Government aims to eliminate blind spots for medical waste disposal by using smart technologies such as Beacon Tag

The Ministry of Environment confirmed and promulgated on April 4 an improvement plan for the method of handing over medical waste to eliminate blind spots in medical waste management.

This notice is designed to compensate for the shortcomings of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), which has been in operation since 2008, for the safe disposal of medical waste under the Waste Management Act.

Accordingly, from October 1 this year, a method of recognizing medical waste discharger information using a beacon tag will be applied, and from March 1 next year, a method of recognizing a sticker-type electronic tag attached to a dedicated container will be added when medical waste is entered to incinerators.

The beacon tag method automatically recognizes the discharger information through the portable reader when the collector and carrier place the portable reader attached to the wall of the medical waste discharger storage warehouse close by.

In the bill to enact a public notice, the method of checking medical waste discharger information will be improved from the method of using the "discharger certification card" to the method of using the "beacon tag."

Currently, if a medical waste collection and transportation company holds a discharger certification card, it is possible to arbitrarily input the discharge timing, handover, and acquisition amount into the Korea Environment Corporation's "Allbaro System" without the carrier visiting the discharge site.

When the beacon tag authentication method is introduced, collectors and carriers must visit the discharge place with the beacon tag in person to recognize the emission information.

In addition, the method of receiving waste by medical waste incineration companies will be changed from vehicle-specific warehousing to waste-dedicated container-based warehousing.

Currently, when a company that collects and transports medical waste puts medical waste in an incinerator, it recognizes a "waste collection · transport vehicle certification card" on a reader installed in a storage warehouse to properly transmit the medical waste information loaded on the vehicle to the system. In this process, blind spots may occur for management, such as medical waste that is not tagged electronically can be mixed together.

Therefore, the Ministry of Environment recognized the electronic tags attached to each container on the reader when moving the medical waste from the transport vehicle to the incinerator warehouse using a conveyor belt, not allowing improper treatment of medical waste such as not attaching electronic tags and not inputting handover information

Moreover, by specifying the waste transfer method in the case of "emergency incineration" of general medical waste by designated waste incineration companies due to the lack of medical waste treatment facilities, there is no confusion in the treatment of medical waste even in the event of a disaster such as COVID-19.

Within two days from the date of acquisition of medical waste subject to special treatment, the handover number, date of the handover, and amount of acquisition should be entered into the electronic information processing program (Allbaro System).

The Ministry of Environment plans to conduct a public offering of equipment manufacturers, product promotional materials, and consult with medical waste incineration companies so that the improvements can be implemented on-site without a hitch.

The details of the contest and selection of beacon tag equipment companies will be announced to the Allbro-system in April.

Hong Dong-gon, director of the Ministry of Environment's Resource Circulation Bureau, said, "We will thoroughly prepare for the rest of the time before the system is implemented," adding, "We hope the target companies will also actively cooperate to ensure more transparent and safe disposal of medical waste."

Reported by Smart City Today