AN ANALYSIS OF HEALTHCARE FACILITY BIOWASTE AND LEAN SIX SIGMA-BASED IMPROVEMENTS FOR MANAGEMENT
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63458/ijerst.v4i1.147Keywords:
Healthcare waste management, Lean Six Sigma, DMAIC technique.Abstract
This study analyzes bio-waste generated in hospitals to comprehensively understand its types, quantities, and associated environmental and public health risks. Through a systematic examination of relevant literature and data, it explores various origins and categories of hospital bio-waste, including medical, sharps, and pharmaceutical waste. The research scrutinises bio-waste management strategies employed by hospitals, emphasising both their advantages and disadvantages. Recognising hospitals as pivotal waste generators, the study underscores their role in formulating efficient waste management protocols to ensure safety, reduce environmental impact, and foster eco- friendly practices. Furthermore, the project employs Lean Six Sigma approaches to enhance the cost-effectiveness of bio-waste disposal in hospitals. By identifying and minimising waste, streamlining processes, and improving overall efficiency, this strategy aims to lower disposal costs, optimise resource utilisation, and promote sustainability in healthcare settings. The study draws insights from a reputed private hospital in Tamil Nadu, India, utilising the DMAIC technique to assess waste across various hospital departments. The research provides valuable insights into applying lean methodologies in healthcare waste management, offering practical guidance for businesses seeking to enhance their bio- waste disposal practices
References
Jogamaya, “Back to Basics: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Organic Living and Waste Management,” 2022.
“Advanced Organic Waste Management,” Advanced Organic Waste Management, 2022, doi: 10.1016/C2020-0-02931-2.
V. R. S. Cheela, V. P. Ranjan, S. Goel, M. John, and B. Dubey, “Pathways to sustainable waste management in Indian Smart Cities,” Journal of Urban Management, vol. 10, no. 4, pp. 419–
, Dec. 2021, doi:10.1016/J.JUM.2021.05.002.
M. Hasan et al., “Personal protective equipment-derived pollution during Covid-19 era: A critical review of ecotoxicology impacts, intervention strategies, and future challenges,” Aug. 20, 2023, Elsevier B.V. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164164.
S. S. Manekar, R. L. Bakal, R. D. Jawarkar, and M. S. Charde,“Challenges and measures during management of mounting biomedical waste in COVID-19 pandemic: an Indian approach,” Bull. Natl. Res. Cent., vol. 46, no. 1, Dec. 2022, doi: 10.1186/s42269-022-00847-4.
Dehal, A. N. Vaidya, and A. R. Kumar, “Biomedical waste generation and management during the COVID-19 pandemic in India: challenges and possible management strategies,”Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. Int., vol. 29 no. 10, p. 14830, Feb. 2022, doi: 10.1007/S11356-021-16736-8.
“COVID-19 will place India’s biomedical waste management under terrible strain.” Accessed: Nov. 13, 2023. [Online]. Available:https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news /waste/covid-19-will-place-india-s- biomedical-waste-management-under- terrible-strain-77714
P. Mazzocato et al., “How does lean work in emergency care? A case study of a lean-inspired intervention at the Astrid Lindgren Children’s hospital, Stockholm, Sweden,” BMC Health Serv. Res., vol. 12, no. 1, 2012, doi: 10.1186/1472-6963-12-28.
R. Rajak, R. K. Mahto, J. Prasad, and A. Chattopadhyay, “Assessment of bio- medical waste before and during the emergency of novel Coronavirus disease pandemic in India: A gap analysis,” Waste Management & Research: The Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy, vol. 40, no. 4, pp.
–481, Apr. 2022, doi:10.1177/0734242X211021473.
J. Alieva and R. von Haartman, “Digital MudA - The new form of waste by Industry 4.0,” Operations and Supply Chain Management, vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 269–278, 2020, doi:10.31387/OSCM0420268.
P. Bhawan and A. Nagar, “Determination of Environmental Compensation to be recovered for violation of Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016 Central Pollution Control Board (Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Government of India),” 2019.
M. R. Capoor and A. Parida, “Current perspectives of biomedical waste management in context of COVID-19”,” Apr. 01, 2021, Indian Association of Medical Microbiologists. doi: 10.1016/j.ijmmb.2021.03.003.
G. Hofstede and M. Minkov, “V S M 2013 VALUES SURVEY MODULE 2013 MANUAL Contents Page,” 2013. [Online]. Available: www.geerthofstede.eu
K. Selvi and R. Majumdar, “Six Sigma- Overview of DMAIC and DMADV,” 2014, [Online]. Available:http://cert.asq.org/cert/six- sigma/index
P. A. Marques and J. G. Requeijo,“SIPOC: A Six Sigma Tool Helping on ISO 9000 Quality Management Systems.”
A.J. Bahru, N. Hamadan, M. Sapri, M. Shahril, and A. Rahman, “The Implementation Level of Clinical Waste Handling in Hospital Sultanah.” [Online]. Available: https://www.researchgate.net/publica tion/313477907
M. Askarian, P. Heidarpoor, and O. Assadian, “A total quality management approach to healthcare waste management in Namazi Hospital, Iran,”Waste Management, vol. 30, no. 11,
pp. 2321–2326, Nov. 2010, doi: 10.1016/j.wasman.2010.06.020.
V. Ferreira and M. R. Teixeira, “Healthcare waste management practices and risk perceptions: Findings from hospitals in the Algarve region, Portugal,” Waste Management, vol. 30, no. 12, pp. 2657–2663, Dec. 2010, doi: 10.1016/j.wasman.2010.07.012.
R. Kumar, A. K. Gupta, A. K. Aggarwal, and A. Kumar, “A descriptive study on evaluation of bio-medical waste management in a tertiary care public hospital of North India,” J. Environ. Health Sci. Eng., vol. 12, no. 1, 2014, doi: 10.1186/2052-336X-12-69.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
ARK
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Aravind Kumar Kuppusamy, Sundaramali
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
License Statement
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
Authors retain copyright of their articles and grant International Journal of Engineering Research in Science and Technology (IJERST) the right of first publication.
This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
The journal encourages open access and supports the global exchange of knowledge.
