Clinical Waste Management

First of all, it is important understand precisely what the definition of clinical waste is. According to the Department of Health clinical waste is:

“Any waste which consists wholly or partly of human or animal tissue, blood or other body fluids, excretions, drugs or other pharmaceutical products, swabs or dressings, syringes, needles or other sharp instruments, being waste which unless rendered safe may prove hazardous to any person coming into contact with it."

Furthermore:

"Any other waste arising from medical, nursing, dental, veterinary pharmaceutical or similar practice, investigation, treatment, care, teaching or research, or the collection of blood for transfusion, being waste which may cause infection to any person coming into contact with it."

Where does clinical waste originate?

The management of healthcare waste is an essential part of every hospital, dentist, GP or any other medical institution. To maintain the correct disposal, this waste has to comply several strict regulations:

The Controlled Waste Regulations 2012

The Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011

The Carriage of Dangerous Goods and the Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2009 (amended 2011)

The Environmental Protection Act 1990

And these are to mention just a handful.

These strict regulations help organisations reduce the risks of infections and or contamination. The Royal college of Nursing (2007) found that the healthcare sector produces around 15% of hazardous and infectious waste. The correct management of disposal is imperative, as this waste is one of the most dangerous forms of waste

Colour coding and waste segregation

The following section is a guide to help segregate clinical waste (the Department of Health, 2013). The aim of segregation is to prevent and minimise the risk of injuries to staff. It is called the colour coding system:

Yellow: infectious waste (incineration); lid, sharp materials contaminated with medicines (not cytotoxic or cytostatic, incineration)

Yellow/black: offensive/hygiene waste (deep landfill)

Orange: infectious waste (treatment or incineration); lid, sharp materials not contaminated with medicines (treatment or incineration)

Purple: cytotoxic or cytostatic waste (incineration); lid, sharp materials contaminated with cytotoxic or cytostatic medicines (incineration)

Blue: medicinal waste (incineration); lid, waste medicines (incineration)

Red: anatomical waste (incineration)

All containers must be labelled with the necessary requirements.

BE AWARE: Not all organisations across the UK are using the colour-coding system. Staff have to take the responsibility for an appropriate waste management system, and must check the colour coding system of their own organisation.

Additionally, the transportation of this waste needs specific documentation. All non-hazardous waste needs a waste transfer note that will provide information for a period of 12 months. This note has to be returned with waste to the waste contractor (Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, 2012).

How does a company deal with hazardous (clinical) waste?

This kind of waste needs a special waste consignment note that contains:

All site addresses and personnel involved with the waste transfer

A full description of the type of waste, including required shipping terms

The correct European Waste Catalogue (EWC) code for each waste stream

A required copy of the note for you to store on your premises (Allen, 2015)

The Environmental Agency in England and Wales has strict requirements, even before disposal sites accept clinical waste audits; these are also known as pre-acceptance audits. Hence all waste streams are documented and audited to ensure and to display the amount of produced waste.