Linking intended behaviour and actions: A case study of healthcare waste management in the Cornwall NHS

2007 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
T.L. Tudor ◽  
S.W. Barr ◽  
A.W. Gilg
2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Mehedi Hasan ◽  
M. Habibur Rahman

The management and treatment of healthcare waste (HCW) are of great concern owing to its potential hazard to human health and the environment, particularly in developing countries. Nowadays, various technological alternatives are gaining momentum as efficient and favorable waste management options across the world. However, selecting a suitable technology as well as an effective waste management approach for the treatment of HCW is still a challenging task for the municipal authorities. This study renders a comprehensive analysis of healthcare waste management (HCWM) practices and the technological options for its better management through a case study in Khulna, the southwestern division of Bangladesh. A number of healthcare establishments (HCEs) in the study area were selected and a questionnaire survey, as well as field investigations, was performed to find out the present status of HCWM and its limitations. An assessment of different technological alternatives was also carried out using Sustainability Assessment of Technologies (SAT) methodology which could pave the way for treating hazardous waste more efficiently in the Khulna metropolitan area. The study revealed that the overall HCW generation rate and hazardous HCW generation rate in Khulna city were 0.90 kg bed−1 day−1 and 0.18 kg bed−1 day−1, respectively. Assessment of management system revealed that 56% (n=38) of workers did not receive any form of training in the handling of hazardous waste. Around 54% (n=47) of them did not use any safety equipment or clothing. It has been found from the study that, among different technological alternatives based on the final score, incineration was the most suitable option for the treatment of hazardous waste in Khulna. Finally, some guidelines have been put forward to improve its existing management practices.


Environments ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (8) ◽  
pp. 89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed Hassan ◽  
Terry Tudor ◽  
Mentore Vaccari

Healthcare waste (HCW) represents a major public health issue, especially in developing countries. Among HCW categories, sharps waste is one of the most hazardous. Exposure to needle-stick injuries can lead to blood-borne pathogens, therefore HCW should be managed in an effective manner. The main aims of this study were to assess the current management of used needles and to suggest suitable recommendations for an improved and safer system for needle management in Khartoum, Sudan. The study showed that the management of both healthcare and home-generated HCW in Sudan is inefficient, as all wastes are mixed together and disposed of improperly, especially used needles. The study attributes this to many reasons, including lack of waste segregation at the source, lack of policies, failure of planning, inadequate training, lack of awareness of the hazardous nature of such kinds of waste, weak infrastructure, and a lack of suitable treatment technologies. The estimated average generated rate of HCW ranged from 0.38 to 0.87 kg/bed/day in 2009 and 2012, respectively. Such ineffective healthcare waste management HCWM, especially used needles, can put public health as well as the environment at risk, particularly waste workers, thus urgent action needs to be taken by all involved parties and at all levels.


2017 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego V de Godoy Delmonico ◽  
Hugo H dos Santos ◽  
Marco AP Pinheiro ◽  
Rosani de Castro ◽  
Regiane M de Souza

Healthcare waste management is an essential field for both researchers and practitioners. Although there have been few studies using statistical methods for its evaluation, it has been the subject of several studies in different contexts. Furthermore, the known precarious practices for waste management in developing countries raise questions about its potential barriers. This study aims to investigate the barriers in healthcare waste management and their relevance. For this purpose, this paper analyses waste management practices in two Brazilian hospitals by using case study and the Analytic Hierarchy Process method. The barriers were organized into three categories – human factors, management, and infrastructure, and the main findings suggest that cost and employee awareness were the most significant barriers. These results highlight the main barriers to more sustainable waste management, and provide an empirical basis for multi-criteria evaluation of the literature.


Author(s):  
Kaouther Maaroufi ◽  
Terry Tudor ◽  
Mentore Vaccari ◽  
Afef Siala ◽  
Ezzeddine Mahmoudi

This study evaluated the engagement of staff regarding infectious healthcare waste management, in two case-study universities in Tunisia. Using a questionnaire survey, it was found that the most significant reported factors that influenced engagement were the availability of technical sheets and posters, training and education programs, and the age range of the staff. While there was some accordance with the Tunisian Decree application n° 2008–2745 of July 28th, 2008, as well as international guidelines and best practice (e.g. the use of color coded bins, waste management teams, and infection control measures), there were also limitations in the provision of training. This limitation in training and, to a lesser extent, awareness impacted on the beliefs about infectious healthcare waste management of staff and their practices. Recommendations for addressing these issues are suggested.


Healthcare waste management is the major task for the industry especially in rising nations like India. It is problematic to identify and control the wastes has turn out to be one of the serious concerns. For the assessment of waste management, case study is conducted in one of the top healthcare industry in India. The objective of the paper is to identify and assess the most influential wastes in the healthcare industry. In this paper, ten wastes are recognized from relevant literature and used to recognize the most influential wastes in the healthcare industry by using Decision Making Trail and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) technique. This technique evaluates the importance of wastes and also displays its causal relations. The finding of the paper reveals that wastes from genotoxic chemical (W8) is the most influential waste in the healthcare industry and needs to be control it.


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