What exactly is clinical waste and why is it so important to be identified and disposed of properly? We look at the vital role that our printed clinical waste bag cable ties play in this.
What is clinical waste?
Clinical waste is generally accepted to be any waste that could pose a threat to human health or the environment and which has the potential to cause infection or spread disease. The Controlled Waste Regulation 2012 defined it as healthcare waste that ‘contains viable microorganisms or their toxins that are known or believed to cause disease’; ‘contains medicine that contains a biologically active pharmaceutical agent’; or ‘is a sharp or body fluid or other biological material contaminated with a dangerous substance’.
Examples of clinical waste
The term clinical waste encompasses many things including infectious waste such as bandages and swabs. It also covers needles (sharps) and anything containing bodily fluids, as well as animal or human tissue, pharmaceutical products and/or drugs.
Clinical waste disposal
Correct clinical waste management is vital for all businesses, and segregation of clinical waste at the source is a vital part of effective disposal and will ensure legislative compliance. There are stringent clinical waste regulations regarding the segregation, storage and disposal of clinical waste and best practice dictates that in order to identify non-compliance, all clinical waste should be subject to traceability back to its source.
Segregation of clinical waste
Clinical waste is separated by type and secured in bags of different colours as follows:
Red – anatomical waste to be incinerated
Purple – cytotoxic/cytostatic waste to be incinerated
Blue – medicinal waste to be incinerated
Yellow/black – offensive or hygiene waste that is destined for deep landfill
Orange – infectious waste to be treated or incinerated
Yellow – infectious waste to be incinerated
Traceability
In order for clinical waste to be traced back to its point of origin to ensure correct disposal procedures have been followed, the waste needs to be marked. This can be in the form of permanent writing on a container, self-adhesive labels or custom printed cable ties.
Printed nylon cable ties – Printed Clinical Waste Bag Cable Ties
At cableties-online.co.uk we offer three options for custom printed cable ties for clinical waste bags. The perfect solution for identifying individual bags of waste and tracing them back to their source, our cable ties are manufactured from nylon 6/6 for durability and versatility. The self-locking cable ties can be hot foil printed with text only, sequential numbering only or a combination of both to suit your particular requirements. This enables hospitals, for example, to identify themselves as well as individual wards or departments.
Our hot foil method of printing produces a highly visible print that can be seen and identified quickly and which is indelible, enabling it to withstand normal wear and tear without rubbing off. Our Printed Clinical Waste Bag Cable Ties are available in a choice of ten colours and two lengths and provide an efficient and effective audit trail. Our full range of colour, size and print options can be found here.
For advice on the best custom printed nylon cable ties for your needs, our expert staff is on hand with help via the telephone on 01623 706241 or by email at sales@cableties-online.co.uk
