Biomedical Waste Management OBJECTIVE

Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016
Introduction
Hospitals and various other laboratories engender a wide range and a
significant quantity of wastes (including biomedical or infectious waste) that
has the ability to give rise to various health problems and environmental
hazards. Generally in India, 1-2 kg waste per bed per day in a hospital and
600 gm waste per day per bed in a clinic is generated, out of which more
than 15% is hazardous or infectious and this hazardous waste is mixed with
remaining waste which results into the contamination of the entire waste.
This is why proper, effective, and efficient rules and regulations are needed
for segregation and disposal of waste. The sustainable management of these
wastes is the social and legal responsibility of the government as well as the
public at large. So these wastes have to be properly collected, transported,
and disposed of in order to safeguard the environment, and to streamline
these activities various guidelines and rules were published by the
Government of India in 1998 known as the Biomedical Waste (Management
and Handling) Rules, 1998.
These rules are continuously monitored, altered, and updated from time to
time as effective management is necessary for a cleaner and greener
environment. In 2016, the Government of India decided to publish a new set
of rules, Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016
Biomedical waste
Biomedical waste (hereinafter BMW) is defined under the rules as any waste
produced during the diagnosis, treatment, or immunization of human or
animal research activities pertaining thereto or in the production or testing of
biological or in health camps.
In simple words, these wastes include animal anatomical waste, human

waste, medical apparatus like syringes, needles, and other materials used in
hospitals and other laboratories(research center, nursing homes, blood bank,
pathological laboratories, etc) in the process of research and treatment.
Biomedical wastes are divided into four color category:
1. Yellow: In this category, eight types of waste are categorized-

Human anatomical waste, animal anatomical waste, soiled waste,
expired or discarded waste, chemical waste, chemical liquid
waste(separate collection system leading to effluent treatment
system), discarded linen, mattresses, beddings contaminated with
blood or body fluid, and microbiology, biotechnology, and other
clinical laboratory waste.
2. Red: It includes contaminated waste that is recyclable like waste
generated from disposable items such as tubing, bottles,
intravenous tubes and sets, urine bags, syringes, and gloves.
3. White(Translucent): It includes waste sharps including metals
(includes used, contaminated and discarded metal sharps)
4. Blue: It includes broken or contaminated or discarded glass and
metallic body implants.
Objective
The main objective of these rules is based on the concept of 3Rs, namely,
reduce, recycle, and reuse. It aims to delimit the waste, recover or reuse it
as much as possible, and avoid disposing of it. The waste should be tackled
at the origin or at source rather than the “end of pipe approach”.
These guidelines mainly focus on the application and implementation of rules

and regulations for the betterment of the environment as well as the people.
In these rules, it was explicitly mentioned that these guidelines don’t apply to
hazardous chemicals, municipal solid waste, radioactive waste, lead-acid
batteries, e-waste, genetically engineered organisms, and cells, and
hazardous microorganisms which are governed under other rules. The
important elements of the rules are training to workers, health checkups,
immunization, and occupation safety of the workers.
As per the Indian government data, the total biomedical waste generated is
484 tonnes per day from 1,68,869 health care facilities in the country but
only 447 tonnes per day is treated. There are only 198 common biomedical
waste treatment facilities in operation. The number of healthcare facilities
using common biomedical waste treatment facilities is 1,31,837 and
approximately 21870 health care facilities have their own treatment facilities
on-site. To overcome this problem, these stringent rules have been notified
by the government and to ensure no pilferage of recyclables items occurs.
Sources:
The source of biomedical waste is the place or the location at which biomedical
waste has been generated. The source of biomedical waste is classified into two
types based on the quantity of waste generated. They include major and minor
source. Major source generates more amount of biomedical waste compared to
minor source and also there is regular generation of biomedical waste in the major
source which includes government hospitals, private hospitals, nursing home and
dispensaries. Minor source includes physicians and dental clinics
Biomedical Waste management:
Proper management of biomedical waste is highly essential since it induces

various risk to the human health and to the surrounding ecosystem that leads to the
ecological hazard, professional hazard and public hazard
Need of Biomedical Waste Management
The problem of bio-medical waste disposal in the hospitals and other healthcare establishments
has become an issue of increasing concern, prompting hospital administration to seek new ways
of scientific, safe and cost effective management of the waste, and keeping their personnel
informed about the advances in this area. The need of proper hospital waste management
system is of prime importance and is an essential component of quality assurance in hospitals.
Medical care is vital for our life and health, but the waste generated from medical activities
represents a real problem of living nature and human world. Improper management of waste
generated in health care facilities causes a direct health impact on the community, the health
care workers and on the environment.
Some hospitals are disposing off waste in a haphazard, improper and indiscriminate manner.
Lack of segregation practices, results in mixing of hospital wastes with general waste making the
whole waste stream hazardous.
Inappropriate segregation ultimately results in an incorrect method of waste disposal.

Inadequate Bio-Medical waste management thus will cause environmental pollution, unpleasant
smell, growth and multiplication of vectors like insects, rodents and worms and may lead to the
transmission of diseases like typhoid, cholera, hepatitis and AIDS through injuries from syringes
and needles contaminated with human.
Various communicable diseases, which spread through water, sweat, blood, body fluids and
contaminated organs, are important to be prevented. The Bio Medical Waste scattered in and
around the hospitals invites flies, insects, rodents, cats and dogs that are responsible for the
spread of diseases like plague and rabies. Rag pickers in the hospital, sorting out the garbage are
at a risk of getting tetanus and HIV infections. The recycling of disposable syringes, needles, IV
sets and other article like glass bottles without proper sterilization are responsible for Hepatitis,
HIV, and other viral diseases. It becomes primary responsibility of Health administrators to
manage hospital waste in most safe and eco-friendly manner.

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Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016

In simple words, these wastes include animal anatomical waste, human

Biomedical wastes are divided into four color category:

1. Yellow: In this category, eight types of waste are categorized-

These guidelines mainly focus on the application and implementation of rules

Biomedical Waste management:

Proper management of biomedical waste is highly essential since it induces

Inappropriate segregation ultimately results in an incorrect method of waste disposal.

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