Clinical Waste Collection
Clinical Waste Producers’ Responsibilities
The duties of producers are segregation, storage and decontamination. Ideally clinical waste should be decontaminated at source, but unfortunately it is not always possible with minor producers, and sometimes even major producers due to various constraints. The one exception amongst minor producers is perhaps Private Clinical Laboratories. They have been very responsible and set a good example with their “Duty of Care”, decontaminating their cultures and stock prior to passing them onto licensed collectors.
Transporting clinical waste, either by registered nurse/medical practitioner is allowed by using their own private vehicle, carrying no more than 5 kg at any one time to authorised collection point/landfill. Clinical waste carriers are forbidden to the use public transportation when carrying clinical waste. An alternative is to appoint an authorised clinical waste collector to collect the waste.
Collectors
Clinical waste must not be collected and disposed together with municipal waste. Clinical waste should be transported to licensed clinical waste disposal facilities by licensed collectors with adequate knowledge and training on the management of clinical waste. A clinical waste collector has to comply with the regulatory requirements and licence conditions. BEEPER Healthcare Co Ltd. provide services to producers, including the provision of containers (sharps boxes or bags) and packaging, with correct labelling and colour code for clinical waste. The containers provided must show the identity of the collectors. Clinical waste will be passed onto authorized disposal facilities for proper disposal.
Licensed Clinical Waste Disposal
Presently there are only 2 types of disposal method, landfill and incineration. It is envisaged when the Bill is passed and everything in order, clinical waste can only be disposed of by incineration in the to-be-modified Chemical Waste Treatment Centre. However, the Bill will not come into effect in 1-2 years’ time, so the healthcare professions in Hong Kong will have a grace period.
Thus all clinical wastes are disposed in landfill sites managed by the EPD currently, under a monitoring system from production to proper disposal. This is a so-called Trip Ticket System for the time being.