4.12 Waste Management Policy and Procedure

Choice Community Health manages all waste generated by the business to ensure that waste is managed efficiently and safely in accordance with the right guidelines while also contributing to the betterment of the environment.

Policy

Choice Community Health will manage all waste is an efficient and effective manner while also ensuring no harm to the environment. Choice Community Health personnel will take active steps to reduce the amount of waste generated, reuse multi-use items and recycle appropriate waste. Choice Community Health will dispose of waste in the correct manner and location.

Procedure

Choice Community Health understands that during the execution of its business activities, there will be waste generated. This waste must be properly disposed as per its nature. For this purpose, Choice Community Health classifies the generated waste into the following categories:

General Waste

General waste is waste which can be disposed of in the general waste bins. It does not contain hazardous material, will not cause infection and does not contain private or confidential information. General waste is bagged at point of generation and disposed of in the general waste bins either at the client’s home or at the offices. Incontinence pads can be disposed of in the general waste bin if they are bagged in a strong plastic bag.

Clinical Waste

Clinical waste has the potential to cause harm or infection. It includes dressings which are saturated with blood and body fluids and full sharps containers. All clinical waste will be double-bagged and disposed of in the clinical waste bins. Medication waste like drugs, containers, unused pills, IVs, tubes, bottles or syringes are also treated as clinical waste.

Confidential Waste

Confidential waste is waste which contains information that may breach a person’s privacy, or contain commercially confidential information. Confidential waste will be shredded or personally identifiable information will be redacted before waste.

Recycling

Recyclable waste will be disposed in recycling waste bins at the client’s home or at offices depending on where it is generated.

Handling of Waste

Staff handling waste should wear appropriate PPEs and minimise the transport of waste from the waste bin to dumpsters or waste collector. If waste spills out of the waste container staff must wear appropriate PPE to collect the waste and place it back into the waste container.

The PPE staff must wear includes eye protection, thick household gloves and an apron.

If the spilled waste creates a liquid spill the waste must be cleaned using a specialised waste management kit.

Supporting Documents

Documents, forms and templates referenced in or related to this policy and procedure are listed below: