Work, Health, Safety… and Waste!
Work Health and Safety is important for all healthcare facilities. There are simple risk management strategies facilities can implement for staff who handle and transport clinical waste.
The three most critical Work Health and Safety risks seen regarding waste are:
Waste containers being extremely heavy to lift or carry
Sharps containers being overfilled
The disposal of sharps and clinical waste into general and other waste streams
Whilst there is no kilogram range under Work Health and Safety, it is vitally important that we remember what waste we are disposing of into containers. This is especially true for clinical and non-clinical staff who have to handle, transport, and mobilise waste containers around facilities, often multiple times daily.
Overfilling containers have a high risk of causing a Sharps injury to yourself and your colleagues. Once a waste container reaches the 3/4 or 75% total threshold, it should be changed to a new one. Often, there is a barrier where the clean sharps containers are located. Reviewing the ergonomics of where these are situated for staff to access can be a quick and easy win that keeps staff safe.
Healthcare facilities are responsible for all the waste they generate (known as ‘cradle-to-grave’). Hazardous waste should not be disposed of in general waste, especially when it can end up in a landfill. If clinical waste has been incorrectly disposed of, this poses a work health and safety risk to everyone in our community.
To ensure these are not occurring at your facility, contact Bridges Sustainability (Info@BridgesSustainability.com.au) today to come in and assess your facility and provide a comprehensive report.