Though the rapid rollout of the Coronavirus vaccines is offering hope that our lives will return to some level of normality, scientists have been clear in their warnings that Covid-19 is set to be part of our society forever. It is likely to remain present in healthcare settings and most likely to affect the vulnerable and the elderly.
Similarly, PPE - personal protective equipment - is also predicted to remain present in our everyday activities, for some time. In healthcare settings, where the use of PPE was already commonplace, there will be a need for more resource to be made available while other industries are likely to have to continue using facemasks and face coverings in their work.
As such, it is vital that affected settings have the tools and systems required to destroy PPE effectively and efficiently, to help protect those most susceptible to contracting Coronavirus.
Waste disposal during the COVID pandemic
As with all viruses, the suggested approach to Coronavirus infected waste disposal is on-site destruction using incineration. This is because minute particles of infected materials have the capability to grow from an outbreak, to an epidemic, to a pandemic, at speed.
Hospital-grade PPE can only be used once to avoid the risk of cross contamination, meaning that safe disposal procedures and equipment are required to support people who use masses of PPE each day.
Medical PPE includes:
Other types of medical waste materials, such as bed sheets, bandages, syringes, test equipment and packaging, which comes into contact with a person infected with Coronavirus, must be destroyed too.
Incineration is the preferred method to destroy healthcare waste - typically identified as hazardous waste, which accounts for 20 to 25 per cent of the total waste generated by healthcare establishments. That is because incineration is the only proven method of completely destroying and neutralising medical waste.
Inciner8's range of medical incinerators can be rapidly deployed to hospitals, clinics and laboratories where medical PPE and infected materials must be destroyed.
The growing PPE market
It is expected that during a pandemic, demand for PPE - and therefore the requirement of incineration systems to dispose of it - will increase. But predictions state that off the back of Coronavirus, the market could continue to grow by an additional $80bn by 2026.
This is due to a variety of factors - primarily, the increased awareness and acknowledgement of infectious, biological hazards. Many members of the public around the world will continue to use PPE as they go about their daily lives.
Additionally, as Coronavirus looks set to remain a health challenge around the world for a long time to come, medical and hospital settings will require increased and consistent use of facemasks and face coverings to protect staff and patients.
PPE in other sectors
Finally, while PPE has long been synonymous with healthcare settings, it has now penetrated various other industries and may remain mandatory in sectors such as manufacturing, construction, early years, and senior care settings.
Inciner8 offers a full range of incinerators, designed to provide efficient waste destruction of medical grade PPE. We utilise fully modulated air control and hygienic stainless-steel cladding, combined with the best available technologies to ensure our systems meet relevant guidelines around the world.
Global Pandemic, Global Solution
Before Coronavirus, incineration had previously been used as an effective tool to combat viruses and diseases including Ebola, Avian Flu, H1N1, SARS Virus and Swine Flu.
In the last 12 months alone, Inciner8 has shipped incinerator systems around the world to tackle Covid-19-infected waste. Countries using our products include:
With decades worth of experience in this sector, our medical range of incinerators are designed to cater for the economic needs of small clinics, to the more demanding and specialized requirements of large hospitals in their waste management processes. Our machines can be made fully automated, reducing staff exposure to waste and maximising efficiency.
Contact Inciner8 today to learn more about our medical incinerators and how they can help you safely manage PPE.
