There is set guidance for segregating waste depending on the hazards it presents. One of these hazards is a risk of infection, which is influenced by patient health.
What makes patient waste hazardous?
For a waste item to be potentially infectious after contact with a patient, the individual must first have a known illness. This could be temporary or long-standing, and likely be a part of their pre-existing medical history. For example, an individual could have a bloodborne disease which would be disclosed in their prior medical information.
Identifying an infectious item in every appointment is not simple. There is no way to test every waste item for viable microorganisms that present a substantial risk to health or the environment; clinical judgement is applicable.
Once it is established that a patient has an illness or disease that prompts an item to be infectious, clinicians place it into a yellow (infectious/medical/anatomical waste) or orange (known infectious) waste container.
The Difference between Yellow and Orange Clinical Waste
Most infectious waste will be placed in the orange waste stream, but if there is also a pharmaceutical, chemical, or anatomical hazard, clinicians should use the yellow waste stream. This is the primary difference between the two.
In line with Health Technical Memorandum 07-01, waste that is placed in the yellow waste stream will be incinerated or sent for alternative treatment. An example would be a needle used to apply local anaesthesia, which would need to be placed into a dedicated yellow sharps container.
Orange waste containers are most often sent for alternative treatment, but the waste can be incinerated if needed.
Waste Streams for the Healthy Patient
If a patient has no infection, most waste items produced from their care will be offensive waste. This will include items like PPE or disposable dental bibs.
Offensive waste is identified by its generally unpleasant but non-hazardous nature.
A sharps item used with a healthy patient, however, cannot be considered as offensive waste as being ‘a sharp’ can cause injury, and needs to be disposed of in the relevant yellow or orange waste stream in a rigid sharps container.
Safe Waste Bags with Initial Medical
Initial Medical provides a range of clinical waste containers that can safely store items that are affected following patient interaction. This includes the colour-coded clinical waste bags which are made from 30% recycled plastic, and are designed to be tear and impact resistant.
You can also find free colour coding posters online from Initial Medical, which can be placed around the practice as helpful reminders every day.
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