Knowledge, attitude, and practices about biomedical waste management among dental healthcare personnel in dental colleges in Himachal Pradesh: A cross-sectional study

Introduction: The waste created by the healthcare services while providing services which may be either curative, promotive, or preventive may be hazardous to health and environment if there is indiscriminate disposal of hospital waste. Objective: The objective was to assess knowledge, attitude, and practices of students (3 rd years, 4 th years), interns and teaching staff. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a close-ended questionnaire among the students, interns and teaching staff of three dental colleges in Himachal Pradesh. A total of 578 subjects were included in the study with their prior consent. Statistical Analysis: The data were tabulated, and interpretation was done in percentages by using SPSS version 13.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Results: Many dentists have the knowledge about the waste management, but they lack in the attitude and practice. Conclusion: There is a need for education regarding hazards associated with improper waste disposal at all levels of dental personnel.