The Central Pollution Control Board (“CPCB”) has issued a revised version (3rd revision) of Guidelines for Handling, Treatment and Disposal of Waste Generated during Treatment/Diagnosis/ Quarantine of COVID-19 Patients (“Original Guidelines”).
The Original Guidelines were issued by CPCB on 19th March, 2020, and subsequently revised on 25th March, 2020 and 18th April, 2020. Presently, the CPCB has issued the third revision to the Original Guidelines dated 10th June, 2020.
This revision (“3rd revision”) has been issued in order to incorporate guidance on segregation of general solid waste and biomedical waste. Further, the 3rd revision also addresses safety of waste handlers/sanitation workers associated with healthcare facilities, local bodies (ULBs) and CBWTFs in handling of biomedical waste and solid waste generated from quarantine centers/home-care/healthcare facilities treating COVID-19 patients.
Key additions are as follows:
With regard to COVID-19 Isolation Wards:
a. The seperate colour coded bins which are kept in wards, to have foot operated lids;
b. Examples of general solid waste have been introduced (wrappers of medicine/syringes etc., fruit peel offs, empty juice bottles or tetra packs, empty water bottles, discarded papers, carton boxes of medicines etc. which are not contaminated by the patient’s secretions) to be collected as per Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016;
c. Non-disposable items to be used in order to minimize waste generation. However, such items need to be handled with appropriate precaution and cleaned / disinfected as per hospital guidelines;
d. Wet and dry solid waste bags to be securely tied and handed over to authorized waste collector of ULB’s on daily basis;
e. Items like left over food, disposable plates, used masks etc used by COVID-19 patients needs to be treated as biomedical waste and segregated in yellow bags, while the used gloves and plastic bottles are to be disposed off in red bags;
f. Designated nodal officer for biomedical waste management in hospitals to 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;
With regard to persons operating Quarantine Camps/ Homes or Home-Care facilities:
a. Waste contaminated with blood / body fluids of COVID-19 patients to be collected in yellow bag;
b. General waste should not be stored in yellow bags. General solid waste (household waste) generated from quarantine centers or camps should be handed-over to municipal solid waste collector identified by Urban Local Bodies or as per the prevailing local method of disposing general solid waste;
(Note: General waste may comprise of the waste generated from kitchen, packaging material for groceries, food material, waste papers, waste plastics, floor cleaning dust, etc. generated and handled by patient care-takers or the suspected quarantined persons)
c. Designated nodal person of the Quarantine Centre/Camp shall register the Centre/Camp on CPCB’s biomedical waste Tracking App ‘COVID19BWM’ (available on Google play store) and update the details of waste generated on daily basis;
Clarifications:
a. General waste such as like fruit/vegetable peel offs, left-over food, empty juice bottles or tetra packs, empty water bottles, packaging material, discarded papers, carton boxes, and any other items which were not contaminated by secretions or body fluids of COVID-19 positive person should be disposed-off as general solid waste. This waste shall not be collected in yellow bag;
b. General waste contaminated with blood or body fluids from persons infected with COVID-19 shall be segregated in yellow bag along with masks and gloves used by them;
Duties of Common Biomedical Waste Treatment Facility (CBWTF):
a. Common Biomedical waste treatment facility operator to register on ‘COVID19 BWM’ Tracking App developed by CPCB and also ensure registration of Waste Handler (with vehicle) for entering the data of COVID-19 biomedical waste received and disposed.
b. Provide training to Waste handlers on infection prevention measures, hand hygiene, respiratory etiquettes, social distancing, use of PPE, etc. via videos and demonstrations etc. translated in local language. Sanitation workers more than 50-yr of age should be posted for management of non-COVID waste.
Source: Central Pollution Control Board
