AWARENESS ABOUT BIOMEDICAL WASTE MANAGEMENT AMONG LABORATORY STAFF IN KANPUR: A SURVEY-BASED OBSERVATIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Background: Biomedical waste generated in diagnostic and clinical laboratories carries a direct risk of infection and injury for the staff who handle it, and mishandled waste extends that risk to patients and the wider community. India's Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016 set clear standards for segregation, colour-coding and disposal, but how well laboratory staff specifically — as distinct from healthcare workers in general — know and follow these standards is not well documented for a city such as Kanpur. Objective: To assess awareness of, and attitude toward, biomedical waste management (BMWM) among laboratory staff working in government and private healthcare institutions in Kanpur. Methods: In this cross-sectional, survey-based observational study, 400 laboratory staff completed a structured, pre-tested questionnaire covering demographic and professional background, nine knowledge items, and five Likert-scale attitude statements. Participants were recruited by convenience sampling across pathology laboratories, hospitals, and academic institutions. Data were summarised as frequencies and percentages, with chi-square tests used to check for associations between demographic variables and knowledge or attitude level. Results: Most respondents were under 26 years old (65.8%), male (71.5%), and held a BMLT degree (54.3%). Knowledge was good (≥80% correct) in 93.5% of participants and moderate in the remainder; nobody scored poor. Awareness was strongest for the definition of biomedical waste, its categories, and the 2016 Rules (93–96% correct), and slightly weaker for the precise colour-coding of infectious and chemical waste (89.0–89.3%). Attitude was positive in 98.0% of respondents: almost everyone agreed that BMWM matters for laboratory safety, that mishandling raises infection risk, and that training should be mandatory. Ninety-eight percent reported always following their laboratory's waste rules, and a similar proportion felt confident handling biomedical waste safely. Knowledge level was significantly associated with educational qualification (p < 0.05); attitude did not differ significantly by gender. Conclusion: Laboratory staff in Kanpur know the fundamentals of biomedical waste management well and feel strongly that it matters. The small remaining gap sits at a specific technical point — colour-coding — which is where knowledge actually becomes correct practice, making it a more useful target for refresher training than a repeat of general awareness content.