Questionnaire - Disposal of pathology wastes

Clinical wastes present several clearly defined risks.  They may transmit infection, ranging from the troublesome but relatively minor infection of a traumatic wound, cut or graze, to infections of the gut or respiratory tract, and to more serious and possibly life-threatening infections caused by a range of bloodborne viruses. Other hazards include allergic reactions to materials present in these wastes, and exposure to toxic or corrosive chemicals including pharmaceuticals, laboratory chemicals and reagent residues, and disinfectants.

What happens to wastes from pathology laboratories? It is clear that the ubiquitous yellow clinical waste sack provides a convenient disposal route for most laboratory wastes. Though intended for clinical wastes only, other waste materials find their way into these containers. Further down the disposal route problems arise due to the presence of chemical wastes that might better be disposed by a more appropriate route.

This may necessitate compromise. The practicalities cannot be dismissed - where space is at a premium, the range of waste receptacles needed to receive multiple waste streams may not safely be accommodated. Though the direct and environmental costs of failure to segregate wastes may be considerable, risk managers generally support the minimum number of waste streams on the basis that where choice exists errors may occur. Many laboratories classify almost all wastes as clinical waste using a yellow bag for everything to avoid the serious implications of potentially hazardous items finding their way into black bag waste. Likewise, the ever-present yellow clinical waste sack provides a convenient solution to disposal of confidential paper waste, and though this can be shredded it has become the preferred route in many laboratories.

We hope that the information obtained from this questionnaire will go some way to identifying some of the key issues involved in the management of clinical wastes from Pathology Laboratories.  Significant findings will be posted on the Clinical Waste Discussion Forum and summarised in The Biomedical Scientist, with care to ensure that the sources of data provided remain anonymous.

Your help in completing a relevant questionnaire will be greatly appreciated, and will be invaluable in defining current practice and identifying deficiencies in order to promote best practice.

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