Observation checklist: Minimum standards for inclusive safe solid waste facilities (including MHM)

The solid waste chain includes waste collection (often in containers or bins), emptying and transfer, and final disposal (through burying, burning or incineration, or composting).

This tool is observation checklists for three different types of facilities, focusing on aspects of waste collection where the main concerns are privacy and convenience for women and girls, and persons with disabilities to dispose of menstrual waste:

1. Waste collection containers (in communal facilities, not individual households)
2. Communal waste pits

• Incinerators (e.g. a school latrine block with incinerator attached)

You can use these checklists for:

1. Design: WASH technical staff/engineers can use them to ensure they have included key aspects on safety and inclusion in their designs.
2. Assessment: to find out if existing WASH facilities are safe and inclusive (e.g. assess if they meet these minimum standards), to understand what is missing and what changes/adaptations need to be made to the facilities.
3. Monitoring: to track progress towards WASH facilities becoming safe, inclusive and accessible, and measuring improvements during an operation or program.