Environmental Services

From a disease-transmission perspective, medical waste is one important topic that should be within the purview of the infection preventionist. It is well understood that the unsafe disposal of medical waste such as contaminated syringes poses public health risks. Contaminated needles and syringes represent a particular threat, as the failure to dispose of them safely may lead to dangerous recycling and repackaging which lead to unsafe reuse. Contaminated injection equipment may be scavenged from waste areas and dumpsites and either be reused or sold to be used again. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that, in 2000, contaminated injections with contaminated syringes caused 21 million hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections (32 percent of all new infections); 2 million hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections (40 percent of all new infections); and at least 260 000 HIV infections (5 percent of all new infections). In 2002, the results of a WHO assessment conducted in 22 developing countries showed that the proportion of healthcare facilities that do not use proper waste disposal methods ranges from 18 percent to 64 percent.

Environmental hygiene can be addressed through process, product and practice, working in concert to address what should be done and with what tools, and in a manner congruent with best-practice recommendations and evidence-based guidelines.

This report addresses the process by which sodium hypochlorite, the active ingredient in commercial bleach products, destroys disease-causing pathogens. It explains the science of how and why bleach is an effective disinfection agent, and presents information to address common misconceptions about bleach.