Florida Biomedical Waste Program

 

The provisions are equally applicable to our service hospitals and hence there is a need for all the service medical, dental, nursing officers, other paramedical staff and safaiwalas to be well aware of the basic principles of handling, treatment and disposal of biomedical waste. Florida Biomedical Waste Program The present article deals with such basic issues as definition, categories and principles of handling and disposal of biomedical waste. Biomedical waste is defined as any waste, which is generated during the diagnosis, treatment or immunisation of human beings or animals, or in research activities pertaining thereto, or in the production or testing of biologicals. Biomedical waste is hazardous since it has an inherent potential for dissemination of infection, both nosocomial within health care settings as well as risk of infection to persons working outside health care facilities, like waste handlers, scavenging staff and also to the general public. It is reported that 60% of all hospital staff sustain injuries from sharps during various procedures undertaken in health care facilities. Biomedical waste or also known as hospital waste is any waste that is both hazardous and infectious. It can be either in a liquid form such as blood and body fluids or in a solid-state such as sharps (needles, used syringes, broken ampules) and packaging, used bandages, and even human body tissue. Biomedical Waste means any solid waste which contains pathological waste, biological waste, cultures, and stocks of infectious agents and associated biologicals, contaminated animal carcasses (body parts, their bedding, and other wastes from such animals), chemotherapy waste, discarded medical equipment and parts, not including expendable supplies and materials, which have not been decontaminated.