5D

MLS 037 (Principles of Medical Laboratory

Science and Practice 1)
STUDENT ACTIVITY SHEET MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY / FIRST YEAR
Session # 11

LESSON TITLE: LABORATORY WASTE Materials:

MANAGEMENT
Book, pen and notebook, class list
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
References:
Upon completion of this lesson, the student can:
1. Republic of the Philippines, Department
1.Outline the appropriate safety measures that should be of Health (2011). Manual on healthcare
taken when handling laboratory waste waste management (3rd Ed.). Bldg. 4,
2. Classify different laboratory waste Department of Health, Tayuman St. cor. Rizal
3. Describe and demonstrate proper protocols when Avenue, Sta. Cruz, Manila, 1003 Philippines:
handling and disposing infectious, chemical, Department of Health – National Center for
pharmaceuticals and electronic waste. Health Facility Development (NCHFD).
2. Mcpherson,R.A. & Pincus,M.R. (2012)
Henry’s Clinical Diagnosis and Management
by Laboratory Metheds (22 nd Ed.)
Philadelphia: Elcevier Inc.

INTRODUCTION (5 minutes)
Firstly, the students are asked to read the topic which is found on page 10 to 14, Chapter 3: Healthcare
Waste from the reference book 1.

MAIN LESSON (13 minutes)

.
Students are asked to read the lesson ahead of time. Main reference of the lesson is found on Chapter 4:
Laboratory Safety of the reference book 1.

Lesson Outline:
A. What is Healthcare waste?
B. What are Healthcare facilities?
C. Categories of Healthcare waste
D. Labelling, Markings and Color-coding of plastic liners and Bins for proper waste segregation

Lesson Notes:

A. What is Healthcare Waste?

- Healthcare waste includes all forms of waste generated as a result of any of the following:
 Diagnosis, treatment or immunization of human beings;
 Research pertaining to the above activities;
 Research using laboratory animals for the improvement of human health;
 Production or testing of biologicals; and
 Other activities performed by Healthcare Facilities
B. What are Healthcare Facilities?
- Healthcare facilities are public private, and non-governmental institutions or facilities that contribute to
the improvement of the health status of an individual.
- Includes:

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  Hospitals and medical centers
 Clinics and healthcare units related to patient care
 Rehabilitation centers, hospices, psychiatric centers, and centers providing long-term healthcare
services
 Related laboratories and research centers
 Ambulance and emergency care mobiles
 Teaching and training hospitals and medical schools
C. Categories of Healthcare Waste
1. Infectious waste
- All waste suspected to contain pathogens (or their toxins) in sufficient concentration to cause
diseases to a potential host
- Discarded materials or equipment used for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease of
patients with infectious disease
- Highly infectious waste includes microbial cultures and stocks of highly infectious agents from
Medical Analysis Laboratories and biofluids from patients with highly infectious disease (require
disinfection at source)
2. Sharps
- Items that can cause cuts or puncture wounds
- Used or expired sharps e.g., hypodermic intravenous or other needles; auto-disable syringes;
infusion sets; scalpels; pipets; broken glass; wet ampules
- Does not include syringes and needles used for antineoplastic purposes.
3. Pathological and Anatomical Waste
- Refers to tissue sections and body material derived from biopsies or surgical procedures that
are then examined in the laboratory
- Anatomical waste is a subgroup of pathological waste that refers to recognizable body parts
such as amputated limbs and the like.
4. Pharmaceutical waste
- Refers to expired, split and contaminated pharmaceutical products, drugs and vaccines; as well
as discarded items used in handling pharmaceuticals
- Pharmaceutical wastes include antineoplastic, cytotoxic, and genotoxic waste
- Drugs usually used in oncology (antineoplastic drugs) or radiotherapy units have a high
hazardous mutagenic or cytotoxic effect.
5. Chemical Waste
- Refers to discarded chemicals (solid, liquid, or gaseous) generated during disinfecting and
sterilizing procedures.
- Chemical wastes can be further classified into corrosive, reactive, toxic and flammable.
- Chemical waste also include waste with high content of heavy metals and their derivatives.
6. Radioactive Waste
- Wastes exposed to radionuclide
- Resides from shipment of radioactive materials and unwanted solution of radionuclides intended
for diagnostic or therapeutic use
- Liquids, gas and solids contaminated with radionuclides whose ionizing radiations have
genotoxic effects
7. Non-Hazardous or General Waste
- Includes waste that has not been in contact with communicable or infectious agents, hazardous
chemicals or radioactive substances, and does not pose a hazard.

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D. Labelling, Markings and Color-coding of plastic liners and bins for proper waste segregation

Table 1: Infectious Waste

Table 2: Sharp Waste

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Education (College of Medical Technology) 3 of 10
 Table 3: Pathological and Anatomical Waste

Table 4: Pharmaceutical Waste

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 Table 5: Chemical Waste

Table 6: Radioactive Waste

Table 7: Non-Hazardous or General Waste

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FOR UNDERSTANDING (25 minutes)
-After reading the lesson notes ahead of time students are asked to answer the following activities:

ACTIVITY 1

1. In your own words, compare Pathological waste from Anatomical waste.

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2. Tabulate the categories of Healthcare waste based on Plastic liners and Bins:

CATEGORY PLASTIC LINERS BINS

MARKINGS SPECIFICATION MARKINGS SPECIFICATION
AND AND
LABELLING LABELLING
1. INFECTIOUS WAST

2. SHARPS

3. PATHOLOGICAL AND
ANATOMICAL WASTE

4. PHARMACEUTICAL WASTE

5. CHEMICAL WASTE

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6. RADIOACTIVE WASTE

7. NON-HAZARDOUS OR
GENERAL WASTE

ACTIVITY 2

DIRECTIONS: Choose the best answer. Write the letter beside the number.

1. All of the following are healthcare facility, except:

a. Rehabilitation centers
b. Research centers
c. Medical Schools
d. NOTA
2. All of the following are considered a sharp waste, except:
a. antineoplastic needles
b. Broken glass
c. Lancets
d. Syringes
3. All of the following are not false about Infectious waste, except:
a. Yellow plastic than can withstand autoclaving
b. Plastic liners are not applicable
c. Strong leak proof bin with cover
d. Plastic liners should be 0.009 mm thick
4. Yellow with black band
a. Infectious waste
b. Chemical waste
c. Pharmaceutical waste
d. Sharps
5. It includes waste that has not been in contact with communicable or infectious agents, hazardous cehmicals
or radioactive substances and does not pose a hazard.
a. General waste
b. Non-hazardous waste
c. Two of these
d. None of these
6. Orange liners
a. Radioactive waste
b. Infectious waste
c. Chemical waste
d. General waste

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7. All of the following belongs to Pharmaceutical waste, except:
a. Cytotoxic waste
b. Genotoxic waste
c. Antineoplastic waste
d. Body fluids
8. Waste exposed to radionuclide
a. Infectious waste
b. Radioactive waste
c. Chemical waste
d. General waste
9. Bins with recycle symbol:
a. General waste
b. Chemical waste
c. Infectious waste
d. Sharps
10. Refers to expired, split and contaminated pharmaceutical products, drugs and vaccines.
a. Infectious waste
b. Pharmaceutical waste
c. General waste
d. Radioactive waste
11. Disposable bottle that is made of amber colored glass, with at least 4L capacity that is strong, chemical
resistant and leaf proof.
a. Infectious waste
b. Chemical waste
c. Pharmaceutical waste
d. Radioactive waste
12. All of the following are true about Chemical waste bins, except:
a. Amber colored glass
b. At least 4L capacity
c. Chemical resistant
d. NOTA
13. For cytotoxic, genotoxic and antineoplastic waste:
a. Pharmaceutical waste
b. Cytotoxic waste
c. Chemical waste
d. General waste
14. All of the following are true about radioactive waste bins, except:
a. Radiation proof repositories
b. lead-lined
c. leak proof
d. 0.009 mm thick
15. Yellow with black band:
a. Pharmaceutical waste
b. Infectious waste
c. Radioactive waste
d. General waste
16. Black or colorless:
a. Biodegradable
b. Non-biodegradable
c. Recyclable
d. Reusable
17. Green:
a. Biodegradable
b. Non-biodegradable

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 c. Recyclable
d. Reusable
18. Refers to recognizable human body parts.
a. Pathological waste
b. Anatomical waste
c. General waste
d. Infectious waste
19. All of the following are healthcare waste, except
a. Infectious waste
b. Chemical waste
c. General waste
d. NOTA
20. In what healthcare waste does a broken glass belong?
a. Infectious waste
b. Sharps
c. General waste
d. Chemical waste

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LESSON WRAP-UP (10 minutes)

A. Work Tracker

Mark (encircle) the session you have finished today in the tracker below. This is simply a visual to help you
track how much work you have accomplished and how much work there is left to do.

You are done with the session! Let’s track your progress.

B. Think About Your Learning

Let’s check your learning experience! Answer the following below.

1. Which part of the lesson is the most difficult?

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2. Which part of the lesson you did well?
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(For next session, review on page 16 to 47, Chapter 4: Healthcare Waste Minimization, Chapter 5:
Waste Handling, Collection, Storage, and Transport, and Chapter 6: Waste Treatment and Disposal
System from the reference book 1.)

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