432 Health Care Waste
Important: Bleach should never be mixed with other chemicals, especially
ammonia. Bleach and ammonia mixed together will produce a toxic gas that
can cause death if breathed in, and enough heat to cause an explosion. Always
wash carefully after handling bleach.
Laundry
In the past, many hospitals used carbolic acid to sterilize sheets. This is only
necessary for the sheets of people being treated for burns. To disinfect bed
linens and clothes, soak them in a bleach bucket for 10 minutes before washing
with hot water and soap. Use gloves when taking them out of the bleach.
Disinfecting with Heat
Many health centers use autoclaves or microwaves (see page 433) to disinfect
syringes, other medical tools, and some waste. If you have no autoclave or
microwave, then boiling, steaming, or pressure steaming materials for at least
20 minutes will disinfect them. Disposable wastes should not be disinfected
with tools that will be used again, because it is difficult to keep the reusable
tools clean when you separate them after disinfection.
Wear gloves and a mask to cut plastic and cloth items such as catheters,
IV bags, tubing, large bandages, and so on into small pieces.
How to make sure items are disinfected
For boiling, steaming, and pressure steaming, start to count the 20 minutes
after the water is fully boiling. Do not add anything new to the pot once
you begin to count. After 20 minutes, turn off the heat and let it cool.
Materials that will be reused after they are boiled or steamed must be removed
using sterile gloves or tongs, placed right away inside a disinfected container, and
then sealed. The boiled water can be safely poured down a drain.
Boiling
You can use boiling to disinfect metal, rubber or plastic tools, and
cloth. After you wash and rinse the tools, put them in the pot, cover
the tools with water, bring the water to a boil, and boil for 20 minutes.
Steaming
You can use steaming to disinfect gloves, masks, and things made
of metal and plastic. The water does not need to cover everything
in the pot, but you must use enough water to keep steam coming
for 20 minutes. The pot should have a lid that fits tightly.
A Community Guide to Environmental Health 2012