Health and safety practices for
health-care personnel and
waste workers
12.1 Principles
Health-care waste management policies or plans should include provision
for the continuous monitoring of workersÕ health and safety to
ensure that correct handling, treatment, storage, and disposal procedures
are being followed. Essential occupational health and safety measures
include the following:
¥ proper training of workers;
¥ provision of equipment and clothing for personal protection;
¥ establishment of an effective occupational health programme that
includes immunization, post-exposure prophylactic treatment, and
medical surveillance.
Training in health and safety should ensure that workers know of and
understand the potential risks associated with health-care waste, the
value of immunization against viral hepatitis B, and the importance of
consistent use of personal protection equipment.
Workers at risk include health-care providers, hospital cleaners, maintenance
workers, operators of waste treatment equipment, and all operators
involved in waste handling and disposal within and outside
health-care establishments.
12.2 WorkersÕ protection
The production, segregation, transportation, treatment, and disposal of
health-care waste involve the handling of potentially hazardous material.
Protection against personal injury is therefore essential for all
workers who are at risk. The individuals responsible for management of
health-care waste should ensure that all risks are identiÞed and that
suitable protection from those risks is provided.
A comprehensive risk assessment of all activities involved in health-care
waste management, carried out during preparation of the waste management
plan, will allow the identiÞcation of necessary protection measures.
These measures should be designed to prevent exposure to hazardous
materials or other risks, or at least to keep exposure within safe limits.
Once the assessment is completed, personnel should receive suitable
training (see Chapter 13).
12.2.1 Protective clothing
The type of protective clothing used will depend to an extent upon the
risk associated with the health-care waste, but the following should be
made available to all personnel who collect or handle health-care waste: