Waste produced from health care activities, from contaminated needles to radioactive isotopes, can cause infection and injury, and inadequate management is likely to have serious public health consequences and deleterious effects on the environment. Safe health care waste management involves multiple steps from segregation to transport, treatment and final disposal. Questions G-WM1, G-WM2 and G-WM3 seek to distil this process into a small number of measurable elements.
RECOMMENDED SURVEY QUESTIONS (Q) AND ANSWERS (A)
G-WM1 - is waste correctly segregated into at least three labelled bins in the consultation area?
Response options: yes, waste is segregated into three labelled bins / no, bins are present but do not meet all requirements or waste is not correctly segregated / no, bins are not present
Note: For facilities with multiple consultation rooms, select one at random and observe whether sharps waste, infectious waste and non-infectious general waste are segregated into three different bins. The bins should be colour-coded and/or clearly labelled, no more than three quarters (75%) full, and each bin should not contain waste other than that corresponding to its label. Bins should be appropriate to the type of waste they are to contain; sharps containers should be puncture-proof and others should be leak-proof. Bins for sharps waste and infectious waste should have lids.
G-WM2 - how does this facility usually treat/dispose of infectious waste?
Response options: autoclaved / incenerated (two chambers, 850 - 1000 degrees celsius incinerator) / incinerated (other) / burning in a protected pit / not treated, but buried in lined, protected pit / not treated, but collected for medical waste disposal off site / open dumping without treatment / open burning / not treated and added to general waste / other (specify)
Note: If more than one applies, select the method used most often. Methods considered to meet the basic service level include autoclaving; incineration; burial in a lined, protected pit; and collection for medical waste disposal off-site.
G-WM3 - how does this facility usually treat/dispose of sharps waste?
Response options: autoclaved / incinerated (two chambers, 850 - 1000 degrees celsius incenerator) / incinerated (other) / burning in a protected pit / not treated, but buried in lined, protected pit / not treated, but collected for medical waste disposal off site / open dumping without treatment / open burning / not treated and added to general waste / other (specify)
Note: If more than one applies, select the method used most often. Methods considered to meet the basic service level include autoclaving; incineration; burial in a lined, protected pit; and collection for medical waste disposal off-site.
