means to protect personnel. Also, control over the disinfection regimes and the regularity of material export is carried out. Records are kept in special journals. Another type of control that occurs once a year is microbiological. The measurement of climate parameters in the workplace, the quality of disinfection. Air samples are also taken . With the help of analyzes, the degree of its contamination with toxic elements is established.