Aspects Related to the Health Service Waste Management (HSW) in Arcos - MG

Abstract

The work consisted of an exploratory study of qualitative nature which intended to investigate the steps of the Health Service Waste (HSW) management in two public health institutions localized in the town of Arcos - MG. For this purpose, both systematic observation and semi-structured interview applied to those who work directly with those wastes were utilized. The interviews were analyzed according to the method proposed by Bardin (1977). In general, inappropriateness of the materials necessary for the bagging of HWS as well as failures in the identification and removal of those materials from the generator sites in non-standardized schedule and flows were found. The final fate of HSWs in the landfills did not meet the current legislation. The absence of a solid waste management plan was found in order to direct a service delivery with human and environmental quality. In general, it was found that the institutions evaluated lack of changes, specially related to the organizational and technical-operational aspects of the HSW management.

Keywords

• health service waste
• health management
• biosafety
• waste treatment