Definition of Sanitary Waste
Flush Hygiene provides companies with a Sanitary Waste Solution that ensures compliance with Feminine Hygiene rules and regulations through the management of Sanitary Bins (Sani bins) and nappy bins.
Sanitary bins are necessary for the disposal of feminine hygiene products such as tampons and pads. These are brimming with bacteria and germs, which can cause illness and contamination if not correctly discarded.
What is Sanitary Waste Disposal?
The collection and disposal of Feminine Waste products through a discreet, professional, and hygienic process. Flush Hygiene staff visits commercial premises regularly to remove, sanitise and dispose of feminine waste from commercial washrooms in London, Kent, and the Southeast region.
How are Sanitary Bins emptied in the Workplace?
Businesses need to provide their staff with hygienic facilities and Flush Hygiene is contracted to manage commercial washrooms through the provision of Sani bins, replacement of bin liners, and Hygenic sanitisation methods, to ensure Feminine Hygiene is maintained at an optimum level.
How often do the Bins need emptying?
Sanitary bins are necessary for the disposal of feminine hygiene products such as tampons and pads. These are brimming with bacteria and germs, which can cause illness and contamination if not correctly discarded. Bins should be emptied regularly and we collect weekly, bi-weekly and if needed, monthly.
Workplace Regulations for Sanitary Bins
Your business has a legal “duty of care” to correctly and safely manage waste on your premises, right up to the point of final disposal.
As a business, you are legally required to adhere to a range of sanitary waste disposal regulations:
- Workplace (Health, Safety, and Welfare) Regulations 1992
- Water Industries Act 1991
- Environmental Protection Act 1990
Can anyone empty workplace sanitary bins?
Under the ‘Duty of Care’ Act, there is a legal requirement for a business to manage sanitary waste to the point of disposal. This means employees cannot be made responsible for disposing of the waste themselves.
All sanitary waste must be handled by a licensed carrier
A full audit trail of documentation must be available and kept for two years after collection.
Baby Care Regulations and Legal Requirements
How should nurseries manage nappy waste?
Nurseries have a specific requirement for nappy waste, due to the volume of infants in their care. Like other businesses, they must be compliant with rules and regulations and adhere to correct procedures for waste removal and processing.
- Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Act (COSHH)
… requirement to control substances that are hazardous to health and includes nanomaterials - Environmental Protection Act 1990
… all waste produced on nurseries premises is managed correctly up until final disposal - Nursery Waste is considered Biohazardous
…. which means you can not dispose of it with normal household waste collections
Is there a specific Hygiene Regulation for Nurseries?
Nurseries come under the same rules and regulations as any other business, with a specific focus on ‘Nappy Waste’ and therefore the regulations below apply.
- Health and Safety at Work Act 1999
- Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984
- Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002
- Food Safety Act 1990
What are the rules on Certification and Codes of Good Practice?
Food and Hygiene Training Certificates must be clearly displayed, as well as a notice indicating the active member of staff responsible for healthcare and hygiene.
Display certificates and notices as follows:
- Risk Assessments
- Smoking ban (Health Act 2006)
- Food Hygiene Certificates
- Environmental Health Registration
- Public Liability Insurance
Are there Rules for Designated areas in a Nursery (Workplace)?
All registered childcare providers must follow any relevant legislation, including laws about health and safety, disability discrimination, food hygiene, fire, and planning requirements.
What is the process for Disposing of Nappy Waste from Schools and Nurseries?
Nappy Waste generated from Childcare Practices is classed as Clinical Waste. This means it is against the law to put them in domestic bins.
Nappy Bins must be provided, with removal and disposal carried out on a daily basis by a specialised waste disposal firm, who can process the waste efficiently and discreetly
Do I need to provide Baby Changing facilities?
It is not a legal requirement for your business to provide baby changing facilities, but most new building projects do cater for it. Where space is an issue, it is commonplace for a business to provide Nappy Waste Bins along with Feminine Waste Bins, so that mothers may dispose of waste in an efficient and hygienic manner.
Clinical Waste Regulations
What is offensive waste?
‘Offensive waste’ is non-clinical waste that is non-infectious and does not contain pharmaceutical or chemical substances, but may be unpleasant to anyone who comes into contact with it
What are the regulations for offensive waste?
You can dispose of offensive waste by incineration or non-hazardous landfill.
Most clinical waste treatment sites are not authorised to dispose of offensive waste as it is not infectious. If is your responsibility as a business, to ensure that the waste collection service providers you use is authorised to deal with your particular type of waste. Flush Hygiene, for example, is able to legally collect and dispose of your waste.
What is the process for disposing of offensive waste?
The Environmental Protection Act deals with issues relating to waste on land, defining all aspects of waste management and places a duty on local authorities to collect waste. As a business, you have a duty to ensure that any waste your company produces is handled safely and within the law
What is the process for disposing of incontinence waste?
Incontinence pads are not always clinical/infectious waste and can often be classed as offensive. Incontinence pads are not generally regarded as infectious waste unless patients have a urinary tract infection.
Used pads should be folded up and placed in a plastic bag for disposal. Even small pads should not be put in flushable toilets. The super absorbent gel in them will swell up and the toilet could become blocked.
What are the different types of workplace waste?
Workplace waste is normally divided into three distinct categories:
- Medical Waste
- Sanitary Waste
- Domestic Waste – broken into:
- Recycled Waste (glass, cardboard, paper, etc)
- Non-Recycled Waste (waste which can not be recycled)
Flush Hygiene service customers in London, Kent, and the Southeast region.