Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
SOP Title: Hospital Waste Management
SOP Number: _____________________________
Effective Date: __________________________
Review Date: ____________________________
Department: Environmental Services / Infection Control
Prepared by: ____________________________
Approved by: ____________________________
1. Purpose
To ensure the safe and environmentally responsible handling, segregation, collection,
transportation, treatment, and disposal of hospital waste in accordance with national
regulations.
2. Scope
This SOP applies to all hospital staff involved in generating, handling, transporting, or managing
waste, including biomedical, chemical, and general waste.
3. Responsibilities
Hospital Administration: Ensure compliance, provide resources and training.
Infection Control Committee: Monitor practices and adherence to guidelines.
Nursing and Clinical Staff: Proper segregation at source.
Sanitation Staff: Collection, transportation, and disposal of waste.
Environmental Officer: Maintain records, report non-compliance, and coordinate with
external waste management services.
4. Types of Waste
1. Infectious/Biomedical Waste: Blood-soaked materials, sharps, cultures.
2. Hazardous/Chemical Waste: Lab reagents, disinfectants, expired drugs.
3. General/Non-Hazardous Waste: Food, paper, packaging.
4. Radioactive Waste: From nuclear medicine or radiology departments.
5. Segregation and Color Coding
Waste Type Container Color Handling Instructions
Infectious Yellow Double-bag, labeled, incinerate/steam sterilize
Sharps Red Use puncture-proof containers, autoclave/incinerate
General Black Regular collection, landfill or recycling
Chemical Blue Store separately, neutralize before disposal
Radioactive Lead-lined containers Follow radiological safety norms
6. Collection and Transportation
1. Collect waste from designated points at scheduled intervals.
2. Ensure containers are sealed, labeled, and leak-proof.
3. Transport using dedicated trolleys.
4. Avoid mixing or spillage.
7. Treatment and Disposal
Autoclaving/Incineration: For infectious waste and sharps.
Chemical Neutralization: For chemical disinfectants and reagents.
Landfill/Recycling: For general waste only.
Radioactive Waste: Managed according to regulatory guidelines.
8. Safety Measures
Staff must wear PPE (gloves, masks, aprons).
Immediate hand hygiene after handling waste.
Spill kits should be available for accidental spills.
Vaccination against Hepatitis B for staff handling biomedical waste.