Clinical Waste

Clinical Waste

Clinical waste is defined in the ‘Controlled Waste Regulation 1992’ as any waste:

  • Which consists wholly or partly of human or animal tissue, blood or other body fluids, excretions, drug or other pharmaceutical products, swabs or dressings, syringes, needles or other sharp instruments being waste which unless rendered safe may prove hazardous to any other person coming into contact with it’
  • ‘Arising from medical, nursing, dental, veterinary, pharmaceutical or similar practice, investigation, treatment, care teaching or research, or the collection of blood transfusion, bring waste which may cause infection to any person coming into contact with it’

Waste produced by a permanent cosmetic enhancement business is likely to include tattoo needles, soiled tissues and swabs and other similar materials.

Guidance has been prepared jointly by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Environment Agency categorising clinical waste into risk-group categories A to E.

In this guidance human tissues and soiled swabs fall into ‘Category A’ and syringes and needles into ‘Category B’. Soiled swabs are higher risk than contaminated needles because they are absorbent holding blood and body fluids and therefore more likely to cross- contaminate if handled incorrectly.

The council and contractors are likely to refer to clinical waste as ‘special waste’ to distinguish if from the non-hazardous commercial or domestic waste they normally deal

with. It is the duty of the permanent cosmetic enhancement business to inform the waste collector that the removal of clinical waste is required.

For the permanent cosmetics business the choice of competent disposal contractor is an essential element of compliance with duty of care. The waste producer must be satisfied that whoever has possession or control of this clinical waste will deliver it to a licensed waste management site for disposal.

Transport of clinical waste is covered by the ‘Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road Regulations’. Both the waste producer and the disposal contractor are responsible for complying with the requirements of these regulations to ensure safe transit to the final disposal point.

The discovery of fly-tipped clinical waste will almost certainly result in the prosecution of the waste producer even if the waste was handed over to a contractor in good faith. Given the nature of the waste it is therefore vital for the waste producer to prove that he took all reasonable steps to verify the credentials of the waste-collection contractor.

Handling Waste Before Disposal

The waste producer must store waste in such way as to prevent its escape or leakage while in storage or in transit.

Containers should always be used, and these should be adequate to protect the waste, and to prevent leakage and spillage. The container should be labelled with description of the waste and should not pose a health risk to anyone likely to come into contact with it. It is also a duty of care that the permanent cosmetic enhancement business ensure that the waste is presented for collection safely.

Category ‘A’ Waste

Risk assessment will indicate the procedure for ‘Category A’ (e.g., contaminated swabs and tissue), and should include the following measures:

  • Placing clinical waste in yellow waste sacks, in sack holders, or other appropriate enclosed containers at the point of generation.
  • That segregation of clinical waste from normal commercial waste is adopted. Colour coding is widely used for waste containers, with yellow reserved for clinical waste.
  • Replacing sacks daily or when three-quarters full
  • Not transferring loose contents from container to container
  • Sealing sacks with plastic tie or heat sealers, purpose-made for clinical-waste sacks.
  • Prohibiting the use of staples or string to close the sack as these to not provide

secure closure and may puncture the sack or foil there by exposing the contents.

  • Providing lids for bins which can be sealed for collection
  • Collecting with appropriate frequency

Clinical Waste Container

Waste disposal containers should be lined with yellow clinical waste sack which must be removed at appropriate intervals when 3⁄4 full.

 

 

Category ‘B’ Waste

The procedure for ‘Category B’ waste (e.g. tattoo needles and lancets) should include the following measures:

  • ‘Category B’ waste must never be placed in container used for the storage of other waste particularly not in plastic sacks.
  • ‘Category B’ waste must be put into properly constructed ‘sharps’ containers which are usually yellow in colour and made of hard material such as plastic. The containers must meet the requirements of BS7320: 1990 and/or be UN type-proved.
  • While in use ‘sharps’ containers must be keep out of reach of members of the public in particular small children and people who may not appreciate the risks associated with this type of waste.
  • To avoid the risk associate with over-filling ‘sharps’ containers should be removed when three-quarters full, sealed and labelled. They should not be placed in regular white sacks.
  • Keeping the container separate during storage and transport ensure compliance with the duty of care and ensure that any faulty or broken containers that may leak fluid or allow penetration or sharps are more obvious.
  • Care must be taken when placing blades or needles in the ‘sharps’ container to prevent needle-stick injuries. ‘Sharps’ which are handled incorrectly and not disposed of properly are the main route for occupationally acquired infection by blood-borne viruses such as HIV, Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C.

Sharps Box for Needle Disposal