Health service waste management: evaluation of an Intensive Therapy Center

Abstract

Nowadays, one of the main worries on a global scale is the continuous production of solid waste, especially considering environmental and public health risks. This is a descriptive study to evaluate waste management at an intensive therapy center of a general school hospital. Non-participant observation was used. Waste was classified as Group A (infectious), B (chemical) and D (common). Important aspects appeared as difficulties to implement adequate health service waste management, pointing towards the need to include in-service and permanent education training activities.