Clinical waste sacks generally come in one size only. Large. Though smaller sacks are available, these carry a price premium and are likely to necessitate purchase of separate sack holders so these […]
For rather obvious reasons, it’s very rare that the waste industries send out samples. An occasional branded ballpoint pen – no syringe pens please – or a notepad, but nothing […]
Last week, I was invited by the BBC to provide comment on an investigative news story from Lahore where untreated clinical wastes were passed directly to waste scavengers who sorted plastics, inevitably […]
In a landmark case involving reversal of a no liability finding for needlestick injury that occurred in a Queensland holiday apartment the circumstances of injury, and the legal wrangles, send shivers […]
The press are today full of comment about hospital hotels, a new – at least new to the UK – initiative to use hotels as a half-way house for patients […]
Today, the press are getting excited about proposals for a safe injection facility – a shooting gallery – for Brighton. This would provide a safe environment for IV drug users, where […]
We all use antimicrobial soaps. They are ubiquitous in every hospital, clinic and care home, and across the waste industries though in this latter sector getting workers to wash their […]
Various items of clinical waste, predominantly used sharps, can be found on the streets of London. But today’s news report from the BBC is of a placenta found by London dog […]
UK postal restrictions forbid the packaging and shipment of small quantities of sharps to some distant disposal centre, even when packages in a sealed ISO-compliant sharps container and suitably impervious […]
Despite all of the effort over many years, it is still not widely recognised that splashes of blood and bloodstained body fluids to the eyes or mouth, occurring directly or perhaps […]
Despite all its woes, the recycling industries have a good record – it could be much better – of recovering material resources for reuse. With correct processing, it matters not […]
A Brunswick, Maine, hospital is reported to be successfully recycling operating room waste into park benches. Mid Coast Hospital has launched a new recycling program that turns plastic waste from its […]
Norovirus infection, a particularly troublesome diarrhoea and vomiting virus infection prevalent in hospitals and homes, and less often in offices and factories, restaurants and catering establishments, schools and colleges etc is on the […]
The stating effects of Hurricane Sandy will be felt for many months, and right now the great clean-up is no doubt at full speed. The clean-up requires lots of hard […]
Bit of a panic, mainly in the press at present, about an interesting paper in Environmental Health Perspectives entitled “Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Detected at Four U.S. Wastewater Treatment Plants”. As […]
Many sacks of clinical waste contain substantial amounts of paper waste. Some of it is secondary wrappings from sterile items and I have not problem with that, since separation is […]
Recycling is good. Well, it’s almost always good and we should do all we can to promote it, including the recovery for recycling and reuse of material resources from appropriately […]
There is increasing concern about hygiene precautions in the clinical area, for the protection of patients, but in the occupational arena the message seems hard to get through. Infections associated […]
We are becoming accustomed to re-usable sharps containers, not least because of the bullish advertising of their sole manufacturer. But now, there might be a new kid on the block. […]
A recent announcement from HSE records nine deaths involving the UK waste and recycling industry since June 15, 2012. That is an appalling statistic, and HSE are sending “warnings” to the […]
Blood splashes and smears are common on the external surfaces of sharps bins. Occurring mostly when sharps attached to a short length of plastic tubing, or an entire infusion set […]
Concerns have been reported of hygiene worries about the Royal Free Hospital after cockroach, rat and feral pigeon sightings. We should not be particularly surprised as these problems are really not uncommon within hospitals, either […]
Perhaps surprisingly, GPs have for years received cash supplements for the disposal of trade waste as part of their contracts with PCTs. Their enjoyment of this welcome uplift in funding, which […]
A few minutes away from the main Peshawar hospitals, children rummage through trash, collecting used syringes, sharp blades and blood bags. These children are gathering medical waste from garbage dumps […]
Police have launched an investigation after a horrified dog walker found a placenta and medical equipment in woodland. The grisly discovery was made as the woman walked her dog in South […]
Two binmen from West Sussex are facing a risk of infection and months of blood tests after being accidentally pricked by hypodermic needles. The needles had been left incorrectly in […]
Location: South West England Salary: £200 – £300 per day Type: Temporary Reference: 423275 An experienced waste manager is required for an NHS organisation for an interim contract. Concentrating on the […]
Toilets at the at the Royal Cornwall Hospital were in an “absolutely disgusting” state, according to a patient.
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 […]
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 […]