Healthcare & Hazardous Waste
Healthcare and hazardous waste: getting it right from collection to disposal
Healthcare and hazardous wastes are produced by a wide range of organisations — from hospitals, care homes, dentists, veterinary practices and laboratories to manufacturers, pharmacies, businesses and other organisations that generate hazardous materials.
Managing these wastes safely is about much more than simply putting the right waste into the right bin.
Businesses have a duty of care to ensure that waste is correctly classified, safely stored, transferred only to authorised organisations and managed in a way that prevents harm to people and the environment. Where hazardous waste is being transported, additional requirements can also apply under dangerous goods legislation.
For organisations producing, handling or transporting healthcare and hazardous wastes, this can create a number of potential problems:
Knowing exactly what the waste is — healthcare waste can include infectious materials, sharps, medicines, chemicals, cytotoxic and cytostatic substances, contaminated dressings, pathological waste and other potentially hazardous materials. Different wastes can be subject to very different handling and transport requirements.
Getting the waste classification right — waste must be classified before it is collected, disposed of or recovered. The correct waste code helps determine whether the waste is hazardous and how it must be managed and transported. Incorrect classification can result in inappropriate packaging, handling, documentation or disposal.
Understanding when waste is also dangerous goods — some healthcare and hazardous wastes can meet the definition of dangerous goods for transport. This can introduce additional requirements covering classification, packaging, marking, labelling, documentation, vehicle requirements and driver training.
Segregating waste correctly — incompatible wastes should not simply be mixed together. Correct segregation is important for safety, treatment and disposal and can also affect the transport classification of a consignment. Waste carriers are required to ensure waste is separated correctly when loading it for transport.
Using suitable packaging and containers — waste needs to be contained so that it can be safely stored, handled, collected and transported without leakage, spillage, sharps injuries or exposure to hazardous substances. Where dangerous goods rules apply, additional packaging requirements may also need to be met.
Managing clinical and infectious waste safely — materials contaminated with blood or other potentially infectious substances can present a biological hazard to healthcare workers, waste handlers, drivers and treatment facilities. Sharps create an additional risk of puncture injuries and potential exposure.
Dealing with medicines and pharmaceutical waste — unwanted, expired or contaminated medicines can create additional hazards. Some pharmaceutical wastes may also have dangerous goods characteristics, requiring organisations to understand both waste and transport requirements.
Getting hazardous waste paperwork right — hazardous waste movements in England require a correctly completed consignment note, which must accompany the waste until it reaches its destination. The producer, holder, carrier, consignor and consignee each have defined responsibilities for completing and checking the documentation.
Making sure carriers and destinations are authorised — hazardous waste must only be transferred to appropriately authorised organisations. Producers and holders need to check that carriers are registered and that the receiving site has the appropriate environmental permit or exemption.
Understanding the responsibilities of the carrier — waste carriers have specific responsibilities, including checking the waste and consignment documentation before accepting a load, ensuring appropriate segregation and delivering the waste to the destination identified on the consignment note.
Keeping appropriate records — organisations need to retain waste documentation and be able to demonstrate that waste has been correctly classified, transferred and managed. For hazardous waste producers and holders in England, relevant records must be retained for three years.
Dealing with rejected loads — if a receiving facility identifies problems with the waste or its documentation, the load may be rejected. Incorrect classification, incomplete paperwork or delivery to an unauthorised destination can therefore create significant operational and compliance problems.
Keeping staff properly trained — the people who classify, package, store, handle, load, transport or receive healthcare and hazardous wastes need to understand the risks associated with the materials they are dealing with and the responsibilities associated with their role.
Keeping up with changing requirements — waste legislation, dangerous goods regulations and environmental requirements are complex and subject to change. Procedures that were compliant when introduced may not necessarily remain appropriate as regulations, waste streams and organisational activities change.
The challenge is that healthcare and hazardous waste sits at the intersection of waste management, environmental legislation, health and safety and, in many cases, Dangerous Goods transport legislation.
Getting it wrong can expose people to unnecessary risks, result in rejected loads or disposal problems, cause delays and additional costs, and potentially lead to regulatory enforcement.
The good news is that you don't have to navigate these requirements alone.
Roadsafe can help you understand your responsibilities, identify potential compliance gaps and make sure your people have the knowledge and training they need to manage and transport healthcare and hazardous wastes safely and correctly.
Explore our training and consultancy solutions below to find out how we can help.