Preventing Harm from Health Care Waste 427
Storing and transporting waste
Health care waste needs to be stored carefully
until it can be safely taken to its final disposal
site. Health care waste containers should be placed
where waste is created and disinfected, never
in hallways, bathrooms, or other places where
people might spill them or fill them with
mixed waste.
Seal waste bins and bags when they are
³∕₄ full. Bins and bags ³∕₄ full are less likely to spill
or break, and will reduce the chances of injury to
a worker picking them up. Never put used needles
and other sharp instruments in bags (see page 434).
If a bag breaks or leaks, put it inside another bag.
Store sealed bags in a closed room until they can be removed from the site. The
room should be secure so people who collect trash to sell it cannot get to it.
Health care waste can be stored safely only for a short time. Soon it begins
to smell bad and can spread infection as it decays. It is best to remove waste
daily. Never store waste for more than 3 days. Your nose will tell you when you
have waited too long!
Use carts or trolleys that are easy to clean to remove waste from the center.
It is safest to clean carts after each use, and to use carts that have no sharp
edges that could damage bags or containers during loading or unloading.
Prevent harm when handling waste:
• Wear protective clothing to reduce risks from needles or other sharp tools,
germs, or splashes from blood, other liquids or chemicals (see Appendix A).
• Immediately after they are used, put used needles and other sharp tools in
sharps boxes. Do not put sharp things in bags or with other waste.
• Wash hands after handling waste, and before and after working with
every patient.
• Never carry uncovered (uncapped) needles.
• Do not let waste touch your skin. If protective clothing gets soaked
through with contaminated wastes, take it off immediately, and wash
yourself with lots of soap and water.
• Protective clothing only protects if it is clean. After each use or at the end
of each shift, wash or disinfect (see page 428) gloves, aprons, glasses, and
masks. This will protect the next person who uses them.
If your center does not have protective clothing, use available materials for
protection. For example, use plastic garbage bags to make protective aprons,
pants, masks, and hats. Some protection is better than none at all.
A Community Guide to Environmental Health 2012