The Guardian reports of the approximately £150 million of medicines returned to pharmacists each year that are “wasted” and destroyed by incineration rather than re-issued. It is, of course, a tale of […]
The current vacancy for a part-time clinical waste handler/roundsman in west London raises two interesting questions. The advertisement specifies: “In order to be considered for this role it is essential you have been inoculated […]
The Olympics are upon us. As one who lives in London, I can’t say for one moment that I’m looking forward to the unprecedented level of disruption that is will […]
Unison and the Royal College of Nursing, two of the major unions representing healthcare workers, are working together to pressure NHS Trusts and the Government to bring forward implementation of Council […]
Advertising flimflam is part of the way of things these days, and we all take it with a generous pinch of salt. In the UK, claims have to be compliant with […]
A 14-year-old schoolboy has been arrested after stabbing 26 classmates in the head and neck with a used needle in frenzied break time attack. It is understood he was taking part in a bizarre […]
There is little scope for improving waste sack design. In an array of colours, these may vary by wall thickness (though puncture and tear resistance, and overall strength, would be […]
Norovirus outbreaks continue to be a major seasonal problem and cause huge disruption to care services with substantial morbidity and mortality. What to do with Norovirus waste? Much waste will be destined for the toilet […]
The mother of a toddler who rolled onto a drug addict’s needle in a park is facing an agonising wait to see if her daughter has caught HIV. Two-year-old Siann […]
“Unison, the UK’s largest union, today called on the Government to end the horror caused to NHS nurses, midwives, healthcare assistants and other health workers by sharps injuries. According to […]
Finding discarded needles is a common occurrence on school premises. In the national audit of Local Authority approaches to the management of drug litter, to be published in July in CIWM Journal, […]
The Environment Agency has issued an example hospital waste audit plan and report format. There is no requirement to use this particular format but it is expected to demonstrate an effective approach to conducting this […]
Refrigerating clinical wastes is something that occasionally appears on the UK agenda but is rightly dismissed as an unnecessary energy expenditure (though with global warming perhaps things will change). However, […]
Waste Management World reports that cleansing bosses in Exeter are appealing to people not to put hypodermic needles into their recycling boxes. “In one week alone, 113 needles were found in […]
Coffee is an increasing popular drink, overtaking tea as the national drink. Coffee shops seem to be everywhere, with outlets in the high street, in book shops and libraries, in […]
The IRS has seized about 20 tons of garbage sent from Spain to Brazil. The waste was in a container at the port of Itajai, approximately 60 miles from Florianopolis. The load contains dirty […]
Used syringes and needles make an impromptu but quite frightening weapon. In Brisbane, Australia, a woman has been arrested having used such a weapon in a string of alleged robberies. Maree Sharelle Leighton, 41, […]
By analysing the pharmaceutical waste produced by eight operating rooms, an anaesthetist in New York found that discarded or wasted propofol made up 45% of all the drug waste. Future wastage […]
Drug abuse in rife in sport and the sports culture. Many gyms including those which are part of the well-known high street chains have sharps bins in the toilets or […]
The weather has been topsy-turvey for a few years now and the predictions, or should that be the expectations, are that the trend will continue. While winters may be wetter and […]
9th May 2012 Suffering a needlestick injury can be extremely distressing for anyone affected. Solicitors recently represented a hospital employee who was injured at work in this way and he received compensation. Safety […]
The Sharps Terminator is a new(ish) product that is to all intents a reworking of slightly older technologies which aimed to put sharps destruction onto the desktop. We have discussed these […]
Flagged up by the Waste Management Networking group of LinkedIn, the BBC are reporting some disquiet over the contract terms imposed by PHS Wastetech. Accused of bullying small businesses by using unfair […]
Having spent an hour or so in each of two busy hospital phlebotomy rooms last week it was interesting to observe the approach to newly introduced safety needle devices. Using […]
Saskatoon is in the middle of nowhere – quite literally, it is located in the most central part of Canada and has few, if any, close neighbours. This makes a particularly […]
The Capital District Ambulance Service is accused of dumping medical waste in abandoned ambulances. CBS6 has learned that DGS workers who were performing routine maintenance found bags of blood-soaked rags and dirty […]
There is quite a lot of clinical wastes generated from funeral homes. Embalming, care of the body, is now particularly common in the UK though one has to wonder if this […]
Version 2 of the Safe Management of Healthcare Waste guide is now available on Space for Health (http://www.spaceforhealth.nhs.uk/). All 402 pages are there for your consideration, including much poor science and […]
There have been several reports recently, from at least 4 different countries including the UK, of teenagers and others sneaking into hospitals and other places where alcohol hand rub dispensers […]
Packaging Today reports that UK-based Cromwell Polythene is relaunching its clinical waste sacks range, using ‘star seal’ technology to maximise carrying capacity, while optimising leak resistance. The range makes use of […]