New Waste Disposal Chart (BVA)

Re: New Waste Disposal Chart (BVA)

Rob Loxley — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:10:16 GMT

So is our waste disposal provider (CPC) ever going to supply yellow and purple bags, or will they continue to insist anything that might be contaminated with cytotoxics (e.g. gloves, gowns, masks used when giving chemo) goes in a yellow/purple sharps bin!?

An how many people are segregating out potentially toxic for reproduction / mutagenic drugs (e.g. empty hormone vials, syringes used for Alizin/Tardak/Mesalin injections, returned Atopica and Optimmune, Chloramphenicol eye drops), from the 'normal' 'DOOP' bin into the cytotoxic waste, along with the chemotherapy drugs...? Can you even get a purple 'DOOP' bin?

And where are people disposing of syringes used for 'regular' drugs - 'DOOP' bin or sharps bin? And does this correlate to your waste disposal provider who has different ideas to the BVA...

Re: New Waste Disposal Chart (BVA)

Julian Earl — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:43:17 GMT

[quote user="Mike Martin"]

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]I don't see the problem with putting offensive waste in with clinical waste i.e. shit with the dirty swabs, it is going at a higher level of risk.[/quote]

That's what we do. Keep is simple. Put all waste (except ordinary household stuff) in the clinical waste - get all incinerated. Simplifies the bin options in-clinic. Simplifies it for staff and me. Saves space. The cost difference for us is marginal. But we are a small practice.

[/quote]

That's what we (try to) do as well, more or less. Yucky stuff in yellow, injectable stuff in DOOPs, domestic in black orange because that's what the bin men provide.

I thought the problem though was that some large percentage of waste intended for incineration never gets burnt because the UK capacity for incineration isn't there and a lot ends up on tips. Consequently, waste that would be suitable for autoclaving is supposed to be separated out in to an orange bag for steam-treatment. If a collection service lorry crashes and the wrong waste spills out, we are liable for the wrong waste in the wrong bag and the (supposed) hazard to the people picking up the debris. Just how great the risk is to anyone from this scenario is another question.

Re: New Waste Disposal Chart (BVA)

Mike Martin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:42:26 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]I don't see the problem with putting offensive waste in with clinical waste i.e. shit with the dirty swabs, it is going at a higher level of risk.[/quote]

Re: New Waste Disposal Chart (BVA)

Michael Woodhouse — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:27:07 GMT

I managed to get a vet degree yet I don't really 'get' all this

BVA link

The pet cremation chap charges us the same per bag whether its a yellow 'hazardous' or a tiger bag so everything goes in the yellow bag. I frequently jump on them and get our money's worth.

We done use chemo drugs so that's one waste stream out.

Re: New Waste Disposal Chart (BVA)

Bob Russell — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:28:09 GMT

New chart. They sent an email this morning! The main difference seems to be about body parts and a few more bins and bags added.

Re: New Waste Disposal Chart (BVA)

bob lehner — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:20:41 GMT

[quote user="Bob Russell"]here is a new BVA chart [/quote]

Interested to know - Is there a new chart - or just the one that's been around for a long while ? On the BVA website they still have the 'old' one.

Re: New Waste Disposal Chart (BVA)

Bob Russell — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:49:32 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]

I don't see the problem with putting offensive waste in with clinical waste i.e. shit with the dirty swabs, it is going at a higher level of risk. As for hazardous waste by its strictest definition then we produce virtually none if hazardous means hazardous to human health. The regulations are complicated by the fact that different companies have different interpretation and different coloured bags and containers. We use CPC for cadavers and clinical waste as they collect weekly and PHS/DOOP for sharps/pharmaceutical waste and x-ray fluids as they only collect monthly.

[/quote]

Have you checked how much it costs to dispose of hazardous waste compared to offensive?

Re: New Waste Disposal Chart (BVA)

Bob Russell — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:47:55 GMT

We use PCS and have found them really good (for donkeys years). Their attitude has been practical and realistic. We were told by the Doop rep a few years ago that all the different coloured sharps bins ended up in the same skip and were all treated the same way (all high temperature incinerated).

A nice pair of sterile testicles must be lower risk than chicken fillets that have been sitting in the fridge for a month!

The BVA guide is as embellished as can be!!

I still look back with more than a little pride that when the Environment Agency man did an inspection (armed with reams of paperwork and charts) I suggested he went off and did something useful!

Re: New Waste Disposal Chart (BVA)

Martin Atkinson — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:46:10 GMT

Re: New Waste Disposal Chart (BVA)

Hannah Wynne Richards — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:42:08 GMT

BVA are probably following advice issued by civil servants who want to show that they're doing something-and so justifying our taxes being spent on their salaries

Wynne

Re: New Waste Disposal Chart (BVA)

Laurence Webb — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:34:42 GMT

We are in the process of changing from CPC to PCS for our cremation and waste disposal. Their advice is greatly simplified, requiring fewer bags and costing much less.

It seems we were being given the 'gold plated' waste handling advice that cost us an arm and a leg. As well as being hundreds of pounds more expensive than PCS we were decidedly unimpressed with their customer care. 11 months to replace a faulty freezer with one too small to puropose being a highlight.

Are BVA following the government's pattern (eg cascade in small animals) of taking EU directives then embellishing them when it isn't required?

Re: New Waste Disposal Chart (BVA)

plantagenet — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:33:20 GMT

sometimes a stand and look at something and just think where the hell do I chuck this. I don't mind sensible rules to avoid a real problem.