Download Hazardous and Infectious waste File

Hazardous and Infectious
Waste
Managing hazardous waste
Hazardous waste includes chemicals
and biological materials
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Disposal of waste in the health care industry is an
important issue and is governed by hospital policy and
government legislation.
It is important to understand the correct procedures to
follow for the disposal of waste in your workplace.
LOGBOOK ACTIVITY: Locate the policies manual referring to
correct waste disposal. Fill in the sheet in your logbook.
Waste
Waste within the Healthcare setting includes
materials that fit into the following categories:
 General waste
 Contaminated waste
 Aerosol cans
 Pharmaceutical / chemical
 Infectious waste
 Sharps
 Cytotoxic waste
Waste. Continued…
The Environmental Services Department manages
the disposal of waste. The following types of
waste MUST BE incinerated:
 Infectious waste
 Pharmaceutical waste
 All sharps
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Waste disposal is colour -coded so that quick
identification of waste and its appropriate
disposal guidelines are adhered to.
Waste Disposal Guidelines
General waste
GREEN plastic bag
Contaminate waste
BLACK plastic bag
Infectious waste
YELLOW plastic bag
Cytotoxic waste
PURPLE plastic bag
Residents clothing
BLUE Terylene reusable
bag
Marked PAPER bag
Deceased Residents
clothing paper bags
Infectious waste
Infectious waste includes any substance
containing micro-organisms or viruses posing a
substantial threat to the health of human beings
or the environment.
Infectious waste includes ALL sharps.
Depending on the type of infection a client has,
there are specific guidelines surrounding the
treatment of the clients’ waste and linen.
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Cytotoxic waste
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Includes:
 Cytotoxic drugs
 Needles and syringes used in the treatment
 IV sets
 Ampoules / vials
 Disposable gloves, gowns, caps and swabs
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The colour code for cytotoxic
waste is purple, the method
of disposal is different from
other kinds of waste;
cytotoxic waste is disposed
of by controlled high
temperature incineration.
Cytotoxic waste warning
signs should be displayed at
the patient’s bed head,
sharps box, cytotoxic waste
bag and cytotoxic waste
carton.
Sharps
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Placed in hard walled sharps
container (purple) or yellow
sharps container with cytotoxic
label attached. Containers
taped down and placed in
purple cytotoxic waste bag,
taped closed, identified with
cytotoxic waste label and
collected by environmental
services staff.
Linen
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Non contaminated linen is treated as normal linen
Contaminated linen is double bagged into
alginate bag and then into yellow linen bag, not
placed with general linen, stored separately for
collection and staff advised that it is
contaminated cytotoxic linen.
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Leakage from cytotoxic waste is identified and
cleaned up using the correct protocol
immediately. A spillage kit must be on the ward
before administration of chemotherapy.
If you are contaminated
with cytotoxic waste /
chemical / drug
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Follow the correct hospital policy
and procedure
Wash / shower immediately
Contact supervisor
Change contaminated clothing
Complete incident form
If the patient is contaminated
with cytotoxic waste /
chemical / drug
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Follow the correct hospital policy and procedure
Wash / shower patient immediately
Change contaminated clothing
Change contaminated bed linen and dispose of
appropriately
Contact supervisor
Complete incident form
Hazard management for
cytotoxic drugs and related
waste
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Follow policy and procedure
Education and training
Correct use of equipment
Report and record any exposure – accident investigation
Maintain standard precautions
Update new technologies or medications
Long sleeve gown (impervious), gloves, goggles for IV admin
Appropriate administration by a Registered Nurse
Extravasation and spill kits plus instructions kept on site
Unused dugs to be returned to pharmacy
No touch techniques
Appropriate use of PPE
Protection surrounding
infectious waste exposure
and disposal
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Refer to the policy and procedures manual of the
organisation
Information and training provided by supervisors
is needed
Ensuring safe work practices are adhered to eg.
PPE
Maintaining equipment appropriately
Correct signage
Report any potential problems that could cause
injury