Nurses to ensure biomedical waste handlers wear PPEs

Covid-19 biomedical waste (BMW) generated from quarantine centres/camps, isolation wards, sample collection centres and laboratories should be disposed of safely, so that it does not harm the human health or environment, says a circular by the government.

Fever clinics/Covid care centres (hotels)/dedicated Covid hospitals which are already authorised should intimate the starting of Covid services to the respective common biomedical waste treatment facility and the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board.

The nodal officer designated for biomedical waste management is responsible to ensure safe management and disposal of the BMW.

Designated space should be provided for waste bins at all these facilities. Dedicated sanitation workers should be deputed separately for biomedical waste and general solid waste, so that the waste can be collected and transferred in time to the temporary waste storage area.

The sanitation worker shall be provided with adequate PPEs and it should be ensured that he/she is using the PPE properly and regularly.

The use of PPE by the waste handler should be monitored by the nurse/lab technician working at the Covid ward/lCU.