The Central Pollution Control Board on 10th June 2020 has issued revised guidelines for Handling, Treatment, and Disposal of Waste Generated during Treatment/Diagnosis/ Quarantine of COVID-19 Patients by suppressing its earlier guidelines uploaded on 18th April 2020.
The revised guidelines are issued to incorporate guidance on segregation of general solid waste and biomedical waste and also addresses the safety of waste handlers/sanitation workers associated with healthcare facilities, local bodies (ULBs) and CBWTFs in the handling of biomedical waste and solid waste generated from quarantine centers/home-care/healthcare facilities.
Key Highlights from the guidelines:
- Healthcare Facilities having isolation wards for COVID-19 patients shall keep separate color coded bins with foot operated lids containers in wards and maintain proper segregation of waste.
- Items like left over food, disposable plates, glass, used masks, used tissues, used toiletries, etc. used by COVID-19 patient shall become biomedical waste and shall be segregated in yellow bag. Used gloves and plastic bottle from patients will be disposed off in red bag
- General solid waste like wrappers of medicine/syringes etc., fruit peel offs, empty juice bottles or tetra packs, empty bottles for of disinfectants and any other items which were not contaminated by the patients secretions, body fluids should be collected separately as per SWM Rules, 2016.
- Health care facilities shall provide training to Waste handlers about infection prevention measures such as Hand hygiene, Respiratory etiquettes, social distancing, use of appropriate PPE, etc. via videos and demonstration in local language.
- Waste contaminated with blood / body fluids of COVID-19 patients to be collected in yellow bag
- The Agency responsible for operation of Quarantine Centre/camp shall designate a nodal person who will be responsible for waste management and for maintenance of its record.
- The bags containing general waste shall be sprayed with disinfectant solution (1% sodium hypochlorite solution) prior to disposal.
Click here to read the Notification.
