Clinical waste disposal

The proper disposal of clinical waste is one of the most important measures needed to control the spread of infection within a practice. 

There are a number of different types of clinical waste that are produced daily in a dental surgery. Waste that is infectious, hazardous, medicinal or a threat to hygiene must be recognised as potentially dangerous and must be disposed of according to proper guidelines. 

Waste to consider includes: 

Anything generated from healthcare practices could pose a serious risk of infection, having been exposed to potential pathogens in the environment. Anything that has come into contact with bodily fluids needs to be treated cautiously, and it is prudent to consider that everything is infected. With this in mind, it is important all members of staff are trained to recognise, and understand how to dispose of all types of clinical waste. 

Clinical waste must be disposed of in an appropriate clinical waste bag. Yellow bags denote waste that needs to be incinerated, which includes anything that has had contact with potentially contaminated fluids, such as blood or saliva. Any contaminated glassware, if it can not be decontaminated, must be securely wrapped in paper, and placed in the clinical waste bag. Staff should then be made aware the bag contains glass, and take additional care when disposing, so as to avoid breakage. Items to be disposed of in a clinical waste bag include: saliva ejectors/disposable suction tips, cups, tissues, gauze/cotton rolls, gloves, face masks, sticky covers/cling film and used disinfectant wipes.