In healthcare services, it’s vital that all members of the team understand the prominent workflows that affect the safety of professionals and patients. This applies to clinical waste disposal, where items can pose a risk of harm immediately after use, when discarded, and during the storage and transportation of their waste container.
Training surrounding clinical waste routines ensures all members of staff operate in tandem. This is important for:
- Regulatory compliance
- Patient and practitioner safety
- The protection of waste management service teams
Clinicians should understand the importance of regular training and identify ways to reinforce educational outcomes.
Why regular and comprehensive waste management training is essential
Team waste management training should not simply be completed once. Instead, regular training and refreshers serve to reinforce knowledge and provide key updates.
It’s also important to consider that regulations and guidance are not set in stone, and instead are constantly being updated with new information, resources and clinical demands that better serve the people who interact with the practice. The most prominent change to waste disposal workflows in recent years came with the introduction of Health Technical Memorandum 07-01: Safe and sustainable management of healthcare waste (HTM 07-01), which was updated in 2023, a decade on from the previous edition. If it were to be updated in the future, a regular training schedule offers the best opportunity for reinforcement at the earliest opportunity.
Healthcare is also consistently changing. Today, more electronic items are used than ever before, with some products being in practice for a decade or longer. When they come to the end of their lifespan, clinical teams should be clear on how to dispose of electronic waste. This may not be covered in typical clinical waste workflows, and so regular training presents the opportunity to update knowledge when such requirements arise.
Teams are also likely to change over time. Whilst waste management is typically standardised across healthcare services in the UK, new team members may be unfamiliar with certain procedures in a different environment. Those who are in their first clinical role may especially appreciate the provision of key information. Routine training ensures these individuals can immediately familiarise themselves with the site, encouraging confidence in everyday care. Similarly, members of the team may change roles and, as a result, be unaccustomed to particular workflows; consistent training ensures a seamless transition.
And finally, recurrent training is important to ensure standards do not slip in everyday routines. This may simply be due to some clinical waste routines being performed infrequently, and thus individuals lose familiarity with the workflow. When they come to complete it next, there may be reduced efficiency and increased uncertainty around the correct actions to take, and a heightened risk of harm as a result. Where regular training is in place, these routines can be highlighted in order to reinforce understanding.
Choosing the best available training
UK healthcare professionals complete Continuing Professional Development (CPD) every year to maintain their registration. It includes a specific number of hours spent training over a five-year cycle, depending on the individual role. Some individuals may seek out CPD on the topic individually, but completing it as a team provides the advantage of every professional having the same base level of knowledge.
When considering how to implement training in the practice, the Health and Safety Executive recommends:
- Evaluating the topics of training needed
- Prioritising these needs
- Considering the suitability of different training methods and resources (for example, will a session be completed in-house or outsourced)
- Evaluation of the training after completion to ensure it is effective, and identify the next need for knowledge refreshment
Consulting your team to find out how they may prefer to receive training ensures that the greatest outcomes can be achieved.
Accessing resources and materials for effective staff education
In the online age, there are a variety of resources for clinical waste management; however, not all are made equal. One must be sure that the clinical waste routines focused on are relevant to the practice and apply to a UK healthcare setting. They should come from a reliable source to ensure confidence in all outcomes.
The World Health Organisation provides free-to-access modules on waste management, which may act as an effective guide for some aspects of clinical waste routines.
The NHS also provides a thorough e-Learning module that strengthens knowledge throughout the workflow. It looks at the identification of healthcare waste streams and how to segregate items appropriately.
Some resources can also aid the reinforcement of knowledge in everyday care. Initial Medical provides free-to-download clinical waste colour code posters, which can act as reminders at the point of disposal.
Tracking staff training
Individuals can track their verified CPD training surrounding waste management workflows and will be able to share this with practice teams to develop an understanding of each professional’s training status. For additional training that is not CPD verified, clinicians will still want to keep a record to identify potential gaps that have been filled in their knowledge.
Creating open discussions about CPD needs ensures all healthcare professionals can grow their knowledge and confidence in everyday routines together. It also allows for focuses to diverge where appropriate; if individuals attend different courses, they can then come together to collate information.
Appointing a ‘waste management champion’
Elevating members of the team to key roles in the waste management workflow allows individuals to have a central source of guidance. An in-practice ‘waste management champion’ could have a heightened understanding of waste workflows and the current guidance that the practice must operate under.
This person should be adequately supported through training modules and may be able to relay information to the team in large groups in order to reinforce best practice workflows.
A waste management champion may also have a closer relationship to a practice’s dedicated clinical waste management service, ensuring direct, straightforward communication that leads to effective actions being taken where possible.
Support from Initial Medical
Initial Medical provides support for dental practices and healthcare services when assessing their waste management workflows, alongside a variety of clinical waste container solutions.
You can get in touch with the team today to learn more about the changes that should be made in your practice, no matter how big or small.
