Illicit salvage for re-use
Reduce, reuse, recycle. It seems sensible but in many countries the reality is of illicit salvage of items from clinical wastes followed by repackaging (of sorts) and reuse, all without […]
clinical waste disposal
‘Syringe pens’ crop up again
It is now some years ago that the Clinical Waste Discussion Forum raised concerns about syringe pens that are promoted as toys for kids, novelties for nurses, even promotional gifts […]
Strike action
Hospital ancillary staff in Queensland’s public hospitals are expected to ramp up industrial action in their fight for a better pay deal. New bans on a range of patient services will […]
Medical waste contaminating blue bins
Thurrock council uses blue bins for domestic recyclacbles. They have been complaining that “some residents are costing it money buy throwing medical waste in their blue bins” – never mind […]
Needles threaten recycling employees
The appearance of used needles in wastes intended for recycling seems to be remarkably common. Why this is so is difficult to define but in the absence of an effective disposal […]
Compensation for sharps injury
The amount of compensation awarded for a sharps injury varies widely. It seems to make some, but not much, difference if the courts get involved compared with the scale of […]
Prescription drug round-up collects over 250,000 pills
It’s easy done, and very effective. Though there is rapidly increasing concern about teh presence of pharmaceutical residues in wastewater, and thereby in natural waters, little seems to be done […]
Vietnam struggles with medical waste disposal infrastructure
More than half of the medical waste incinerators in Vietnam have been left unused because their owners do not have money to pay for fuel and maintenance. Especially, they still do […]
Infection following sharps injury
There is a foolhardy and sadly widely held opinion that only the three bloodborne viruses – HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C – can be transmitted by sharps injury. That is not […]
Ooops – patient data files out with waste
Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust breached the Data Protection Act by accidentally destroying 10,000 archived records, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has said. Last updated: Sunday, June 29, 2014
Environment Agency – Consultation on charges for 2012 to 2015
The Environment Agency are opening a consultation on their charges for 2012 to 2015. The consultation covers charging proposals for Environmental Permitting, abstraction and Emissions Trading charging schemes from 2012-2015. EA […]
Prison needle exchange scheme?
There is no doubt that in US and UK prisons, needles are a widespread problem and major health risk. The risk of sharps injury is high since needles are not […]
Needles found on busy Flintshire street
A news report tells of a number of needles found with black refuse sack on a street in Flintshire, and the finder just happened to be the local mayor! With […]
Farming pharmaceuticals
The use of drugs in farm animals is strictly controlled to prevent the appearance of drug residues in foods for human consumption. Quite rightly, that does not eliminate the use […]
Medicine drop boxes
Medicine drop boxes may be a practical option for the disposal of unwanted medicinal products. Sited in convenient locations, they would receive prescription and non-prescription products removing wastes accumulating in […]
More prescriptions, more waste
Scotland’s GPs are complaining that the free prescription policy in Scotland puts on them extra pressure with patients wanting their free prescription for this, that and the other. Last updated: […]
Into the waste bin?
A miscarriage is always a tragedy and our hearts will go out to those involved. However, it is an inevitable consequence that miscarriage results in a disposal requirement that may be […]
Indian hospital troubled by broken incinerator
News in The times of India that a hospital in Kanpur is presently suffering the consequences of a broken incinerator. Though it is officially disputed, clinical wastes are being burned […]
Waste audit
In a nice piece posted recently on editNet, the SRCL sales & marketing director says that many NHS Trusts have traditionally separated out their waste streams because they believe it’s the […]
Dentist in trouble for sharps disposal violation
A Massachusetts dentist is being sued by the U.S. Department of Labor for allegedly firing an employee for raising concerns about needlestick hazards and filing a health hazard complaint with […]
Superbugs escape through hospital sewers
Antibiotic-resistant pathogens born in hospitals may enter the wider environment through the facilities’ sewers, although the magnitude of the danger remains unclear. A team from the Federal University of Saõ […]
Wastewater treatment to remove pharma residues
The removal of pharma residues from waste treatment process waters or more generally from wastewaters from hospitals and nursing homes, from intensive agricultural facilities and perhaps even from community wastewater […]
Oman – National strategy for medical waste management soon
The state-owned Oman Environmental Services Holding Company SAOC (OESHCO) is formulating a national strategy to manage the large volumes of ‘potentially lethal’ clinical (medical) waste generated by the country’s vast […]
Clinical waste security – watch out for spies
Waste security at all points from producer sites though intermediate storage area and transport to the point of final destruction is of obvious importance. In no particular order, protection against […]
Legislating drug waste disposal
The proposed US Pharmaceutical Stewardship Act of 2011 (HR 2939) would “set up a nonprofit corporation financed by pharmaceutical producers which would be responsible for establishing comprehensive drug take-back programs […]
Plastic surgeon ‘banks’ on fat
A plastic surgeon is opening a ‘fat bank’ that will allow patients to store their own body fat for future use. Dr Jeffrey Hartog, from Seminole County, FL, has developed […]
Local Authority ‘dumps’ clinical waste collections
Ashfield District Council has upset at least one resident by ‘dumping’ clinical waste collections from most households. Over the last five years, one 43 year old resident who spends nine […]
Healthcare waste management – a global perspective
UN investigator says medical waste mostly unregulated, often dumped illegally, risks ignored “The Washington Post today quotes a human rights investigator for the United Nations who says up to a quarter of […]
Clean out your medicine cabinet
On the Clinical Waste Discussion Forum, we have repeatedly made reference to the local and regional collection schemes for hazardous household waste that collect from householders sharps waste, some clinical […]
Sharps injury – a personal story
For anyone uncertain or unconvinced about the implications of a sharps injury or blood exposure, take a look at the video by the CDC’s STOP STICKS Campaign. This 9-minute video […]