A Survey on the Status of Hospital Waste Management Using Two Methods of Risk Assessment of Failure Modes and Effects Analysis and Preliminary Hazard Analysis

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2 Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Center for Water Quality Research, Institute for Environmental Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Health Equity Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Aims: 
The growth of population and people’s need for health care have increased medical wastes productions. The aim of this study is the hazardous waste risk assessment of hospital by using of two methods: failure mode and effects analysis and preliminary hazard analysis (PHA).
Methods: 
The first, worksheets related to fracture mode and effects analysis were distributed among hospital experts and then the potential hazard for the type of wastes was determined.
Results: 
At method of failure mode and effects analysis, 8 cases had the risk priority number >100 and according to the results of the PHA, the sharp, infectious, human anatomical, chemical/pharmaceutical, and radioactive wastes, respectively, had a high potential of risk.
Conclusion: 
failure mode and effects analysis can be used as a new approach to preventing errors and improving processes with the aim of increasing safety and reducing of probability danger in long term.

Keywords