02 November 2005
Hospital waste handling discussed in workshop
HOSPITAL wastes management officers in Dagupan City enhanced their knowledge on the disposal of hazardous wastes during a seminar workshop conducted by the City
Health Office last Tuesday at the sangguniang panlungsod session hall.
Center for Health Development Sanitary Engineer Ashley Antonio lectured on the principles and strategies of waste minimization; color coding scheme on waste segregation; importance of waste segregation; requirements for packaging of wastes; storage containers; collection and transport; consignment note and treatment technologies, among others.
“Waste segregation is vital because of its public health significance; facilitation of waste recovery and recycling; minimization of wastes that need disinfections; and increase on productivity and cost savings.” Antonio stressed.
She added that hospitals must follow a color-coded scheme in the disposal of wastes thus: black for non-infectious dry waste; green, non-infectious wet waste; yellow, infectious and pathological waste; yellow with black band, chemical waste and waste with heavy metal; red for sharps and pressurized containers; and orange for radioactive waste.
The city health office which coordinated the event said it is important to improve the waste management policy of hospitals, medical clinics and health care facilities “because hospital wastes can cause the outbreak of communicable diseases and it is dangerous if it finds its way into the river system based on a report of the World Health Organization,”
For many years now, some big hospitals in Dagupan have been suspected as somehow disposing medical facility wastes along with ordinary garbage or thru some other means as none of them have visible waste disposal machines or facilities, not even incinerators.
Republic Act 6969 or the Toxic Substance and Hazardous and Nuclear Waste Control Act Hazardous Waste Registration was discussed by Zenaida Cortez of the EMB of the DENR.
“In the past, many hospitals simply dumped all waste steams together, from reception area trash to operating room waste, and burned them in incinerators,” according to Cortez.
Incineration however has been found to be the leading source of highly toxic dioxin; furans, mercury, lead and other dangerous air pollutants that have serious adverse consequences on worker safety, public health and environment.
Recent developments, according to Cortez, have moved policymakers and sectors of society to push for the banning of incineration because it is not considered an option for proper waste disposal.
The EMB resource speaker also explained the environmental regulations governing hospitals namely the Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999 or Republic Act 8749; Classification of Human Wastes based on R.A. 6969; Waste Generators; and the Clean Water Act of 2004 or R.A. 9275. (Sheila H. Aquino)
Health Office last Tuesday at the sangguniang panlungsod session hall.
Center for Health Development Sanitary Engineer Ashley Antonio lectured on the principles and strategies of waste minimization; color coding scheme on waste segregation; importance of waste segregation; requirements for packaging of wastes; storage containers; collection and transport; consignment note and treatment technologies, among others.
“Waste segregation is vital because of its public health significance; facilitation of waste recovery and recycling; minimization of wastes that need disinfections; and increase on productivity and cost savings.” Antonio stressed.
She added that hospitals must follow a color-coded scheme in the disposal of wastes thus: black for non-infectious dry waste; green, non-infectious wet waste; yellow, infectious and pathological waste; yellow with black band, chemical waste and waste with heavy metal; red for sharps and pressurized containers; and orange for radioactive waste.
The city health office which coordinated the event said it is important to improve the waste management policy of hospitals, medical clinics and health care facilities “because hospital wastes can cause the outbreak of communicable diseases and it is dangerous if it finds its way into the river system based on a report of the World Health Organization,”
For many years now, some big hospitals in Dagupan have been suspected as somehow disposing medical facility wastes along with ordinary garbage or thru some other means as none of them have visible waste disposal machines or facilities, not even incinerators.
Republic Act 6969 or the Toxic Substance and Hazardous and Nuclear Waste Control Act Hazardous Waste Registration was discussed by Zenaida Cortez of the EMB of the DENR.
“In the past, many hospitals simply dumped all waste steams together, from reception area trash to operating room waste, and burned them in incinerators,” according to Cortez.
Incineration however has been found to be the leading source of highly toxic dioxin; furans, mercury, lead and other dangerous air pollutants that have serious adverse consequences on worker safety, public health and environment.
Recent developments, according to Cortez, have moved policymakers and sectors of society to push for the banning of incineration because it is not considered an option for proper waste disposal.
The EMB resource speaker also explained the environmental regulations governing hospitals namely the Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999 or Republic Act 8749; Classification of Human Wastes based on R.A. 6969; Waste Generators; and the Clean Water Act of 2004 or R.A. 9275. (Sheila H. Aquino)
