Bio-Medical Waste

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Bio-Medical Waste

What is Bio-medical Waste

Infectious waste is generated from the Health Care Facilities –HCFs (Allopathic/AYUSH) hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, dispensaries, pathological laboratories, blood banks, clinical establishments, research or educational institutions, Veterinary Institutes, Animal Houses,Camps.

“ Bio-medical Waste ” means any waste, which is generated during the diagnosis, treatment or immunization of human beings or animals or research activities or in the production or testing of biological or in health camps.

It however excludes radioactive waste, solid waste, hazardous waste, e-waste, battery waste.

Types of Bio-medical Waste

1) YELLOW CATEGORY WASTE

  1. Human
  2. Animal Anatomical Waste
  3. Soiled Waste
  4. Expired or Discarded Medicines
  5. Chemical Waste
  6. Chemical Liquid Waste
  7. Discarded linen
  8. Microbiology, Biotechnology and other clinical waste

2) RED CATEGORY WASTE

Contaminated Waste (Recyclable): Wastes generated from disposable items such as tubing, bottles, I.V tubes, catheters, urine bags, syringes (without needles and fixed needle syringes), gloves.

3) WHITE CATEGORY WASTE

Waste Sharps including Metals: Needles, syringes with fixed needles, needles from needle tip cutter or burner, scalpels, blades, or any other contaminated sharp object that may cause puncture and cuts. This includes both used, discarded and contaminated metal sharps.

4) BLUE CATEGORY WASTE

Glassware: Broken or discarded and contaminated glass including medicine vials and ampoules except those contaminated with cytotoxic wastes.
Metallic Body Implants.

Wastes like Solid Waste, Construction and Demolition Waste, are to be stored separately and handed over to the concerned Local Body/Corporation, as per the Rules prescribed separately for such Rules.

Pictorial Guide on Biomedical Waste Management Rules 2016-including the CPCB guidelines for COVID-19 Patients

Waste Management Options:

The Bio-medical Waste generated in any HCF shall be disposed off through a Common bio-medical waste treatment facility (CBMWTF) only. Any person including an occupier or operator of a CBMWTF, intending to use new technologies for treatment of BMW other than those specified in the prescribed Rules shall request Central Government for laying down the standards or operating parameters. Disposal by deep burial is permitted only in rural or remote areas where there is no access to CBMWTF. This will be carried out with prior approval from the prescribed authority and as per the Standards specified.

 

Regulatory Framework

The Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016 have been notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on 28th March 2016, in supersession of the Bio-Medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998.

A. Responsibilities of Occupier:

Occupiers, who have administrative control over the institution and the premises, generating bio-medical waste must:

  1. Make a provision within the premises for a safe, ventilated and secured location for storage of segregated biomedical waste in colored bags or containers, as specified in the rules and ensure that there is no secondary handling, pilferage of recyclables and the BMW from the premises is directly transported to the CBMWTF or for the appropriate treatment and disposal;
  2. Seek Consent to Establish/Operate (Bedded HCFs) and Authorization (Bedded/Non-Bedded) from the prescribed authority;
  3. Establish a bar-code system for bags or containers containing BMW to be sent out of the premises, for further treatment;
    4. a) Bar Codes Allotted by JKPCC booklet  b) Bar Codes Allotted by JKPCC Part-I    c) Bar Codes Allotted by JKPCC Part-II
    d) Bar Codes Allotted by JKPCC Part-III  e) Bar Codes Allotted by JKPCC Part-IV  f) Bar Codes Allotted by JKPCC Part-V
  4. Inform the prescribed authority immediately in case the operator of CBMWTF does not collect the BMW within the intended time;
  5. Bedded HCFs to make available the annual report on its web-site;
  6. Annual Report in Form-IV to be submitted by all the occupiers, on or before 30th June every year.

B. Responsibilities of the Common Bio-medical Waste Treatment Facilities:

  1. Take all necessary steps to ensure timely collection of BMW from the occupier and its transportation, handling, storage, treatment and disposal, without any adverse effect to human health and the environment;
  2. Assist the occupier in training conducted for BMW management;
  3. Establish bar coding and global positioning system for handling of BMW;
  4. Recyclables from the treated BMW such as plastics and glass to be given to such recyclers having valid authorisation or registration from the prescribed authority.

C. Duties of Authorities

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, Central or State Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Central Ministry for Animal Husbandry and Veterinary or State Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Ministry of Defence, Central Pollution Control Board, State Pollution Control Boards or Pollution Control Committees, Municipalities or Corporations, Urban Local Bodies and Gram Panchayats, have been defined in the Rules.