Many UK hospitals store waste in a corner of the hospital car park. There are obvious advantages since access by large vehicles collecting that waste will generally be easier, though loss of revenue-generating car park space is a concern for some and waste might instead be stored in less suitable areas squeezed in access roads and in the gaps between buildings that might otherwise be considered a fire escape route.

It now seems certain that the recent tragic hospital fire in Kolkatta was caused by fire starting in and spreading though combustibles, including clinical and other wastes, stored in the underground car park of the inner city hospital.

There are relatively few UK hospitals with an underground car park and it is doubtful if any of those use even a small part of that car park space for waste storage. However, several newer hospitals and some notable new build establishments enjoy the benefits of an undercroft that is used for the movement of waste and delivery of supplies etc throughout and across the hospital estate.

Are any of these storing those wastes in the undercroft?

Were the design and construction features of the undercroft intended to accommodate wastes?

Does the fire risk assessment (FRA) include provision for waste storage, or has waste storage been a convenient afterthought?

The likelihood of a fire similar to that in Kolkatta is almost impossible to imagine, but that is no reason for complacency. Waste stores are a nuisance. They take a large amount of valuable space and tend to be tucked in odd corners as something of an afterthought. The use of an undercroft has obvious advantages, though pest control and fire prevention are obvious problems that should be addressed by competent persons with great care and revisited at regular intervals.