In a health care setting, a nurse finds used gloves and a broken glass ampoule together. Which action ensures proper biomedical waste management?

Appeared in: RRB Nsg. Superintendent-2026 (Shift -2nd)

Explanation

The fundamental principle of Biomedical Waste (BMW) Management is the strict segregation of waste at the point of generation.
Used gloves are contaminated, recyclable plastic waste and belong in the Red bag.
A broken glass ampoule is considered a sharp/glassware waste and must be placed in a puncture-proof container, which is color-coded Blue or White (translucent).
Segregating these items is the only correct action to prevent sharps injuries and ensure each type of waste is treated appropriately.

Option A: This is incorrect because placing a sharp object like a broken glass ampoule into a plastic red bag will cause it to puncture, posing a significant injury risk to waste handlers.
Option B: This is incorrect. Yellow bags are reserved for specific waste types like human anatomical waste, heavily soiled dressings, expired medications, and chemical waste, not for recyclable plastics or glassware.
Option C: This is incorrect because black bags are used for general, non-infectious waste only (e.g., office paper, food wrappers). Both used gloves and a glass ampoule from a clinical area are considered biomedical waste.

Visual 1: Infographic - A chart showing the different color-coded biomedical waste bins (Yellow, Red, Blue, White, Black) with clear icons and lists of the specific types of waste that belong in each. This provides a quick visual reference for proper segregation.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing Biomedical Waste (BMW) Management and Segregation helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
Proper waste segregation is a critical nursing responsibility to prevent nosocomial (hospital-acquired) infections and protect healthcare workers, patients, and the community from harm.
Failure to segregate sharps correctly is a leading cause of needlestick and sharps injuries, which carry the risk of transmitting blood-borne pathogens like HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C.
What if? - If the ampoule was unbroken but contained an expired cytotoxic drug, it would need to be disposed of in the yellow bag designated for chemical/cytotoxic waste, and the gloves used to handle it would also go in the yellow bag, not the red one.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the different types of waste mentioned in the question: 'used gloves' and a 'broken glass ampoule'.
Categorize each item based on biomedical waste management principles. 'Used gloves' are contaminated plastic waste. A 'broken glass ampoule' is a sharp/glassware waste.
Recall the correct disposal container for each category. Contaminated plastics go in a red bag. Sharps/glassware go in a puncture-proof blue or white container.
Recognize that since the items belong in different containers, they must be separated (segregated).
Evaluate the options. Only the option 'Segregate gloves and glass ampoules' aligns with the correct procedure. The other options involve incorrectly mixing different waste categories.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Biomedical Waste (BMW) Management and Segregation
Stem keywords: used gloves, broken glass ampoule, biomedical waste management, segregation
Lead-in keywords: Which action
Negative lead-in flag: false

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Practise the full RRB Nsg. Superintendent-2026 (Shift -2nd)

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.