The critical role of labelling when disposing of clinical waste

The critical role of labelling when disposing of clinical waste When we dispose of waste at home, we have separate bins for different items; a black bin for household waste, a green bin for recycling, and a brown bin for organic waste like food scraps and grass cuttings. So what happens if we put some cardboard in a bin bag instead of the recycling bin? The truth is, not a great deal. The stakes are relatively small. When we dispose of waste at home, we have separate bins for different items; a black bin for household waste, a green bin for recycling, and a brown bin for organic waste like food scraps and grass cuttings. So what happens if we put some cardboard in a bin bag instead of the recycling bin? The truth is, not a great deal. The stakes are relatively small. However, the stakes are much higher when we consider how clinical waste is disposed of. The most obvious impact of not disposing of waste properly is the spread of serious infection and disease. But this isn’t the only potential danger. It poses not only a massive threat to the surrounding environment, but your overall reputation as an organisation too. What is classified as ‘clinical waste’? It’s the term used to describe waste produced from activities by medical, nursing, dental, veterinary or pharmaceutical practices, and is hazardous to anyone who comes into contact with it. It includes: Human or animal tissue Bodily fluids Excretions Drugs or other pharmaceutical products Used swabs or dressings Used syringes and other sharp objects Why the safe disposal of clinical waste is so important Let’s start with the basics. Properly disposing of waste is essential to preventing the spread of infection and cross-contamination, maintaining health and safety procedures, and managing waste effectively on-site. If waste isn’t segregated in clearly identifiable designated bins and sacks, it runs the risk of clinical waste being mixed in with domestic waste and being sent to landfill without being treated properly. This can lead to cross-contamination, as well as an increase in disposal costs, and even the possibility of the organisation at fault incurring a fine. Whether the organisation you work in is a hospital, teaching and research facility, or a veterinary surgery, it’s wise to conduct regular waste management audits. This will ensure that bins are located in appropriate areas and any clinical waste is being disposed of in accordance with the strict guidelines you follow. Infection control At Dura-ID Solutions, we know that at the heart of every hospital, care home and hospice is an unflinching commitment to delivering the very best level of patient care, and this includes waste management. Our labels and tags are resistant to water, meaning they stand up to washing and disinfecting processes, ensuring waste is properly segregated and treated. But infection control goes way beyond simply disposing of pharmaceutical products and used dressings; it’s vital that the same safety measures are extended to all laundry items. The laundry tags that we produce help identify and segregate linen as clean, soiled, infectious or damaged. Individual bags can be labelled with the hospital, ward, department and date to help maintain traceability through in-house or external laundering facilities, ensuring items are washed and returned to the correct locations. The tags we produce also help to communicate an extra layer of precaution to staff, as additional instructions can be written on them to warn of handling with extra care because of spillages. From bed linen change labels to waste management labels, we ensure your organisation upholds the highest standards in waste management, and the way you dispose of clinical waste doesn’t pose a threat to patients, the general public or the wider environment. If you think Dura-ID Solutions and our high-performing identity labels could be of use to you and your business, please reach out and we’ll give you a call. Simply fill out this form and one of our team will be

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