Disposal of Clinical Waste
Clinical Waste is either heat treated or incinerated dependent on the type of waste generated. The different types of materials and the required treatment are defined below and in the attached table:
Clinical waste is waste which has the potential to cause sharps injury, infection or offence. When packaged and disposed of appropriately there is virtually no public health significance. Clinical waste contains the following types of waste: sharps; human tissue (excluding hair, teeth and nails); bulk body fluids and blood; visibly blood stained body fluids and visibly blood stained disposable material and equipment; laboratory specimens and cultures; animal tissues, carcasses or other waste arising from laboratory investigation or for medical or veterinary research.
The operative term is “offence” - this should not be infectious material , which must be sterilised before disposal. Microbial and cell cultures should generally be disposed of through other waste streams after sterilisation by either autoclaving or disinfectant as appropriate. In addition to animal carcasses and body parts it may also include sharps boxes /burn bins which may contain gels contaminated with significant quantities of acrylamide or ethidium bromide (EtBr) – “Cytotoxic waste”. Note that micropipette tips and paper towels that may have been in contact with such gels are unlikely to be carry significant quantities of acrylamide or EtBr and should be disposed of by other waste streams as follows; Gloves, tips, eppendorfs etc. which are not infectious, cytotoxic or harmful, should be autoclaved and then placed in a bag with a ‘MADE SAFE FOR DISPOSAL’ label attached: The bag can then be disposed of in the general waste bins. Note that personnel from labs in the MBC should leave bags for autoclaving in the bin provided in 0B.436; autoclaving and disposal will be carried out by technical staff . Plasticware contaminated with phenol, chloroform or formamide should also be disposed of as cytotoxic waste (purplelidded sharps boxes or burn bins labeled HY). Waste from other harmful and corrosive but not toxic chemicals eg. Guanidine thiocyanate, should be disposed of in the yellow-lidded clinical waste bins for incineration
(labeled HI).
Please follow the instructions below and in the table for dealing with clinical waste.
The MBC store will keep the burn bins, sharps bins and green waste bags as stock items.
The Contractor will only accept material which has been segregated, packaged and labeled as described in the attached table:
(The bins should be labeled with a waterproof felt-tip pen.)
The contractor will not accept waste in any other containers such as clinical waste plastic bags or other “homemade” containers.
Please note the 60 litre burn bins must not be used for sharps – they are thin gauge plastic and are not designed to contain sharps.
Every container should be uniquely labeled (lab number and building e.g. 01.420 MBC) and identifiable and all the relevant details recorded in the clinical waste log book. No other labeling should be on the bin – if this is necessary for identification purposes in the lab please use a paper label and remove before taking to the Clinical Waste Store.
If waste is “fly-tipped” or inadequately labeled then the locks on the waste store will be replaced and access severely restricted.
There is only one key on site for the Clinical Waste Store which may be obtained from the Porters Reception and must be signed for.
If you need further information please do not hesitate to contact the Biological Safety Officer in University
Safety Services.
May 2014

Type of Clinical waste Bin
60 Litre ‘Orange-lidded’ burn bin (Rigid Container)
Contents
Infectious / Potentially infectious clinical waste contaminated with blood / bodily fluids
Label with Waterproof pen
HT
Various sizes
Various sizes
‘Orange-lidded’
‘Purple-lidded’
sharps bins
sharps bins
Laboratory clinical sharps
Laboratory clinical sharps contaminated with human tissue - (orange lidded sharps bin must then be placed inside red lidded burn bin)
HT
HTA relevant material
Cytotoxic and Cytostatic sharps and EtBr gels
& plasticware contaminated with phenol, chloroform or formamide
HY
30 Litre ‘Purple-lidded’ burn bin (Rigid Container) Clinical waste contaminated with cytotoxic and cytostatic material eg. EtBr gels
HY
60 Litre ‘Yellow-lidded’ burn bin (Rigid Container) Laboratory Clinical Waste not suitable for heat treatment; including waste from harmful & corrosive but NOT TOXIC chemicals eg.
Guanidine thiocyanate. 60 litre burn bins must not be used for sharps
HI
60 Litre ‘Red-lidded’ burn bin (Rigid Container) Human Anatomical Waste
Human Tissue Waste
Animal Anatomical Waste - Green Freezer bags (see below)
HA
HTA relevant material
VA
Green Freezer bags
Animal anatomical waste that is likely to undergo putrefaction should be placed in these bags and labeled before freezing. Paper tissues contaminated with animal tissue/fluids may also be placed in the bag. Nothing else to be placed in the bag or the Waste Contractor will not uplift the material. The bags should be placed in the bins in the freezers to give the waste shape when frozen. Do not place the lids on these bins. Do not leave closed bins in the freezers.
VA
May 2014