The law
The Environmental Protection Act 1990 divides waste into three categories:
Household
Industrial
including clinical
including clinical
Commercial
Disposal is also controlled by the Control of Pollution (Amendment) Act 1974 and the Special Waste Regulations (as amended) 1996.
Clinical waste is defined as waste that contains animal tissue, body fluids, excretions, drugs or any other product that may be hazardous to health.
How it is handled
- Clinical waste goes into approved colour-coded bags
- Sharps — scalpel blades, needles, sharp surgical instruments — go into rigid containers
- When full, bags and containers are sealed and collected by a licensed contractor
- They are then incinerated at high temperatures
Colour coding you will meet
| Colour | Generally used for |
|---|---|
| Yellow | Infectious waste for incineration only |
| Orange | Infectious waste that may be treated before disposal |
| Yellow and black stripe | Offensive or hygiene waste — unpleasant but not infectious |
| Red | Anatomical waste |
| Purple | Cytotoxic and cytostatic waste — chemotherapy drugs and anything contaminated with them |
| Black | Domestic or general waste |
Do not learn this table and stop. Colour schemes vary between practices and contractors. Every workplace has its own chart on the wall by the bins — that chart is the one that counts, and finding it on your first day is a reasonable thing to ask about.
Sort the waste
Twelve items. Put each one in a stream, and read why.
Why it costs what it costs
The tension worth noticing: over-classifying waste feels like the cautious choice, but it means burning material that could have been recycled, and it costs money that the practice then does not spend on something else. Getting it right is better than getting it cautious.
If you are not sure
The closing line of the original unit.
If you are not sure what to do, or you feel you need more training so you can do something more safely and prevent the spread of disease
ask · plan · think