Determining a conceptual framework for safe and sustainable health-care waste management (SSHCWM) implementation in health-care facilities

Developing an effectiveness index for biomedical waste management in Indian states using a composite indicators approach

The waste from healthcare facilities (HCFs) is most devastating as they induce health hazards and pollute the environment. The effective management of biomedical waste is an essential function of the state governments, depending on state policies and facilities in HCFs. The performance assessment at the state level provides explanatory information for the decision-makers to dispose of biomedical waste. Therefore, this paper aims to establish an effectiveness index for assessing the performance of biomedical waste management for the Indian states. The designed conceptual framework, which acts as the building block for the index, interlinks the technical, managerial, and sustainability dimensions. To assess the existing waste management practices, significant sub-indicators are analyzed for India's northern and southern states. The indicators are transformed into comparable units using the proportionate normalization technique. The weight to the respective indicators follows the entropy method and additive aggregation to form the indices for various states. The developed index allows comparing management practices among the states and highlights the alarming situation. Based on the magnitude of indices values, states are categorized as red, yellow, and green zones. The robustness of the model is validated by performing sensitivity analysis and the cluster analysis tests the reliability of indicators and categorization of states with the existing methodology. The analysis will be useful to the decision-makers of state pollution boards by providing special attention to capacity building and waste prevention technologies.

An empirical regression model toward optimized ergonomic conditions for monitoring room operators using RSM

Purpose

This study aims to provide an ergonomic design of the monitoring room that has resulted in safe, functional and comfortable environment for the operators, which may lead to improve the efficiency. Currently, uses of closed‐circuit televisions to monitor the critical environments are widely applicable. The information is continuously transferred and analyzed through a center called monitoring room.

Design/methodology/approach

Here, through creating a systematic analysis, a series of experiments was performed initially to evaluate and then optimize the parameters such as illumination, visual angle, operator-screen distance, number of scenes display in a single screen, workstation height, screen dimension and monitoring time that may affect the visual skill of the operators. Taguchi orthogonal array was used to analyze the significance of parameters on operator’s response time to a threat. The five parameters were distinguished as significant. Later response surface methodology was utilized to optimize the parameters.

Findings

Quadratic empirical model developed for the response time exposes the optimum response time was achievable at illumination of 500 lux, visual angle of 13°, operator-screen distance of 60 cm, three scenes, workstation height of 120 cm, screen dimension of 34” and monitoring time of 15 min. This shortened the response time by 28 per cent. The adequacy of the fitted model was successfully verified using the confirmation test with α = 95 per cent.

Originality/value

The novelty of this work lies in the application of a systematic statistical analysis, which enables considering the interaction among the noise parameters and controllable one simultaneously. Furthermore, the obtained regression model can widely be used for adjusting the parameters accordingly based on various anthropometric data.