From: ian blenkharn@ianblenkharn.com
Category: Miscellaneous
Date: 10 Nov 2009
Time: 11:17:56 +0100
Remote Name: 86.161.24.185
Guy’s and St Thomas’ Foundation Trust has been commended for its environmental efforts at the Green Business Awards. The trust was praised for its waste minimisation programme, which set out strict rules for separating and reducing waste and worked to raise awareness of environmental issues among staff, patients and visitors.
Trust operational services manager Jacky Lewis said: “Being recognised for our progress in reducing waste is such a fantastic achievement.
“Healthcare waste provides many more challenges than standard waste and we have come up with great ideas to get around these problems.
http://www.hsj.co.uk/news/acute-care/hospital-triumphs-at-green-awards/5008303.article
Unfortunately, the award must be tinged with a note of caution, that at both Guy's and St Thomas' the management of clinical waste does not properly address security and safety issues, with unlocked waste carts placed outside the buildings in locations where they are repeatedly accessed by the general public who view them as general waste bins and an opportunity for scavenging. Most, if not all are unlocked. Others sit in corridors and in stairwells, giving concern regarding fire safety.
The Audit of Waste
Management Standards of UK hospitals will commence again in Q1 2010.