A/HRC/18/31 principles of international environmental law, such as the precautionary and the “polluter pays” principles, should be taken into account when drafting such legislation. 85. A law on health-care waste management should, as a minimum: (a) Provide a clear definition of health-care waste and its categories; (b) Define clearly the duties and responsibilities of each actor involved in the health-care waste management process; (c) Identify the national authority implementation of the law and its enforcement; (d) responsible for overseeing the Impose appropriate penalties for contravention. 86. In addition to legislation, States should develop, in accordance with WHO recommendations, a national policy outlining the rationale of safe health-care waste management and its objectives, and a comprehensive strategy identifying the steps to be taken to achieve those objectives. States should also develop technical guidelines for the implementation of the law.34 This legal package should specify approved methods of treatment and disposal for different waste categories; identify safe practices for the minimization, segregation, collection, storage and transport of medical waste; and outline the responsibilities of public health authorities, the national environmental protection body, managers of health-care facilities and managers of private or public waste-disposal agencies. C. Occupational health and safety 87. The Special Rapporteur recommends that States strengthen their legal framework on hospital hygiene and occupational health and safety, and provide adequate human, technical and financial resources to national authorities responsible for its enforcement. He also recommends that health authorities organize educational programmes and training opportunities to raise awareness about health, safety and environmental protection issues relating to medical waste management. 88. In view of the fact that persons working within and outside health-care establishments often receive limited information and training opportunities on the occupational risks to which they are exposed and on the correct procedures for handling waste in a safe manner, the Special Rapporteur urges relevant national health authorities to include waste management in the curricula of future medical practitioners and nurses, to provide appropriate information on the occupational risks to which medical and paramedical staff may be exposed, and to organize training opportunities on safe health-care waste management for staff handling medical waste. 89. The Special Rapporteur calls on health-care establishments to take all appropriate measures to improve health and safety conditions for those handling medical waste in and outside health-care establishments. Such measures should include: (a) Access to information on the specific occupational risks to which different categories of workers are exposed, and the safety measures to minimize such risks; (b) The provision of appropriate personal protective equipment for persons handling hazardous health-care waste; 34 World Health Organization, Health-care waste management (see footnote 32). 19