|
Making changes in purchasing, materials management, workplace
procedures, and waste management can reduce and eliminate
harmful practices. Changing the products and materials that hospitals use is
an important step in reducing the harm. Viable substitutes exist
for many products that contain PVC plastic, mercury, and latex,
although further alternative product development is still needed.
Hazards can also be reduced by changing how wastes are treated.
Improved sorting and recycling systems dramatically reduce the
amount of waste that must be incinerated. Far more materials are
incinerated in the average medical waste incinerator than
necessary to protect the public from disease. Only 15% of
hospital waste is considered infectious waste that requires
special treatment. Pathological waste -- tissues and organs is
the only type of waste that must be incinerated. (Rutala and
Mayhall, 1992) Two leaders in medical waste management, Hollie
Shaner of the Nightingale Institute and Laura Brannon of
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, estimate that pathological
waste comprises only 2% of average hospital waste (Environmental
Working Group/Health Care Without Harm, 1997). Non-pathological
waste can be treated in other ways, such as autoclaving and
microwaving.
Some hospitals have taken steps to reduce their use of
potentially toxic materials and to decrease the total volume of
incinerator waste. A waste reduction program at the
Fletcher-Allen Health Care System in Vermont reduced the volume
of regulated medical waste at one campus by 75% in a few months.
Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City saves $600,000 per
year through improved waste management systems. There is thus
potential for medical facilities to decrease the need for
incineration while also saving costs.
References
- Environmental Working Group/Health Care Without Harm.
1997.
First Do No Harm.
Health Care Without Harm, Falls Church, VA.
- Rutala, W.A. and C.G. Mayhall.
1992.
Society for Hospital Epidemiology of America Position Paper.
Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.
113:38-48.
|
|
|
Related Topics:
|
Why do materials management practices in healthcare need to change?
|
How will regulations cause hospitals to change materials management practices?
|
|
Are there any tools that I can use to identify materials management problems in my hospital?
|
|
