Is PPE Disposal Confusing You?
With the introduction of compulsory facemasks to be used on public transport together with more people using PPE in the workplace this new uniform will become the normality for our every day working and living lives.
The confusion is how to dispose of the PPE correctly to help restrict the spread of COVID-19 and follow the correct guidelines. It is difficult to keep on top of the guidance that is coming through because this is an everchanging situation.
So if we look at a non-healthcare environment, eg. Offices, factories, shops, cafes etc then PPE such as face coverings, face masks and gloves do not need to be classed as clinical waste. This waste can go as general waste. You could introduce separate bins around the workplace to segregate this waste for best practice. Where this may become valuable is should there be a confirmed case of an employee having COVID-19 or start to show symptoms, it would allow you to speedily collect this waste and keep it for the 72 hours segregated from other waste bins. Then after the 72 hours it can go into general waste.
PPE disposal for healthcare environments is to go as clinical waste. The risk of coronavirus is high in these establishments and therefore all the waste should be sent for treatment or incineration. The waste should be put into orange clinical bags and arranged for collection and disposal by a certified waste carrier.
If you have any uncertainty about PPE disposal then we have a team at Medicare on standby to help with your enquiries and offer you advice on how we can implement these practices. We can assist in non-healthcare and healthcare environments.
Don’t get confused! Just ask Medicare!
