title: Risk management for outsourcing biomedical waste disposal - using the failure mode and effects analysis.
abstract: Using the failure mode and effects analysis, this study examined biomedical waste companies through risk assessment. Moreover, it evaluated the supervisors of biomedical waste units in hospitals, and factors relating to the outsourcing risk assessment of biomedical waste in hospitals by referring to waste disposal acts. An expert questionnaire survey was conducted on the personnel involved in waste disposal units in hospitals, in order to identify important factors relating to the outsourcing risk of biomedical waste in hospitals. This study calculated the risk priority number (RPN) and selected items with an RPN value higher than 80 for improvement. These items included "availability of freezing devices", "availability of containers for sharp items", "disposal frequency", "disposal volume", "disposal method", "vehicles meeting the regulations", and "declaration of three lists". This study also aimed to identify important selection factors of biomedical waste disposal companies by hospitals in terms of risk. These findings can serve as references for hospitals in the selection of outsourcing companies for biomedical waste disposal.
authors.affiliation: Department of Industrial Management, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei 106, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ching-Jong
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: Department of Industrial Management, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei 106, Taiwan. Electronic address: ho919@pchome.com.tw.
authors.forename: Chao Chung
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Ho
mesh_terms: D006740:Hospital Administrators; D008506:Medical Waste / Q000032:analysis*; D017744:Medical Waste Disposal / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D020416:Outsourced Services / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D012308:Risk Management; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan
chemical_list: D008506:Medical Waste; D017744:Medical Waste Disposal
keywords: Biomedical waste; Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA); Hospital waste management