It is the responsibility of governments to set up the necessary legal framework for the safe management of healthcare waste and to ensure that HCF managers take their share of responsibility to manage wastes safely and comply with national regulations.
National legislation is the basis for improving healthcare waste practices in any country. It establishes legal controls and permits the national agency responsible for the disposal of healthcare waste, in most cases the ministry of health, to apply pressure for their implementation. The ministry of environment or national environmental protection agency may also be involved; there should be a clear designation of responsibilities before the law is enacted.
The law should be complemented by a policy document, and by technical guidelines developed for implementation of the law [read more…]
This legal «package» should specify regulations on treatment for different waste categories, segregation, collection, storage, handling, disposal, and transport of waste, responsibilities, and training requirements. It should take into account the resources and facilities available in the country concerned and any cultural aspects linked to waste-handling.
A national law on healthcare waste management may stand alone or be part of more comprehensive legislation such as the following:
The law should include the following:
Gradual implementation of the law is recommended in preference to any attempt to introduce all measures simultaneously, particularly where existing practices are inadequate.
The policy document should outline the rationale for the legislation, plus national goals and the key steps essential to the achievement of these goals. It may contain the following: [read more…]
These guidelines associated with the legislation should be practical and directly applicable [read more…]
They should include the following specifications, with sufficient detail to ensure that safe practices are observed and appropriate standards achieved:
For ease of application, the definitions of HCW categories included in the law should be repeated in the technical guidelines.