NZQA Expiring unit standard
27316 version 2
Page 1 of 4
Title
Collect, transport, and dispose of healthcare waste when working as
an orderly in a health or disability context
Level
4
Credits
5
Purpose
People credited with this unit standard are able to: describe
systems for collecting, segregating, transporting, and disposing
of health care waste; and collect, segregate, transport, and
dispose of health care waste in own organisation, when
working as an orderly in a health or disability context.
Classification
Health, Disability, and Aged Support > Health and Disability
Principles in Practice
Available grade
Achieved
Explanatory notes
1
Legislation and codes relevant to this unit standard include:
Health and Disability Commissioner (Code of Health and Disability Services
Consumers’ Rights) Regulations 1996;
Human Tissue Act 2008.
2
New Zealand Standard relevant to this unit standard:
NZS 4304:2002 Management of healthcare waste.
3
This unit standard cannot be assessed against in a simulated environment. For
assessment, candidates must demonstrate competence in the workplace through
paid or unpaid employment, or in placements in a service provider workplace
negotiated by an education provider.
4
Candidates’ practice must reflect appropriate values, processes, and protocols in
relation to working with Māori and Pacific peoples and/or people from other cultures,
in a range of settings and environments.
5
Definitions
Collecting healthcare waste refers to aggregating (bringing together) waste from
primary sources or storage areas in readiness for segregation and transportation.
Controlled waste is healthcare waste that is recognisable as coming from a medical
facility, and which may be contaminated or soiled with infectious or potentially
infectious human or animal body tissues, fluids, or solids that are not expressible
under compaction; or is not infectious or potentially infectious but may be considered
culturally or aesthetically offensive.
Community Support Services ITO Limited
SSB Code 101814
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA Expiring unit standard
27316 version 2
Page 2 of 4
Disposing of healthcare waste refers to the process of discarding or discharging
waste to a permanent site or through a regulated medium that will prevent the
possibility of subsequent harm, injury, or progressive damage to health or the
environment.
General waste refers to any waste that may be disposed of without controls, either at
landfill or to a sewer.
Hazardous waste is waste that poses a threat or risk to public health, safety, or the
environment.
Healthcare waste is discarded or extraneous material that is generated by or from
health-focused services or facilities.
Non-hazardous waste refers to any waste not classified within either of the
categories of hazardous waste or controlled waste.
An orderly is a person employed in a medical facility who undertakes a variety of
assistive and support tasks that do not involve the medical treatment of clients.
Organisation’s policies and procedures are the policies and procedures of the
employing organisation of the candidate and include ethical codes, standards, and
other organisational requirements.
Other type of waste includes cytotoxic waste, radioactive waste, sharps, and any
other hazardous waste.
Segregating healthcare waste refers to sorting and separating waste by waste
categories at the point of collection.
Transporting healthcare waste refers to physically moving waste from the point of
collection to a waste holding area, or from a waste holding area to pre-disposal
storage or final disposal.
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Describe systems for collecting, segregating, transporting, and disposing of healthcare
waste when working as an orderly in a health or disability context.
Range
waste – hazardous, non-hazardous.
Evidence requirements
1.1
Systems for collecting healthcare waste for disposal are described in
accordance with the organisation’s policies and procedures.
Range
1.2
Systems for segregating healthcare waste for disposal are described in
accordance with the organisation’s policies and procedures.
Range
1.3
systems – security, documentation.
systems – security, documentation.
Systems for transporting healthcare waste for disposal are described in
accordance with the organisation’s policies and procedures.
Range
systems – security, documentation.
Community Support Services ITO Limited
SSB Code 101814
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA Expiring unit standard
1.4
27316 version 2
Page 3 of 4
An orderly’s responsibilities for disposing of healthcare waste are described in
accordance with the organisation’s policies and procedures.
Outcome 2
Collect, segregate, transport, and dispose of healthcare waste when working as an orderly
in a health or disability context.
Range
evidence is required for three types of healthcare waste – general waste,
controlled waste, one other type of waste;
procedures must include – security of healthcare waste, safety of self and
others;
procedures may include documentation.
Evidence requirements
2.1
Healthcare waste is collected for disposal in accordance with the organisation’s
policies and procedures.
2.2
Healthcare waste is segregated for disposal in accordance with the
organisation’s policies and procedures.
2.3
Healthcare waste is transported for disposal in accordance with the
organisation’s policies and procedures.
2.4
Healthcare waste is disposed of in accordance with the organisation’s policies
and procedures.
Replacement information
This unit standard was replaced by unit standard 28549.
This unit standard is expiring. Assessment against the standard must take place by
the last date for assessment set out below.
Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process
Version Date
Last Date for Assessment
Registration
1
20 May 2011
31 December 2018
Review
2
16 April 2015
31 December 2018
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference
0024
This CMR can be accessed at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/framework/search/index.do.
Please note
Providers must be granted consent to assess against standards (accredited) by NZQA,
before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses
of study leading to that assessment.
Community Support Services ITO Limited
SSB Code 101814
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA Expiring unit standard
27316 version 2
Page 4 of 4
Industry Training Organisations must be granted consent to assess against standards by
NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.
Providers and Industry Training Organisations, which have been granted consent and
which are assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that
applies to those standards.
Requirements for consent to assess and an outline of the moderation system that applies
to this standard are outlined in the Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR). The
CMR also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing
to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors
and assessors, and special resource requirements.
Community Support Services ITO Limited
SSB Code 101814
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016