Risk assessment and safety in the management of infectious hospital waste: implications for the environment and public health at boane health care centre

Abstract

Hospital waste is a special type of waste with a high potential for infection and injury. Additionally, infectious waste comprises one of the categories of hospital waste with great potential to cause damage to the environment and public health. Thus, qualitative research was carried out at the Boane Health Care Centre, with the aim of assessing the environmental, health and safety risks caused by the limited management of hospital waste. The data were collected from laboratory, and the entire process that includes handling, segregation and final disposal were evaluated. The risks throughout this process were identified and evaluated. In addition to the risks identified associated to the means, methods and treatment employed for the waste, there are other potentially high infectious risks in the laboratory sector that must be considered due to their implication for the environment and public health. However, they are considered low because they have a minimally adequate place for waste treatment, but with limited information that explains whether the process used is safe, despite few records on accidents such as perforation by contaminated needles and spillage of blood samples in this sector. It was also observed that, due to the improper use of plastic bags (black) in the segregation of infectious waste and common waste, mixing occurs, making it difficult to identify infectious waste, indicating the lack of adequate management, therefore endangering the lives of the employees.