A lot has been said over the years regarding the health and hygiene in hospitals, but one thing that is over looked time and again is hospital-acquired infections. As such, one of the most important tools in hospital hygiene is hospital bins.

Medical waste is unwanted biological products that are highly infectious in nature. It has to be disposed properly otherwise it poses a health and environmental danger. Medical waste is found in hospitals, laboratories, research centres, tattoo parlours, etc. Medical waste is broadly classified as infectious waste and biohazardous waste, and can easily spread any disease virally and can even pose a danger to life.

Hospital bins are a great source of dirt that gets accumulated over a period of time if not emptied timeously. They house a great deal of waste that can contain bacteria, which may further reduce the levels of hygiene in patients. They also contain bodily fluids and other waste products that, if stringent measures are not followed, will cause numerous problems for staff and patients.

The management of medical waste in developing countries poses a major health problem, inviting serious health implications. When visiting health care facilities, patients should not become more ill then they already are, hence it is vitally important to ensure patient safety by keeping the health centre clean and environmentally sound. Waste collection service providers also have to be looked at meticulously.

Illegal disposal

In many instances of illegal disposal, medical waste is mixed with the municipal waste and a percentage is buried without any measure or burned with no proper regulation. Public awareness of health care waste has grown in recent years, especially with the emergence of Aids. In addition, the possibility that health care wastes could transmit HIV, hepatitis B virus (HBV) and other agents associated with blood-borne diseases is also a major concern. Therefore, the disposal of health care waste and its potential health impact are an important public health issue.

Waste threats and disposal

Effective medical waste disposal is the first and foremost way to prevent unwanted disease and prevent untoward infection from medical wastes. All staff in any hospital or laboratory are equally responsible in housekeeping. Good housekeeping can reduce the infection to a great extent. It also cuts down on the spreading of microorganisms and bacteria. The advantages of proper medical waste disposal include the creation of a healthy atmosphere that is free from microbes, thus minimising the risk of infection to staff, visitors and other people, cutting off unpleasant sights and bad odours, and the reduction of fleas and insects.

Most staff are not aware of the risks involved when handling medical waste and the related infections. Sharp objects, such as used needles, pose serious risk of infections like HIV, HBV, etc. If medical waste is not properly disposed by staff, then infection may easily spread to patients and other clients who visit hospital and laboratories. Moreover, while disposing of medical waste, it must be done cautiously without polluting the environment. In an ideal world, staff disposing of medical waste must be well-trained and must be observed by a supervisor. In addition, every hospital must follow the segregation guidelines.

Bin varieties

Some hospitals have installed fire retardant bins in many places that are required by the rules of safety and hygiene. The safety of the patients is crucial to hospitals, making these bins very important in areas where patients’ health and safety is at risk. Hygiene should be a top focus in places where health care is of primary importance. These bins are not only retard the fire, but also have antibacterial and microbial properties, which help ensure that the bin is not responsible for spreading any kind of disease or infection.

There are many medical waste bins, community waste bins and waste collection bins in hospitals that are colour-coded and are available in different areas throughout the health care facility. This helps prevent any kind of contaminated diseases making its way to a conventional landfilling during the collection process. There are also simple sack holder bins that have pedals or even sensors to prevent mishandling of the bin. Mishandling of bins is a serious issue as this is where most transfer of infections occurs.

When installing the medical waste bins, litterbins and waste collection bins, another important factor to consider is size. All bins should ideally be roughly the same size. If one type of bin is filled before another, then there is an increased chance that people will fill the wrong bins with the wrong products – and may lead to improper disposal methods thereof. The hospital bin is a very important tool that helps ensure that health care facilities remain hygienic for a long period, and it is ultimately the responsibility of the authorities in question to take care of this fact.