{"id":3693,"date":"2024-08-07T15:29:35","date_gmt":"2024-08-07T15:29:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.initial.co.uk\/blog\/?p=3693"},"modified":"2025-07-09T09:35:16","modified_gmt":"2025-07-09T09:35:16","slug":"orange-clinical-waste-handling-disposal-requirements-initial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.initial.co.uk\/blog\/orange-clinical-waste-handling-disposal-requirements-initial\/","title":{"rendered":"What is orange clinical waste?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Orange is one of the most energetic, attention-grabbing and positive colours<\/a>, and can impact our feelings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is, most often, bright but in healthcare it often appears in d\u00e9cor and architecture as peach, a muted option in the orange family, which can help to reduce the anxiety felt by individuals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The colour orange also has connotations with hazards and safety, being instantly recognisable in construction industries in particular.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does the colour orange represent?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Safety orange, sometimes blaze orange, is one of the most iconic colours in everyday life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its vivid, in-your-face hue is perfect for hi-visibility vests and construction and road work signs. It also helps that it is opposite blue on the colour wheel, meaning it contrasts well with the sky for easy identification outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Within a healthcare environment, it is the colour of orange clinical waste bags or bins with orange lids. The Health Technical Memorandum 07-01 (HTM 07-01)<\/a> lays out the use of orange in waste management as part of the clinical waste colour code.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It represents a potential hazard of infection. To protect members of a practice team, patients, and the surrounding environment, orange clinical waste containers must be used appropriately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What goes in orange clinical waste bags?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clinicians that identify known infectious waste and used, non-medicinally contaminated sharps<\/a> must place the products in an appropriate orange clinical waste container.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sharps items, such as needles, lancets, and surgical blades will need to be placed into a robust and effective sharps waste container<\/a>. Other items that do not present a risk of laceration or percutaneous injuries may be placed in orange clinical waste bags.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A waste item is infectious if:<\/p>\n\n\n\n