Knowledge and Practice of Medical Waste Management among staff of a Tertiary Hospital in Lagos.

Abstract

Background: Waste generated in hospitals have potential to transmit infections and other hazards to hospital staff and nearby community if not managed adequately. This has become a major concern in many developing countries including Nigeria due to its increasing generation, unsafe storage and poor disposal. The level of knowledge on waste handling, attitude and practices of healthcare workers regarding medical waste disposal is crucial to prevent these hazards.
Objective: This study assessed the knowledge, attitude, practice and identified the factors influencing medical waste management (MWM) among staff of National Orthopaedic Hospital, Lagos.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among 258 medical and non-medical staff selected by Simple random sampling between May to July, 2013. Data was collected using a quantitative and qualitative questionnaire. Data entry and analysis was done using Epi info-7 version 3.1.5 and SPSS version 20.
Results: More than half 148 (57.4%) of the respondents had good knowledge and 164 (63.6%) had positive attitude concerning medical waste management. Majority 181(70.2%) had good MWM practices although, about half (50.4%) of the respondents often put waste in the wrong bin. Factors associated with knowledge, attitude and practice of MWM among the staff were level of education, profession and gender. Males had a more positive attitude than females and also a better waste management practice.
Conclusion: The level of knowledge, attitude and practices of MWM among staff of the health facility were above average. It is then recommended that all newly employed staff be trained on Medical Waste Management and that the old staff should have refresher trainings.

Keywords: Medical Waste, Waste Management, Healthcare workers.