Veterinary Waste Disposal Types of waste within the

Veterinary Waste Disposal

Types of waste within the veterinary practice • Name types of waste you would find within the veterinary practice

Types of waste within the veterinary practice • Name types of waste you would find within the veterinary practice

Legislation • Environmental Protection Act 1990 • Hazardous Waste Regulation 2009

Environmental Protection Act 1990 • This Act states that ‘ all establishments are responsible for their own waste’ and was amended in 1992 to also include a ‘duty of care for controlled waste’. Duty of Care • This means that the manager would be responsible for the disposal of waste created by a business. This includes: – providing secure bin units outside of the business. – The waste should be segregated and easily identified and easily accessible by authorised personnel. – If bins are secured. Bins being accessible by the general public could cause prosecution.

Hazardous Waste Regulation 2009 • This regulation states that waste should be separated into 2 categories: – Hazardous Waste – Non hazardous Waste

Types of disposal waste

Cytotoxic pharmaceuticals Contaminated sharps Infectious, clinical waste

Disposal of sharps • Syringes, needles or other sharp instruments • This includes surgical blades and needles • Purple waste containers are for cytotoxic drugs • Yellow waste - containers are for blood contaminated waste • Orange lid – non contaminated waste / pharmaceutical waste

Clinical Waste • Waste containing micro-organisms or bodily fluids which are known or reliably believed to cause disease in humans or other living organisms. This could involve contagious and zoonotic waste This may include: ■ Items used in treatment (for example, swabs, masks and gloves, which may include bloodcontaminated items ■Animal bedding ■Blood and body parts.

Disposal of medicines • Non hazardous drugs that are required to be disposed are required to be placed in a green container • Cytotoxic drugs are required to be placed in a purple container

Non Offensive Waste Offensive waste Domestic Waste Cadaver Waste

Non Hazardous clinical waste • Offensive waste is veterinary waste other than sharps that is not hazardous or clinical but which is unpleasant and may cause offence. • This waste does not present a risk of infection or other potential hazard to any animal or person that may come into contact with it, even if mismanaged. • This waste requires incineration or other treatment prior to landfill. • Offensive waste may include: ■■ Items used in treatment (for example swabs, masks and gloves, which may include blood-contaminated items) ■■ Animal bedding ■■ Animal faeces. These must not contain body parts or body tissues

Domestic Waste • Waste that only contains domestic rubbish. This includes separate recyclable and mixed non-recyclable materials. • Batteries and hazardous items should not be placed in the • mixed municipal waste. Recyclables may include: ■■ Paper, card, unsoiled newspapers and magazines ■■ Plastic food containers ■■ Drink cans ■■ Batteries.

Cadavers • Pet cadavers are now transferred and disposed of under animal by-product controls, except where the cadaver is suspected of harbouring a notifiable disease in which collection from Defra should be arranged. Disposal ■■ Burial at home ■■ Burial in a pet cemetery ■■ Cremation.

Veterinary storage of cadavers • Once an animal has died, the animal is classed as a cadaver • Owners may choose to bury at home or have their pet cremated. • If owners chose cremation, the body will be sealed in a bag and stored in cold storage to prevent decomposition

Cadaver Disposal • Cadavers are classed as animal tissue and are therefore clinical waste. • If the cadaver is left at the practice for disposal they will be disposed of with clinical waste and stored in a chiller/freezer until collection

Non infectious cadavers can be buried at home Routine cremation: animal cremated in mass Private Cremation: animals cremated individually Infectious cadavers will be required to be cremated and treated a infectious waste If you suspect the cadaver is harbouring a notifiable disease, collection and disposal will be arranged by Defra.

Agriculture • Within the agriculture and farming industries, cadavers are able to go into the food chain although regulations must be followed • The cadaver must be free from medication- an example would be phenylbutazone. A period of time will be required to be recorded • Labels should be attached to the body bag to identify the cadaver and full clinical history – cadavers are required to tracked. • Burial at home – Environmental Agency will need to be contacted

Task • Outline what type of veterinary waste would go in the below collection waste

• http: //www. inbrief. co. uk/legal-system/wastemanagement. htm