The information given by suppliers, in their catalogues or on-line, can guide users or lead them far up the garden path.
So it is with this medical equipment and supplies provider advertising orange, located on the web today, Saturday 21 February 2015.
The small print associated with this offering assures the purchaser that the sack is:
- Unique colour indicates that contents can be recycled, autoclaved or sent to landfill
- Clearly printed with UN markings to signify clinical waste
- Available in medium and heavy duty gauges and in a number of sizes
- Supplied on rolls for convenient dispensing
- Ideal for use with clinical waste bins MSC0270, MSC0271 and MSC0272.
- Ideal for use in a first aid rooms – helps comply with HSE guidance document L74
Of course, if one of these filled sacks appeared at a recycling facility or a landfill site alarm bells would ring, klaxons sound, and lights flash as everything grinds to a standstill for clean-up and investigation. Someone, somewhere, would be for the high jump.
Going further, the supplier claims that it’s use would be ideal for use in a first aid room, where a Tiger bag could be more appropriate, and to help comply with the HSE guidance document L74.
L47 First Aid at Work. The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981: Guidance on Regulations 2013. ISBM 9780717665600 is an important document though in the case of a recommendation for orange waste sacks, it is a yellow sack specified in L74. Perhaps both suggestions are incorrect, certainly for the average first aid room dealing with otherwise healthy adults and children with sprains, cuts and grazes etc. As we know, it is essentially a risk assessment that is necessary, with in most cases will conclude that a Tiger stripe bag is most often the appropriate choice.
Oh dear. Oh dear. Oh dear!