Australia - guide on healthcare wastes management issued

The 4th Edition of the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Waste Management Industry Group (ANZCWMIG) Code of Practice for the Management of Clinical and Related Wastes 2004 has been released following extensive consultation with State/Territory Health, Environment and Occupational Health & Safety Agencies as well as many Medical/Nursing professional associations.

The Code of Practice has been developed to ensure that clinical and related wastes are segregated, containerised, transported, treated and disposed of in a manner that promotes "best practice". This would ensure that there would not only be environmental benefits, but also ensuring the wastes are managed in a safe and cost-effective manner. In a significant step, this 4th Edition of the Code of Practice has been endorsed by both EPA Victoria and the Department of Environment WA as the guidelines for each of these States in relation to management of clinical and related waste.

This endorsement complements that already provided by the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards which states that the Code of Practice is the minimum standard that healthcare facilities should meet in respect to waste management when undergoing accreditation. The endorsement by EPA Victoria and the Department of Environment WA means that generators and managers of clinical and related waste in those jurisdictions are required to refer to the Code of Practice for management requirements.

To assist Victorian stakeholders, EPA Victoria has an Addendum to the Code of Practice (obtainable by following the link above), that clarifies specific management issues for this specific State. ANZCWMIG was formed in 1994 to develop and promote consistent standards for the management of Clinical and Related Wastes based on what is recognized as "best practice". Membership of the ANZCWMIG is from waste transporters/disposal facility operators, consultants to the healthcare sector, tertiary institutions, medical device manufacturers and other stakeholders.

For more information about ANZCWMIG please contact Pam Keating (Network Manager) - email info@clinicalwaste.org

Copies of the Code of practice (4th edition, 0.6MB) should soon be available from:

http://www.wmaa.asn.au/anzcwmig/home.html