As the UK continues to fight back against Coronavirus, huge amounts of personal protective equipment (PPE) are being made and distributed to frontline workers daily.
There have been no national figures supplied so far on just how much PPE we are using as a country, but to give you an idea, government minister Matt Warman released statistics for the United Lincolnshire Hospital Trust which covers four hospitals in the region. The BBC reports: “Even in an area with relatively few Covid-19 infections, the daily use of PPE is pretty staggering: 39,500 surgical masks per day, 11,495 gloves, 1,501 gowns and 4,201 highly-protective FFP3 respirator masks, as well as aprons and eye protectors” (source: BBC News).
PPE is being used by frontline workers who come into contact with the general public on a daily basis from care home workers to doctors, supermarket workers to paramedics. It goes without saying that the use of PPE is vital in protecting our frontline workers from catching the virus, but it’s important to dispose of PPE properly to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
DCW provides hospitals, surgeries and care homes with a fully compliant and documented waste collection service including clinical and sanitary waste, medical items and sharps. If your business is currently using PPE, these are the three steps you need to follow to safely dispose of your PPE waste to protect your staff and DCW’s collection team:
- Store securely
All PPE is single use only. After use, immediately store your PPE waste securely in a disposable rubbish bag, separate from other waste.
- Double bag
Once your first bag of waste is secure, grab another to double bag it. Tighten the bag to ensure that there are no air holes. By double bagging your PPE waste, you will reduce the risk of contamination from the exterior of the original bag.
- Leave for 72 hours
Keep your PPE waste bag completely separate from other types of waste and put it aside for 72 hours before you place the bag in our bins for disposal. Storing the waste for 72 hours minimises the risk for the DCW operatives who will be collecting your waste.
We’d like to say a massive thank you to all of the frontline heroes that are keeping our country going. We have so much gratitude for the work you are doing in the fight against Coronavirus.
If you’d like to learn more about our clinical waste disposal services, click here or call 01392 537 126.