From: Ian blenkharn@ianblenkharn.com
Category: News & information
Date: 27 Okt 2009
Time: 18:07:16 +0100
Remote Name: 86.138.129.234
It is quite rare that we see such headline news:
Five bags of medical waste were mixed in by mistake with regular trash at Waterbury Hospital this summer, prompting a notice of violation from the state Department of Environmental Protection.
The bags were discovered by a worker at the Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority station in Watertown on July 30. As the worker opened the compactor door to his garbage truck, the waste that spilled out included red medical bags, according to the DEP, which investigated the incident.
Though this error is no doubt quite common, but perhaps not involving 5 filled bags but certainly many individually small items of clinical wastes placed into general refuse containers - and of course the ever-present nightmare of hypodermic needles 'lost' within dirty linen that places laundry workers at great risk - most studies focus on the occasional disposal of innocuous items into clinical waste containers. Though segregation at source is important, the missionary zeal of many who have studies this reaches fever pitch when they discover a drinks can or some dying flowers, a newspaper of sweetie wrappers in a clinical waste sack.
But hold on....what real difference does it make? What great harm does it do?
The world will not end, but when it happens the other way round and clinical waste items are placed into domestic refuse containers individuals can be placed at considerable risk of unforeseen injury and infection.
There is a train of thought that is not accepted, on principal, by the regulatory authorities that proposes a single waste designation for all wastes from clinical areas. Take away black bags - put everything into a single clinical waste stream, separating only sharps and drug wastes.
"But it will cost too much" they wail. Set against the savings in space and logistics (staff) and administrative costs associated with handling multiple waste streams and the leverage in disposal costs that can be anticipated, this becomes more attractive. And set against the established criteria of risk management that will seek to reduce or eliminate confidential documents finding their way to the public domain with domestic refuse, and the obvious risk reduction though prevention of infection this becomes a much more attractive option.
Remember, you read it here first!