Redesign of a temporary warehouse for biological-infectious hazardous residues and urban solid residues, a feasible option

Abstract

Residues management today brings with it a series of requirements due to the appearance of new contagious diseases, causing the need to expand temporary storage facilities for infectious biological hazardous waste, known as RPBI. In Mexico, the authorities have developed a set of regulations and standards on hazardous waste after the publication of the General Law of Ecological Equilibrium and Environmental Protection known as LGEEPA and, within it, in 1995 the NOM-087-ECOL-1995, reformed in 2002 (NOM-087-ECOL-SSA1-2002), that established the requirements for the proper management of waste generated in medical units. The objective of this phase of the research was to evaluate the conceptual design of a temporary storage area for hazardous biological-infectious waste, RPBI, of a Level III hospital, complying with current environmental regulations, allowing optimal operation, taking advantage of the available area in the hospital facility under study, and that its adaptation and operation be technically feasible. According to the study carried out in situ in the cooperating Level III hospital, it was seen that it is possible to use the area currently dedicated to the purpose of temporarily storing biological-infectious hazardous residues, RPBI, and also continue storing urban solid waste, RSU, without there being problems since they would be totally separated. The cost of the adaptation would be part of the environmental cost to cover the requirements of NOM-087-SSA1-2002 (DOF, 2002), and would imply a scheduled civil work that could be carried out in a weekend. It is recommended that the incinerator located in that area be decommissioned as it does not meet current regulatory requirements. It is also recommended to create and apply a special program for the management of residues generated in hospital areas as established by the NOM-087-ECOL-SSA1-2002 standard. In order for the performance of said program to be optimal, a series of prior actions are required, such as the creation of a group of specialists who would be in charge of implementing, applying, supervising and controlling a comprehensive program for waste management both hazardous and non-hazardous within the hospital. This, coupled with the support of social workers to raise awareness among family members and visitors and even among patients and hospital staff, will gradually migrate to comprehensive reeducation on the issue of handling hazardous substances and residues from home and, of course, in the hospital.