There are two waste types which are classified as the most dangerous, the first is hospital waste, which comes in a variety of forms, and the second is chemical waste. The clear reason for the danger levels attributed to these two waste types is the potential for harm which they can cause if not correctly disposed of. Either of these waste types can lead to harm, damage, injury and disease, which is exactly why there are such tight restrictions on how we get rid of this kind of waste.
Hospital waste in particular is broken down into various categories, and on site each type of waste product has to be sent to a different kind of waste management center. These are the different types of waste which hospitals produce.
General Waste
Much like any other commercial enterprise hospitals have general waste which is disposed of in the same way that you or I would get rid of waste from the home. This will include food waste, cardboard or paper, and anything which has accumulated from general waste bins.
Admin Waste
Given the sensitive information regarding patients which admin waste may contain, it is important that these documents are shredded and disposed of in the right way. This kind of information in the wrong hands could easily lead to crimes such as identity fraud, which is why we have to make sure that they are correctly disposed of.
Infectious Waste
This is the phrase used to refer to any waste which has been generated from the treatment of individuals, which may easily be contaminated with infectious bodily fluids.
Cytoxic Waste
This kind of waste is generated from any direct contact with toxic or carcinogenic medicine, chemotherapy waste is the best example of this kind of product.
Waste Including Sharps
Sharps is the phrase which we use to refer to any kind of instrument which is used for cutting or puncturing. This will include any needles, razor blades, scalpels or any other shape objects which are used in the hospital.
Chemical Waste
Chemical waste is generated in hospitals from machinery, batteries and disinfectants.
Pathological Waste
Hospitals have to ensure that they follow all of the rules which have been put in place when it comes to getting rid of pathological waste. This refers to any waste which contains human tissue such as body parts, blood and bodily fluids. In almost all instances this waste is incinerated and then correctly disposed of.
Pharmaceutical Waste
As you can imagine, this refers to any kind of medicines or drugs which have been used for patients, and can include pills, antibiotics and creams.
As you can see, somewhere such as a hospital creates a wide variety of different waste products and it is critical that all regulations are taken into account when it comes to disposing of this waste. The dangers of not correctly processing this waste are potential enormous which is exactly why it is such a sensitive issue.
To read more on topics like this, check out the Health category
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