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  They
originate from offices, refreshing activities, meals' residual products
and from wards with the exception of infectious diseases wards. They are
collected in polyethylene bags and are disposed of with the usual urban
waste, without any preliminary treatment.
Biological risk is determined by the presence, in the waste, of
microorganisms capable of infecting workers during any phase of the
collection and disposal chain.
Infective risk is linked only to some kinds of hospital special
waste such as microbiological waste, pathological waste (tissues, organs,
etc.), blood and derivatives, sharp materials, animal carcases and
anatomical parts, all products that are largely sterilized before being
disposed of. Furthermore, waste contamination by pathogenic microorganisms
alone is not enough to induce infection, in fact other concurrent
conditions are necessary, such as infective dose, germ virulence,
penetration route, etc.
Infective risk is essentially linked to sharp materials injuries
predominantly located in the hands, the forearms and the lower limbs. These
accidents recognise different causes:
- careless handling of the waste product, carried out without the
employment of personal protective devices,
- employment of containers inadequate in size, strength, impermeability
and sealing system,
- employment of incorrect conditioning techniques.
Chemical risk is linked to the presence, in the waste, of chemical
substances originated from the hospital activity.
Among the substances most commonly found in hospital waste there are
disinfectants (aldehydes, alcoholos, phenols, tetra substituted ammonium
ions, etc.) and drugs, with particular attention to the antitumoral ones.
Finally, in the shifting of waste containers there is also a traumatic
risk component.
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![[collegamenti]](ico/collEfdr.gif){kind=small}
