WASTES THAT CAN BE TREATED BY SITA-MEDICOLLECT


Biohazard / Clinical & Related Waste
Waste which has the potential to cause injury, infection, offence, and includes sharps, human tissue waste, laboratory waste, animal waste resulting from medical, dental or veterinary research or treatment and the potential to cause disease: or any other waste arising from any source, as specified by the establishment.

Related wastes are defined as wastes within the medical waste steam which constitute, or are contaminated with cytotoxic drugs, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and sharps [WA] (reference: BWI 2009)

Definitions include: any waste contaminated with human or animal matter originating from any patient care area, surgery, health or transport facility and any autopsy, surgical, pathological, dental and veterinary or laboratory procedure. It includes bone and other tissue, swabs, bandages, blood samples and disposable surgical hard ware. Also including plate scrapings, used paper products and all other waste materials generated by patient care.
(reference: BWI 2009)


Sharps
Sharps can pierce the skin and have the potential to cause infection. Double handling of sharps should be avoided. SITA-MediCollect recommends use of disposable collectors meeting Australian Standards. The collectors are for disposal by incineration with minimal impact on the environment. Sharps collectors are colour coded yellow, the principal colour used for medical waste disposal. They have infectious waste labelling and display the universal biohazard symbol. The collectors are safe for all to handle and the whole collector with waste enclosed is completely destroyed by high temperature incineration, effectively eliminating any repercussions from the potential hazards of double handling or land filling of this type of waste.

Sharps contain pharmaceutical residues and must be incinerated in Western Australia.

Pharmaceuticals
Pharmaceuticals (drug, remedy or medicinal substances) or any other substance specified in the poisons list under the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 1996. Pharmaceutical waste, including cytotoxins, may arise from expired or discarded pharmaceuticals, those no longer required by patients or departments and waste materials or substances generated during the manufacture and administration of pharmaceuticals. (reference: BWI 2009)

All pharmaceuticals must be destroyed by incineration.

Clinical waste bins with a high proportion of pharmaceuticals may be charged at the current rate for destruction of pharmaceuticals and sharps.


Cytotoxic
Cytotoxic substances are destructive to cells and should be handled with care at all times and managed accordingly. Cytotoxic waste means materials or drugs which are carcinogenic, cytostatic, cytotoxic, mutagenic and /or teratogenic as well as materials associated with the administration of cytotoxins such as needles, syringes, intravenous appliances, ampoules, vials, gauzes, caps, gloves and swabs.

Cytotoxic waste must be stored in purple cytotoxic containers and incinerated. All waste contained in SITA-MediCollect cytotoxic bins is incinerated and completely destroyed therefore sealed containers may be placed inside the 240L
bin. (reference: BWI 2009)


Documents
and patient records may be placed in the bin with clinical waste in small quantities however for larger quantities it would be more cost effective to use a Document waste bin.

Radioactive materials are not accepted by SITA-MediCollect.
For further information contact the Heath Department of Western Australia. Radiation – (Health & Safety)

WASTE GENERATOR RESPONSIBILITIES back to top

SITA-MediCollect are actively involved in the ongoing development of the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Waste Management Industry Group (ANZCWMIG 2009) now the Biohazard Waste Industry (BWI 2009). The following are guidelines for responsible waste management practices pertinent to all Generators of Biohazard (clinical and related) Wastes.

BWI recommends that all Generators of these wastes are informed and observant of the following:

1. it is the responsibility of institutional administrators to be aware of all legal liability and ethical
accountability issues relating to the production, handling and disposal of clinical and related wastes,
cradle to grave responsibility;

2. generators to develop and implement waste management plans to assist them to minimise waste
through improved purchasing and reuse practices and to achieve cost effective, environmentally sound
source segregation, collection, transport and treatment/disposal of all waste streams generated through their facilities;

3. institutional administrators to ensure all relevant Occupational Health and Safety policies and procedures are pertinent and effectual and facilitate both waste segregation and minimisation procedures without compromising patient/client care;

4. ensure all employees are aware of and made accountable for their individual responsibilities in relation to waste management and to provide appropriate education and training in conjunction with a system of audits and reviews to ensure correct policies are adhered to;

5. implement all possible measures to reduce the risk of injury to health care workers (staff or contract), waste industry employees and the community;

6. ensure that all relevant measures be taken to reduce environmental risks (all collection, treatment and disposal practices must be managed in an environmentally acceptable manner to prevent contamination of ground water, surface water, storm water, soil and air);

7. ensure an adequate supply of bins in all storage areas (eg. ensuring correct colour and other identification marks) for the amount(s) of waste generated;

8. nominate an individual responsible for coordination of all waste management activities; and develop and implement a bio hazard (clinical and related) waste training program for all staff who may generate or handle any bio hazard (clinical and related) wastes; and

9. conduct regular audits of contractor’s equipment and premises to ensure that wastes are managed in
accordance with all legal and contractual requirements." (reference: BWI 2009)