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STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE (SOP) date
HEALTHCARE WASTE INCINERATION
Version

SOP for Healthcare Waste Incineration

1. Purpose
To ensure proper final treatment and disposal by using incineration; and the protection
of personnel, environment, and community from potential contamination and/or
exposure to hazardous biomaterials.

2. Scope
This SOP covers the treatment and disposal of the generated healthcare waste by using
incineration in health care facility.

3. Responsibilities
Facility management, waste handler, and incinerator operator are responsible.

4. Required Standards
 The staff should wear adequate PPE.
 Train all healthcare waste handler on IPC.
 Vaccinate all health care waste handler for HBV.

5. Equipment and supplies required

 PPE (Utility gloves, heat resistant gloves, safety shoe, apron, face mask, eye
goggle)
 Incinerator burn log, maintenance records and registers.
 Garbage wheelbarrow, fuel, incinerator, ash pit.

6. Risks
 Burns, spillage, explosions, smoke, and fumes.

7. Key Safety Rules

 Regular disposal times should be fixed and reliable.
 Do not leave the incinerator unattended during operation.
 Monitor the following: temperature, air inlet, fuel injection, clogging of the flume
throughout the combustion process, the color of the smoke emitted at the
chimney.

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 Page 2 of 2
Name of the institution Effective
Institution from
Logo Review
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE (SOP) date
HEALTHCARE WASTE INCINERATION
Version

Note: The following materials should NOT be incinerated: chemical residues, genotoxic
and radioactive waste, inorganic compounds, pressurized containers, halogenated
plastics, and waste with high content of heavy metals.

8. Procedure
1. Check the maintenance log and incinerator logs are up-to-date in case a
previous user has experienced a problem that will prevent the incinerator being
used as usual.
2. Record the number of bugs/weight and type of waste being burned for records.
3. Perform hand hygiene.
4. Don PPE before handling any waste or performing maintenance.
5. Check if there is any remaining ash from the incinerator combustion chamber
and remove to the ash pit, if so.
6. Preheat the incinerator for 20-30 minutes or as per the manufacturer’s
instructions.
7. Load one-quarter of the incinerator’s hourly capacity every 15 minutes. Poke the
waste before additional loading.
8. Add the last load batch and burn as per the manufacturer’s instructions.
9. Turn off the burners and leave the blower fans running for at least one hour.
10. Shut off the fuel supply and allow the fire to die down.
11. Do not leave the incinerator until the fire has died down completely.
12. Remove PPE
13. Perform hand hygiene
14. Ensure that the area is clean and that all materials, including PPE, are cleaned,
and put away at the end of the day.

9. References
1. National Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Reference Manual for Health
Care Service Providers and Managers. March, 2023
2. Healthcare waste management manual for Ethiopia 2021.

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