Improper handling of clinical waste imposes significant health and environmental risks. Strict regulations are in place to ensure proper clinical waste management and disposal. Here are seven vital considerations to ensure your clinical waste disposal complies with all regulations:
1. Follow the colour-code guidelines for all clinical waste.
Segregation of clinical waste is crucial for safe disposal. Clinical waste or medical waste often consists of infectious or hazardous items that pose a risk to health and or the environment. Clear segregation enables the waste to be identified and disposed of inline with regulations. Adhering to the guidance set out in HTM 07-01 ‘Safe and Sustainable Management of Healthcare Waste‘ helps reduce this risk
2. Dispose of soft clinical waste in a hands-free bin, to minimise the infection risk
Using a hands-free bin helps prevent the spread of infection as you do not touch the lid when disposing of clinical waste. When selecting your clinical waste bins, look for one that is foot-operated or has an automatic lid. For added protection use a bin that has antibacterial technology such as our clinical waste bins that use Silversafe™ Technology.
3. Do not overfill your clinical waste bags, secure them using the swan-neck method with a postcoded bag tie.
Overfilled bags pose a health and safety risk and can lead to potential infection spread. Once 3/4 full bags should be secured using the swan-neck method. Securing the bag with the postcoded bag tie ensures no waste escapes and it complies with the carriage of dangerous goods regulations when transporting clinical waste for onward disposal.
4. Store all clinical waste safely in a locked designated room/cupboard or an external wheelie bin.
Storing your waste safely minimises risks to staff, patients and prevents animals as well as members of the public from accessing it. Your ‘Duty of Care’ necessitates secure waste storage. Where space is limited we provide lockable wheelie bins for onsite bulk storage in between your clinical waste collections. Our safer sharps cabinet is also great for providing lockable tamper-proof storage for sharp disposal while in use such as in the community to prevent theft.
5. Always receive, sign, and date a hazardous waste consignment note for every collection of hazardous waste from your practice.
This serves as proof of waste collection and transport to the final disposal point. The note must include all site addresses, involved personnel, a full waste description, and the correct European Waste Catalogue (EWC) code for each waste stream. As part of working towards a more sustainable future, at Initial Medical all your waste documentation is paperless and can be accessed via our online customer portal myInitial.
6. Educate your staff on waste segregation and following the colour code.
Education is key! The more your staff is aware of correct disposal and segregation it reduces the risk of cross-contamination. Regularly conduct clinical waste training to ensure compliance, correct waste segregation, and waste minimisation. This not only helps you comply with regulations but also work towards a sustainable future when it comes to your waste management.
7. Use a Clinical Waste expert, to ensure compliance
Navigating clinical waste regulations can be difficult. A clinical waste expert should have the knowledge and expertise to help you understand clinical waste regulations and offer services to ensure compliance and safely dispose of your clinical waste. At Initial Medical we work with you to understand your waste streams and offer a tailored scalable solution based on your requirements.
Leave a Reply