The safe management of healthcare risk waste is an essential part of ensuring that healthcare activities do not pose a risk, or potential risk, of
infection to employees, patients or visitors. The management of healthcare risk waste is guided by the Healthcare Risk Waste Management Segregation, Packaging & Storage Guidelines, 4th edition, which was published in November 2010 – Download here
Because healthcare risk waste may have a range of hazardous properties, it is subject to the strict handling and disposal requirements as set out in the guidelines above.
If you generate this type of waste you must comply with these requirements, to properly manage it from production through to disposal. Improper management of this waste could have a negative impact of human health and the environment.
Healthcare Risk Waste Examples
- Infectious or potentially infectious waste
- Anatomical waste
- Medicinal waste
- Cytotoxic and cytostatic waste
- Sharps contaminated with cytotoxic/cytostatic products
- Contaminated sharps
- Sharps which are potentially infectious
- Laboratory waste
