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E010: Waste-management Equipment

E010: Waste-management Equipment

This category of products includes safety boxes, needle cutters and disablers and small-scale incinerators or autoclaves. Waste disposal is a key element of any immunization programme. Poorly managed waste from immunization sessions exposes heath workers and the community to injury and infection. Guidelines for safe delivery of immunization injections and safe disposal of used syringes and needles can be found in WHO's Immunization in practice: Module 3: Ensuring safe injections.

The cost of waste disposal must be incorporated into the national budget for immunization activities and training curricula should include waste disposal procedures.

Details regarding the products included in each sub-category of E010, as well as guidelines, performance specifications and verification protocols for this category, can be accessed through the drop-down sections below.

Puncture-resistant containers for the collection and disposal of auto-disable syringes, needles and other injection materials must be provided and used for all immunization activities. These containers reduce the risk posed by contaminated needles and syringes both to health staff and the community. Containers are available in a range of sizes.

Guidelines for the procurement, capacity needs and use of safety boxes can found in the WHO Guidelines for estimating costs of introducing new vaccines into the national immunization system.

Training for health workers on the management of sharps waste can be in available in the Training Health Workers in the Management of Sharps Waste: Guide for Training
Injection Providers from PATH and the WHOs Training for mid-level managers (MLM): 3. Immunization safety.

A guidance document on Designing safe syringe disposal systems for immunization services is also available from PATH.