Disposing of Infectious Waste

HealthWiki > A Community Guide to Environmental Health > Chapter 19: Health Care Waste > Disposing of Infectious Waste

English Books and Resources

A Community Guide to Environmental Health

This content is from
page 436 of A Community Guide to Environmental Health

The chart on this page shows when and how to disinfect and dispose of infectious wastes in small health centers. Some health centers may not be able to use all of these methods, or may have their own, better ways to treat wastes. The important thing to prevent infection is to use a system that everyone in the health center understands and follows.

IMPORTANT! Follow all laws on how to get rid of health care waste.

Separate by type	SHARPS	ITEMS CONTAMINATED WITH BLOOD OR BODY FLUIDS	BLOOD, BODY FLUIDS, FECES	BODY PARTS
	Needles, blades, lancets, broken glass, other sharp objects	Blood bags, dialysis kits, syringe barrels, gloves, masks, bandages, cotton swabs, other wastes	Liquid blood, fluids from suction canisters, feces, and other contaminated body wastes	Amputated limbs, tissues, skin tags
Separate using colored containers	put in sharps containers	put in colored bag or container OR carefully cut or shred waste and put in bleach bucket	put in colored bag or container	put in colored bag or container with tight-fitting cover
Seal containers	when 3/4 full, seal container with tape	when 3/4 full, seal bag or container OR keep tight-fitting cover on bleach bucket	seal bag or cover container with tight-fitting cover	when 3/4 full, seal bag or container
Disinfection or safe burial	drop into a sharps pit OR put container into a drum	disinfect using a heat method OR leave in bleach bucket for at least 10 minutes, then drain	wearing protective clothing, carefully add bleach to container and let stand for 10 minutes	put in safe burial pit, add lime, and cover with soil
Final disposal	when almost full, seal the pit with concrete OR when 3/4 full, fill drum with concrete and bury drum in a landfill	put in safe burial pit, cover with soil. When pit is almost full, cover with soil and seal with concrete. OR dry and resue or recycle glass, metals, and plastics or discard with other solid waste	put liquid waste into safe leaching pit or into sanitary sewer or septic tank	when pit is almost full, cover with soil and seal with concrete
For more information	handling sharps and burying sharps	ways to disinfect with heat and chemicals	handling feces and body fluids and burial and leaching pits	handling body parts and safe waste burial