Current knowledge, attitude and practices of dental residents towards biomedical waste management: A cross sectional study

To assess the knowledge, attitude and practices towards biomedical waste (BMW) management among residents of dental colleges of Davangere city. A cross- sectional questionnaire based study was carried out among 150 residents from dental colleges (85 from College of Dental Sciences and 65 from Bapuji Dental College and Hospital) in Davangere Karnataka. The responses were analyzed using Frequency distribution and Pearson Chi Square test using SPSS (Statistical package for social sciences, software Version 22.0) 94% residents said that they were aware about BMW management out of which 90% could correctly describe the BM waste. Out of 150, 71% residents were aware about the storage duration. Only 41.3% residents knew the correct symbol for biohazard. When asked about color codes for disposal of waste only 50.7% residents knew the color code for the disposal of human anatomical waste and 58.7% residents knew the correct color code for the disposal of used gloves and masks. Though majority of the residents had fair knowledge of BMW management, the need for training regarding their practice of BMW disposal should be the focus.