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1 CET POINT
03/10/14 CET
This article provides a broad understanding of the regulations around clinical waste management and gives a
solid outline of what constitutes clinical waste and how to appropriately segregate and dispose of it. Practical
advice covering the basic principles of infection control within the practice is also detailed.
Learning objectives
To be able to understand the need to undertake infection control measures and
dispose of clinical waste effectively (Group 2.1.1)
Learning objectives
To be able to understand the need to undertake infection control measures and
dispose of clinical waste effectively (Group 2.1.1)
Learning objectives
To be able to understand the need to undertake infection control measures and
dispose of clinical waste effectively (Group 1.1.11)
SAT
- MON 9 2015
FEBRUARY 2015
7, 8, 7
9 February
EXCEL,
LONDON
Excel London
WWW.100PERCENTOPTICAL.COM
100PC_optical_banner_187x28.5.indd 1
EUROPES
NEW
OPTICAL
EVENT
EYEWEAR
LENSES
BUSINESS SERVICES
EQUIPMENT &
MACHINERY
02/09/2014 16:33
41
Yellow/Black (Tiger) Offensive/hygiene
waste for disposal by deep landfill
Figure 1 Proper segregation of different types of waste using the national colour coding system
is critical to its safe management
As a general rule all clinical waste
handling and disposal procedures must
comply with the following regulations:
The Environmental Protection Act 1990
(including the Duty of Care Regulations)2
The Controlled Waste Regulations
20123
The Hazardous Waste Directive 20114
The Carriage of Dangerous Goods
Regulations.5
The statutory Duty of Care Regulations
state that it is the responsibility of
the producer of any controlled waste
to properly manage the controlled
waste their business produces. The
main principles of Duty of Care cover
documenting the transfer of waste and
ensuring that carriers handle waste
correctly. This means that businesses
producing clinical waste are required to
use a registered carrier, which takes it
to suitably licensed/permitted sites. It is
worth remembering that failure to comply
with Duty of Care regulations could leave
the business subject to fines or even the
closing down of premises.
03/10/14 CET
Introduction
CET
03/10/14 CET
42
CONTINUING
EDUCATION
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guidance
issued by the
Department
of Health.6
The mixing of
waste streams
is prohibited by
law in England
and Wales, and Figure 2 Orange lidded
separation is
box for sharps that are
not contaminated with
best practise
medicines for disposal by
in Scotland
treatment or incineration
and Northern
Ireland. This approach helps to support waste
disposal efficiency and reduces the risk of
exposure and injury to employees.
All containers used for the disposal of
clinical waste must be labelled in accordance
with details of the legal requirements for
transporting and packaging waste
(see Figure 1). Container labels should also
clearly identify the waste types present within,
and should be signed by the producer ready
for onward disposal.
Optometric practices will typically produce
a variety of waste. This will include standard
waste similar to that produced by an office
or retail business such as general packaging,
paperwork and kitchen waste as well as
sector-specific waste, which may include
time-expired drugs and used medical
solutions along with devices such as contact
lenses and contact lens solution.
For the optometry industry tiger colour
coding will typically apply for waste bags,
which is for offensive/hygiene waste for
disposal by deep landfill and would include
sector-specific non-hazardous healthcare
waste such as used disposable tonometer
probes and time-expired contact lenses.
Domestic type waste such as paper,
cardboard, used tissues and paper towels can
be disposed of in the normal black bag waste
stream, or recycled where appropriate.
optometrytoday
Disposing of medicines
Non-hazardous pharmaceutical waste,
including all non-hazardous medicines
whether pharmacy or prescription only
used or time-expired minims, need to be
incinerated and should be discarded in a
medicine disposal box (see Figure 3).
Medicines that are not pharmaceutically
active, for example, saline solution, can
be disposed of in the non-hazardous
pharmaceutical waste stream or emptied into
the foul sewer and the container placed in the
appropriate healthcare waste stream.
Hazardous waste
There are special requirements regarding
the disposal of hazardous waste, which may
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Reflective learning
Having completed this CET exam, consider whether
you feel more confident in your clinical skills how will
you change the way you practice? How will you use this
information to improve your work for patient benefit?
Conclusion
It is important for practitioners to take
responsibility for appropriate waste
management and infection control. This
article has demonstrated that taking a few
simple steps helps to safeguard patients
and staff from the potential risks of
contamination.
Exam questions
References
Under the enhanced CET rules of the GOC, MCQs for this exam appear online
Visit www.optometry.co.uk/
October 31, 2014. You will be unable to submit exams after this date. Answers
to download.
will be uploaded to the GOC every two weeks. You will then need to log into
your CET portfolio by clicking on MyGOC on the GOC website (www.optical.
org) to confirm your points.
43
03/10/14 CET
their licences.
Most waste
management
companies will
offer a flexible
service to suit
the needs
of different
customers
Figure 3 Blue lidded box for
including
waste medicines suitable for
daily, weekly, disposal by incineration
fortnightly or monthly servicing visits. It is
important that your business has a waste
collection and disposal service that meets
your bespoke requirements and level of
waste production. Overflowing waste bins
and uncollected containers are hazardous if
they are not addressed. It is worth noting that
three months is the maximum time period
that clinical waste can remain uncollected on
your site. Prior to contracting the services of
the waste carrier it is important to consider the
following points:
I s the waste carrier licensed to take away the
types of waste you are producing?
A
re the service technicians that will be
collecting your waste ADR licensed? This is
essential when transporting Dangerous Goods
such as clinical waste
Will you receive all the compulsory waste
documentation to cover your waste transfers?
Will your waste be fully traceable from point of
production through to end disposal?
D
o all the products supplied to you meet legal
requirements, such as UN approval for your
sharps containers?
Will your waste be fully segregated on site and
during transportation, to meet the current
regulations?
C
an the clinical waste management company
guarantee your service delivery will happen
on time?