How to Get Rid Of Medical Waste Safely And Adequately
Whether you are in a hospital or at home managing a chronic condition or taking care of an injured person, there will be medical waste generated. Wondering how to dispose of waste materials? Well, here are some of the primary methods that you can use to get rid of medical waste.
Incineration
It is a controlled method of burning medical waste inside an incinerator. It is one of the oldest ways and popularly used. In this process, hospital waste is consumed in high temperatures producing gases that can be toxic. It is crucial to ensure that these gases do not leak. This process kills 99% microorganisms, and there is minimal waste left if any.
Encapsulation
In this process, cubic boxes made of high-density polyethylene are filled with chemical or sharp objects, and the remaining part covered with a motor, dried, and then disposed of. Encapsulation is an efficient way because it reduces the risks of stray animals getting access to health waste. But you should not use this method while disposing of non-sharp infectious waste. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
Land disposal
This is a method used for shredded and decontaminated waste. There are two different methods that you can use in this process; Sanitary landfills and open dumps. Sanitary landfills developed scientifically with the aim of hazardous disposal. When you use this process, you can be able to prevent soil, water, and groundwater contamination.
In open dumps, there is no waste management, and it is left to scatter. There is a high risk of infection transmission. You should avoid using open-dumps at all costs.
Autoclaving
While disposing of medical waste, you can use an autoclave to heat infectious waste. In this process, you will use high temperatures and steam to heat all medical materials and microorganisms. They are available in different sizes, and you can get one depending on the amount of waste you need to sterilize.
If you are planning to get the autoclave machine, consider getting a modern one. Because it is automated, and human involvement is minimal, which has reduced the risk of needle-stick injuries. You can use the services of the clinical waste collection after you have decontaminated sharp objects to get rid of these wastes.
Use of chemical
You can use this method to kill microorganisms in hospital equipment, walls, and floors. You also use it to treat hospital waste. In this process, you will add a chemical to medical waste to kill germs. You can use this method on liquid waste such as stool, blood, urine. However, you can also use chemicals to disinfect waste materials before disposing.
Inertization
In this process, you will have to mix hospital waste with cement before you get rid of them. It lessens the chances of water or groundwater contamination with toxic substances. But you should note that this method is expensive and not suitable for a wide variety of waste.
When disposing of medical waste, it is essential to be careful and use methods that reduce the risk of infection transmission. If you do not know how to go about it, you can consult clinical waste collection vendors for advice.