What’s in that sack?

In a short news report from Gulfport, South Mississippi, several biohazard bags placed into a roadside skip (dumpster) sparked a response from the local Fire & Rescue service.After cautious investigation by first responders the bags were found to contain only domestic refuse.

The theft of colour-coded waste sacks from hospitals and GP surgeries by staff members is a constant problem that was the cause of the incident in Gulfport. It is common also in the UK and in most areas yellow and orange sacks can be found together with the more appropriate black sacks awaiting collection from domestic premises.

Black sacks for domestic refuse are not that expensive, but perhaps a cost that some are not willing to bear. Perhaps helping yourself to a few yellow or orange sacks is like helping yourself to some paperclips! The impact and clean-up costs can be substantial.

There is substantial inconvenience, and of course the loss of supplies from the NHS. But it continues to happen. To restrict access to these sacks in hospitals and surgeries would risk an inappropriate black sack being used for hazardous clinical wastes; there really is no easy answer to this other than to rely on the integrity of NHS employees. But sometimes, that is just not enough.

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