Page 131 - Energy from Toxic Organic Waste for Heat and Power Generation

Health Hazards of Medical Waste and its Disposal 113

▪ They must be equipped with a safe loading system (to prevent any spill-
ing inside or outside the vehicle);
▪ They must be marked according to the legislation in force if the load
exceeds 333 kg.

8.6 THE WAY FORWARD

The management of health-care waste requires increased attention and dil-
igence to avoid the substantial disease burden associated with poor practice,
including exposure to infectious agents and toxic substances.
Key elements in improving health-care waste management are:
▪ Building a comprehensive system, addressing responsibilities, resource
allocation, handling, and disposal. This is a long-term process, sustained
by gradual improvements;
▪ Raising awareness of the risks related to health-care waste, and of safe
practices; and
▪ Selecting safe and environmentally friendly management options, to
protect people from hazards when collecting, handling, storing, trans-
porting, treating, or disposing of waste.
▪ Government commitment and support is needed for universal, long-
term improvement, although immediate action can be taken locally.

8.6.1 WHO’s Response
WHO developed the first global and comprehensive guidance document,
“Safe management of wastes from health-care activities,” now in its second
edition. It addresses aspects such as regulatory framework, planning issues,
waste minimization and recycling, handling, storage and transportation,
treatment and disposal options, and training. The document is aimed at
managers of hospitals and other health-care facilities, policy makers, public
health professionals, and managers involved in waste management.
In collaboration with other partners, WHO also developed a series of
training modules on good practices in health-care waste management cov-
ering all aspects of waste management activities from identification and
classification of wastes to considerations guiding their safe disposal using
both nonincineration or incineration strategies.
WHO guidance documents on health-care waste are also available
including:
▪ a monitoring tool;
▪ a cost assessment tool;