Capital Health Care Pty Ltd has the following hygiene and clinical waste guidelines in place.
Containers for disposal of waste Plastic bags used for the collection and storage of clinical waste, other than sharps, must be strong enough to safely contain the waste they are designed to hold, and must be labelled according to the colour coding shown. They should not be filled to more than two-thirds of their capacity, in order to allow for secure final closure. They must not be secured with closure devices having sharp protuberances, such as metal staples. If they are to be used for moist heat sterilization, the material from which they are made must be suitable for that purpose.
Non-PVC plastic liners should be used for containers which are destined for incineration. Pharmaceutical waste must be collected in containers that are non-reactive, tamperproof, designed to resist impact rupture, capture spills, and prevent the removal of waste, once it has reached the point of disposal.
Domiciliary waste: Transport of clinical waste from a worksite to a central facility must occur in a rigid and leak proof container that must be clearly labelled as specified above. The container must be carried in a load compartment of the car that is physically separated from the driver’s area, and the container must be restrained in the load compartment to prevent accidental spillage during transport. Finally, the vehicle must be equipped with personal protective equipment, spill kit and alcohol based hand rub, and the load compartment must be lined with impervious surfaces that can be easily cleaned.
Sharps containers: Sharps should be placed in rigid-walled containers that comply with AS 4031 and AS/NZS 4261. The emptying, cleaning and disinfection of reusable sharps containers must be in accordance with AS/NZS 4478. Single use sharps containers must never be emptied, cleaned or reused.
Transport to a disposal site: Clinical and related waste requiring transport to an appropriate disposal site is to be properly packaged and labelled. If the disposal facility is located away from the health care facility, the transportation is to be in accordance with the Environmental Protection (Controlled Waste) Regulations 2004