Hajime Matsushima

Department of Hygiene, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine
(3600 Handa-cho, Hamamatsu 431-31, Japan)

Abstract

There are two divisions for the special control waste which has been regulated by the Waste Disposal and Public Cleansing Law in Japan generated at large scale medical institutions: that which is capable of causing infectious disease in medical care (infectious waste), and that which has strong toxicity to humans in clinical laboratories (toxic waste). In the Hamamatsu University School of Medicine and the attached hospital, treatment of waste oil employs the spray combustion method, with the waste acids or waste alkalines being disposed by the ferrite method. Infectious waste should be separated and packed in the following manner: 1) Liquid or sludge type waste: use sealed containers so as to avoid leakage of liquid waste. 2) Solid type waste: use solid double-layered plastic bags. 3) Sharp waste: in order to prevent injury, use containers made of corrugated boards which are strong and resist penetration. After loading infectious waste into the container, seal the container and label it to indicate the contents as infectious waste. The storage period should be as short as possible. Infectious waste should be treated and disposed by the incinerating method.

Key words: medical waste, infectious waste, non-infectious waste, prevention of infectious accidents, carcinogenic waste