Saving the environment makes cents Tony Badrick Cost

Saving the environment makes cents Tony Badrick

Cost of Clinical Laboratories? Healthcare has a massive carbon footprint: Brazil: Hospital account for 10. 6% of the country’s total commercial energy consumption USA: Health-care buildings are the second most energy- intensive commercial sector buildings, using about twice as much energy per square foot as traditional office space. They spend about US $8. 5 billion a year on energy. England: The NHS has calculated it’s carbon footprint at more than 18 million tonnes of CO 2 each year - 25% of total public sector emissions.

But: Laboratories are major sources of waste Water Power Toxic chemicals Heat Infectious material Laboratories are very regulated They are used to continuous improvement They all have ISO 15189/9000

What are the benefits of an Environmental Management System? v Improved Environmental Performance – reduced waste v Compliance with regulations and legislation v Some preparation for business continuity problems v Improved corporate image (internal and external) v Cost Reductions

Principles of ISO 14001 Act Plan Review, continual improvement Commitment and Policy and planning Check Do Monitor, measure, evaluate Implement the Process

PLAN v Environmental Aspects v Record the different aspects of the business • Normal / Abnormal / Emergency • Consider Past, Ongoing and Planned aspects v Evaluate the aspects to decide which are “significant” v Practice wide significant environmental aspects • • Water usage Energy usage Consumables Waste • Chemicals • Biological • General / Recycling

PLAN • Legal and Other Requirements - Specific to activity eg permit to store DG – Specific to a product or service eg licence to discharge waste to sewer – Specific to industry eg building licence – General Federal, State & local Council legislation / permits • Objectives, targets and programmes

DO • • • Pen muster Recycle specimen bags Separate & recycle waste: paper, plastics 1 -5 Fluorescent tubes Styrofoam IT consumables Toner savings for printers – font size Double sided photocopying Treatment of liquid waste

DO v Documentation / Control of Documents • Corporate Quality Manual • Local Quality Manuals • Direct links between ISO 14001 & ISO 9001 v Emergency Preparedness and Response Fire / Chemical / Internal Emergency v Policies • • Environmental Management Policy Code of Practice Incentive Programs / campaigns Control requirements

CHECK • Monitoring and Measurement – KPI’s for stationery usage, waste disposal, water and energy usage etc. • Evaluation of Compliance – Legal Obligations • Non-conformity, corrective and preventative actions • Control of Records • Internal Audits

REVIEW / ACT • Management Review

Implementing ISO 14001 Complementarity of environmental, OHS & lean management • Reduce toxins • Reduce waste • Reduce use Conflict of environmental, OHS & lean management • Recycling eg sharps • Lean vs OHS vs environment

Recycle • • install new skips & bins small bins for general waste; large bins for recycling shredding confidential papers as generated all paper & cardboard products general recycling, including 24 hr urine bottles Plastics 1 -5 – inside contact Xylene & formalin recycling on site Landcare volunteers & project support

Reuse • specimen bags • paper / memos etc in printers • limit reuse - number of recycles - integrity of materials - maintenance of barrier / sterility - chemical changes eg rancid oils; threshhold levels of contaminants

Treatment of Liquid Trade Waste Xylene recycling on site Treatment of stains

Activated carbon column for treatment of haematology & Gram stains

Following passage through column, p. H is adjusted to 7 -9 prior to discharge.

Plastic reuse & reduce Vacutainer barrels: Clean & re-use barrels: 80, 000 barrels per year used (@3. 3 g) = 264 kg plastic 70% Ethanol: 18 534 bottles = 932 kg plastic Single use barrels: ~2. 5 million barrels/yr = 8. 25 t No plastic bottles 1. 2 tonnes cf 8. 25 tonnes Single use = 7 x amount of plastic

Achieved

Achieved

Achieved

Achieved

Results

Results

Papers Proposals for the mitigation of the environmental impact of clinical laboratories. Lopez and Badrick. Clin Chem Lab Med 2012; 50(9): 1559– 1564 2012 – International Fed Clin Chem – Guideline Document Outcomes and challenges of implementing an ISO 14001: 2004 environmental management system in a clinical laboratory. Reid, Kehrer, Badrick. J Aust Med Sc. 2012; 33: 88 -95. Implementing ISO 14001: 2004 environmental management system in a clinical laboratory: challenges and staff attitudes. Reid, Kehrer, Badrick. Submitted Quality Progress. 2012 The Impact on Costs and Efficiency of Reducing the Number of Collected Tubes. Hobson and Badrick. In press Clin Chem Lab Med 2012.

What is next? • Australia – further work on recycling • Awareness • SE Asia – pilot site – Asian Pacific Federation of Clinical Biochemistry