CM14.1-4 | Hospital Waste Management — Graded Quiz

Correct. Liquid infectious waste should be chemically disinfected (hypochlorite) and discharged into the sewage system per BMW Rules 2016. The general waste (Black bag) interpretation is a simplified way of stating this for solid residual.

Liquid waste (urine, faeces, blood) may be discharged into the sewage drain after chemical disinfection (sodium hypochlorite) as per BMW Rules 2016. Solid excreta-soaked items go into Yellow. Bedpan waste — being liquid — is chemically disinfected and discharged. Black bag is for general waste; chemical disinfection + drain is the prescribed route for liquid infectious waste.

Incorrect. Liquid excreta with chemical disinfection is permitted to be discharged into the sewer. Yellow bags are for incinerable solid waste; Blue containers are for sharps only.

Correct. Open burning is prohibited under BMW Rules 2016 due to hazardous air emissions.

Open burning generates toxic emissions including dioxins and furans (carcinogens) and is explicitly prohibited by BMW Rules 2016. Incineration in a controlled two-chamber incinerator meeting emission standards is the mandated method for Yellow-bag waste. Autoclaving is standard for infected non-anatomical waste. Deep burial is permitted for anatomical waste in areas without access to incinerators or Common Biomedical Waste Treatment Facilities (CBWTFs).

Incorrect. Open burning is the prohibited method. All other options (incineration in controlled incinerators, autoclaving, and deep burial under prescribed conditions) are legally permitted.

Correct. Authorisation under BMW Rules 2016 is granted by the SPCB/PCC, not by health ministries or accreditation boards.

BMW Rules 2016 require every healthcare facility (HCF) generating biomedical waste to obtain authorisation from the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) in states, or Pollution Control Committee (PCC) in Union Territories. This authorisation must be renewed every three years. Non-compliance invites penalties under the Environment Protection Act 1986.

Incorrect. The SPCB/PCC is the authorising body for BMW compliance. Ministry of Health sets policy; DMO has administrative roles; NABH is a voluntary accreditation agency.

Correct. Red bags contain contaminated recyclable non-sharp plastics: tubing, IV bags, urine bags, catheters — all going for recycling after treatment.

Red bags are for non-sharp recyclable contaminated plastic waste: IV tubing, IV bags, catheters, urine bags (after emptying fluid), gloves, and similar items. These are sent to recycling facilities after treatment. Yellow = anatomical + pharmaceutical. Blue/White = sharps. Red ≠ anatomical or sharps.

Incorrect. Red is for contaminated recyclable plastic, not sharps (Blue/White), anatomical waste (Yellow), or pharmaceutical/cytotoxic waste (Yellow).

Correct. Broken glass from a microbiological lab is classified as sharps and must be placed in a puncture-proof Blue/White container.

Broken glass from microbiology labs — culture flasks, slides, glass capillaries — constitutes sharps-category waste (can cause puncture injury). Under BMW Rules 2016 they go into the Blue/White translucent puncture-proof container, along with needles and blades. The container must be rigid and puncture-proof to prevent injury during handling and transport.

Incorrect. Broken glass (especially lab glass) poses puncture injury risk — it is classified as sharps and belongs in a Blue/White puncture-proof container.

Correct. BMW Rules 2016 mandate visible colour-coded segregation charts in all waste-generating areas.

BMW Rules 2016 mandate that each ward and work area prominently display a colour-coded waste segregation chart so all healthcare personnel can correctly identify the appropriate container for each category of waste at the point of generation. This is a facility compliance requirement checked during SPCB inspections.

Incorrect. The required display is the colour-coded waste chart. Monthly statistics and vendor lists are management/administrative records, not mandatory ward displays.

Correct. Annual training of all waste-handling personnel is a specific duty of the HCF occupier under BMW Rules 2016.

BMW Rules 2016 impose several duties on the occupier (hospital administration): obtain SPCB authorisation, segregate waste at source, provide colour-coded bins, train all personnel handling biomedical waste at least once a year, maintain records, and report to SPCB annually. On-site treatment is optional if a CBWTF (Common Biomedical Waste Treatment Facility) is used. Annual reports go to SPCB, not directly to CPCB. PPE is mandatory for all waste handlers, including clinical staff.

Incorrect. The occupier is not required to have an on-site incinerator (CBWTF membership is acceptable); reports go to SPCB not CPCB; PPE is mandatory for all handlers, not just sanitation workers.

Correct. Liquid chemical waste must be pre-treated to CPCB standards before discharge or sent to an authorised treatment facility.

Liquid chemical waste — radiology chemicals (silver-laden fixer, developer), disinfectants, mercury-containing solutions — is classified under BMW Rules 2016 as chemical waste. It must be pre-treated to meet CPCB-prescribed effluent standards before discharge, or handed over to an authorised hazardous waste treatment facility. Direct sewage discharge, incineration in Yellow bags (a solid-waste method), or mixing with domestic sewage are all prohibited.

Incorrect. Liquid chemical waste cannot be drained untreated or mixed with sewage. It requires pre-treatment to CPCB effluent standards or authorised chemical treatment.