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Are You Making One of these Three Common Incineration Mistakes?

Health projects around the world frequently encounter challenges related to finding appropriate, safe, and affordable healthcare waste (HCW) management options. In remote or resource-limited locations, incineration may be an appropriate HCW management solution. Using combustion, incineration greatly reduces the mass and volume of waste generated by projects, as well as disinfects hazardous or highly hazardous HCW. However, significant health and environmental risks may arise due to incorrect incineration practices. Click through to read about three common incineration mistakes and to fill out the Bureau for Global Health (GH) Incinerator Inventory Form!

#1: Improper Design and Siting
Improper design and siting of an incinerator can result in negative environmental and health impacts, such as the release of pathogens into the air and the excessive consumption of fuel. Improper sizing of a furnace relative to the quantity of waste planned for incineration may lead to temperature control problems and incomplete combustion, release of harmful air pollutants, and an increase in the amount of untreated residue. This problem could be further exacerbated by improper siting, which can cause pollution of nearby air, soil, and water resources. Appropriate design and siting are critical for the proper installation and operation of an incinerator.

#2: Improper Operation
Many incinerator issues arise due to improper operation, especially in settings with limited resources. Inexperienced or untrained personnel may fail to properly operate the incinerator or to notice operational problems. Incinerators require a continuous supply of combustible fuel in order to operate properly (i.e. at high enough temperatures). Therefore, locations with limited access to fuel sources may not be suitable for incineration. In addition, the inability to guarantee continuous power can lead to incinerator operation failure.

#3: Improper Safety Controls
Often, projects fail to provide adequate controls to ensure the safety of personnel and neighboring communities. For example, without proper personal protective equipment (PPE), affected staff, such as incinerator operators and HCW handlers, may become exposed to and harmed by infectious HCW, such as sharps/needles or chemicals. Without adequate air protection control equipment, incinerators may release toxic air emissions that can harm nearby populations. Additionally, failure to build and secure a storage cage for the incinerator can pose a safety risk by allowing untrained or unauthorized persons to access to the incinerator.

These common incineration mistakes highlight just a few of the key areas of concern when procuring or using an incinerator as your project’s means of HCW disposal. To avoid these problems and help ensure proper operation, refer to the following resources regarding best practices for incineration:

The GH environmental program is in the process of gathering and centralizing information on incinerators around the world to facilitate incineration options and compliance for GH projects. If you know of any incinerators used, or intended for use, by GH, please take a few minutes to fill out the Incinerator Inventory Form or share the form with relevant stakeholders. For any questions or concerns, please contact ghcompliancesupport@usaid.gov.