The Abu Dhabi Center for Waste Management "Tadweer" confirmed its success in dealing with the threat of the Corona pandemic, by adopting a tight plan to maintain the system of public cleanliness and pest control in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the safe disposal of hazardous waste linked to "Corona", while ensuring the safety and protection of the workers who number about 9 thousand workers and contractors with the center from Corona infection.
He pointed out that activating contingency and crisis plans with the spread of «Covid-19» contributed to safe handling of hazardous waste, and protecting workers from infection with the virus by 100%.
The director of the Environmental, Health and Safety Department at the center, Engineer Hani Hosni, said that the waste related to the emerging corona virus (Covid-19) varies according to the type of its source, as there are levels of severity, including hazardous waste generated by hospitals, examination sites and the like, including less. Dangerous, which is general waste resulting from quarantine and sanitary areas, including general waste used by the general healthy people, such as masks, gloves, and sterilization materials.
He referred to the classification of waste, and the development of procedures to ensure safe disposal, in accordance with the highest international standards compatible with the requirements of the World Health Organization.
Hosni said to «Emirates Today»: «The center’s keenness since the beginning of the pandemic to protect cleaners by raising awareness among workers in the field of preventive measures, and following up the implementation of procedures for collection, transport and safe disposal of waste related to (Covid-19).
He pointed out that the preventive measures included the identification and provision of personal protection equipment with special specifications that protect workers in the field, and the development and improvement of the living environment for workers in terms of ensuring the provision of housing equipped with all means of hygiene and reducing density in the rooms and ensuring physical distance, in addition to daily checks of workers before and after work Covid-19 field and screening priority.
He added: “The Center is working proactively to provide environmental solutions for safe handling of public waste, and with medical and hazardous waste in particular, transportation and treatment of medical and hazardous waste in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and to provide executive and control plans to ensure the application of approved environmental standards through vehicle control systems and treatment plants And through periodic inspection visits to stations ».
Hosni pointed to the activation of the center for emergency plans and crises with the spread of Covid-19, in parallel with the activation of the emirate's plans to deal with epidemics that were activated to deal with the pandemic, as special procedures were developed that fit the quality of waste produced from hospitals, examination centers, quarantine and health isolation sites And, in coordination with all concerned government agencies, as the center played a vital role in dealing with waste produced from quarantine and medical examination areas, as it is dangerous, and it is treated with the highest safety standards.
He emphasized that the business continuity team and the emergency response teams played a vital role in managing the waste system in the emirate, ensuring the health and safety of the emirate community, and preserving the environment through the system of collecting, transporting and treating general waste to landfills and medical waste to the crematoriums in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.
Hosni pointed out that the center operated three mobile stations to treat medical waste in Mafraq Hospital and field hospitals, due to the ability of these mobile stations to treat with capacities ranging between 150 kilograms and 300 kilograms per hour, and equipment was used that can treat at temperatures up to more than 1200 degrees Celsius Besides equipment equipped with advanced technology systems that keep the environment clean and safe.
He pointed out that the specialized teams in the center work according to the latest methods of treatment and international best practices to control any emissions that may happen from these operations, and ensure that they do not happen, as hospitals, inspection camps, quarantine sites and sanitary isolation sites throughout the Emirate of Abu Dhabi were covered, relying on trained field teams And eligible.
Warning against throwing gloves and masks in the street
The “Recycling Center” warned against dumping personal protection waste “waste related to gloves and masks” in the street, given that it poses a great risk to society, based on the user’s condition and the possibility that it is contagious if it is disposed of by an infected person.
He stressed the necessity of dealing and disposing of it according to the nature and condition of the user, as it is considered a general waste for healthy people, and it is disposed of in public waste containers, and in the matter of infected people, their waste, including masks and gloves, is disposed of in special containers, and it is collected and disposed Of them according to specific procedures.
He pointed out that the random throwing of waste in general in the street is in violation of the laws and legislations regulating this in order to preserve the civilized appearance of the city and to preserve public health.
National sterilization
Statistics issued by the Abu Dhabi Center for Waste Management «Recycling» showed that work teams recorded approximately 712 thousand and 800 working hours during the national sterilization program, and cleaned and sterilized 229 areas and basins in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, while the amount of sterilization materials used was 1.08 million liters, with an average of 12 One thousand liters per day, in order to ensure effective and positive results in terms of total control over the manifestations of pollution resulting from medical and regular waste, and other public health pests.
Statistics showed the use of the center by 136 vehicles and machinery for washing and sterilization works to the fullest, and accomplishing them in record time, as the total distance sterilized by washing machines, sterilization mechanisms and various equipment reached approximately 188.100 km longitudinally, at an average of 2,081 km per day.
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Mobile plants to treat corona waste.
Implementation of emergency plans to tackle the Corona epidemic contributed to the safe handling of hazardous waste.
Amr Bayoumi À Abu Dhabi