436 Health Care Waste
Disposing of Infectious Waste
The chart on this page shows when and how to disinfect and dispose of
infectious wastes in small health centers. Some health centers may not be able
to use all of these methods, or may have their own, better ways to treat wastes.
The important thing to prevent infection is to use a system that everyone in
the health center understands and follows.
IMPORTANT: Follow all laws on how to get rid of health care waste.
Separate
by type
Sharps
Needles,
blades, lancets,
broken glass,
other sharp
objects
Items contaminated with
blood or body fluids
Blood bags, dialysis kits, syringe
barrels, gloves, masks, bandages,
cotton swabs, other wastes
Blood, body
fluids, feces
Body parts
Liquid blood,
fluids from
suction canisters,
feces, and other
contaminated
body wastes
Amputated
limbs, tissues,
skin tags
or
Separate
using colored
containers
put in sharps
container
put in
colored bag
or container
Seal
containers
when ¾ full, seal
container with
tape
when ¾ full,
seal bag or
container
or
Disinfection
or safe burial
drop
into a
sharps
pit
put
container
into a
drum
disinfect
using
a heat
method
carefully cut or
shred waste and
put in bleach
bucket
put in colored
bag or
container
put in colored
bag or container
with tight-
fitting cover
or keep tight-
seal bag or cover when ¾ full,
fitting cover container with seal bag or
on bleach
tight-fitting
container
bucket
cover
or
leave in bleach
bucket for at
least 10 minutes,
then drain
wearing
put in safe
protective
burial pit,
clothing, carefully add lime,
add bleach to
and cover
container and
with soil
let stand for 10
minutes
Final disposal
or or
when when ¾ put in safe burial
almost full, fill
pit, cover with
full, seal drum with soil. When pit
the pit concrete is almost full,
with
and bury cover with soil
concrete drum in a and seal with
landfill concrete.
dry and reuse or
recycle glass, metals,
and plastics
or
discard with other
solid waste
put liquid waste
into safe leaching
pit or into sanitary
sewer or septic
tank
when pit is
almost full,
cover with
soil and seal
with concrete
For more
information
see pages 434 to
435 on handling
sharps, and page
439 on burying
sharps
see pages 429 to 433 on
ways to disinfect with
heat and chemicals
see page 428 on
handling feces
and body fluids,
and page 439
for burial and
leaching pits
see page 428
on handling
body parts,
and page
439 for safe
waste burial
A Community Guide to Environmental Health 2012