Sanitary Bin Waste – Why do I need a Service?

Posted on July 10, 2023July 10, 2023 by lee whalley

Sanitary Bin Waste – Why do I need a Service?

Having a sanitary waste facility is a crucial part of your “Duty of Care” to ensure the well-being and safety of your female employees, visitors, patients, and others. It is not just a matter of convenience but also a legal requirement under the ‘Duty of Care’ Act 1990, specifically section 34.

Failure to provide a proper facility for the disposal and collection of sanitary waste may result in a violation of the law. In fact, 96% of companies and organizations comply with this requirement by utilizing a licensed waste contractor’s Sanitary Bin service, which includes a waste transfer note for each collection. Retaining these waste transfer notes for three years demonstrates responsible management and treatment of sanitary waste.

Alternatively, you can opt for an in-house solution by providing a pedal bin with a treated liner to contain any odors and potential infections. However, it is essential to ensure that this waste is handled and disposed of correctly.

It’s worth noting that the ‘Duty of Care’ Act 1990 section 34 is supported by the Water Industries Act 1991, which prohibits flushing sanitary waste down toilets to prevent blockages in the sewer or drain. Additionally, it’s important to recognise that there are no soluble sanitary towels or tampons, and flushing them can lead to blocked drains and increased costs for your business.

Is a Sanitary Bin Waste Service a Legal Requirement?

In the UK, sanitary waste disposal is governed by legislation aimed at ensuring safe and hygienic waste management. The following laws are relevant:

The Workplace (Health, Safety & Welfare) Regulation 1992 recommends that all businesses provide appropriate units/bins for disposing of sanitary waste in female toilets.
The Water Industries Act 1991 prohibits flushing sanitary waste that may harm the sewer system or drains.
The Environmental Protection Act 1990 imposes a Duty of Care on businesses that produce, keep, or dispose of controlled waste, including sanitary waste.

Understanding Duty of Care

Duty of Care is a legal requirement for waste handlers to take reasonable steps to ensure the safe management of waste. As a business, you are responsible for producing, storing, transporting, and disposing of your waste without causing harm to the environment. This duty has no time limit and extends throughout the waste management chain.

To fulfill your duty of care, you must:

Segregate, store, and transport waste appropriately and securely to prevent pollution and harm to human health.
Ensure that waste is handled and transported by authorized individuals or businesses.
Complete waste transfer notes accurately, providing a detailed description of the waste, and retain them for at least two years.

You must also verify that any waste carrier you engage is authorized to accept your waste.

Understanding Waste Transfer Notes

As a waste producer, you have a legal obligation to certify that your offensive/sanitary/incontinence waste is managed compliantly and without harming the environment. This certification is known as a Waste Transfer Note (WTN). A licensed waste service provider should collect and transport your waste, issuing a WTN for each consignment. These WTNs serve as a record of the waste’s transfer, which should be retained for at least two years.

WTNs ensure a clear audit trail from waste production to disposal, and failure to produce them when requested by environmental regulators or local councils can result in fines.

WTNs should contain detailed information, including a description of the waste, any processes it has undergone, how it is packaged, the quantity, the place and date of transfer, and the names and addresses of both parties. Additionally, the WTN should include the permit, license, or exemption details of the recipient and the appropriate European Waste Catalogue (EWC) code for the waste.

Managing Offensive/Sanitary Waste and Reducing Risks

Offensive waste, including sanitary waste, can pose health risks if not managed properly. Skin/eye infections and gastroenteritis are potential effects of exposure to such waste. To minimize these risks:

Employers should follow the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) to assess and prevent exposure to harmful substances or microorganisms.
Clean washrooms regularly using sanitizers that comply with EN 1276 standards to kill bacteria.
Use enclosed sanitary bins with “No Touch” operation (foot pedal or electronic sensor) and antimicrobial liners to prevent bacterial build-up and malodors.
Arrange regular servicing and cleaning of sanitary bins, typically on a monthly basis, and ensure only trained licensed operatives handle them.

Protecting Against Blood born Pathogens

In washrooms, particularly ladies’ toilets, exposure to bloodborne pathogens is a concern. Improper treatment of sanitary waste can increase the risk of exposure to diseases such as Hepatitis B & C, HIV, Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, E.coli, and MRSA.

To keep washrooms safe from bloodborne infections:

Clean washrooms regularly with effective sanitizers.
Ensure proper treatment and disposal of sanitary waste by using appropriate sanitary bins with antimicrobial liners.
Schedule regular servicing and cleaning of sanitary bins by trained licensed operatives.

By adhering to these practices, you can help protect the health and safety of your employees and reduce potential risks in your washrooms.

Will masks make a comeback?

Posted on January 19, 2023January 19, 2023 by lee whalley

Covid face masks are set to make a return as the World Health Organisation releases new advice.

The virus has spread rapidly through the world yet again after the mass lifting of restrictions in China.

The WHO have suggested people wear face masks in crowded areas — The World Health Organisation have suggested people wear face masks in crowded areas.

On top of this, the XBB.1.5 strain is expected to sweep across Europe in just weeks, as experts fear the strain is the most transmissible yet.

A study by the Nature Medicine journal predicted that the entire population of Beijing will have been infected by Covid.

That amounts to a staggering 22 million citizens.

In their attempt to curb the spread, the WHO has urged people to return to mask wearing if they are in crowded places, enclosed places, or places where there is poor ventilation.

People who cannot get a Covid test will have to isolate for 10 days.

They have called on countries to consider recommending that passengers wear masks on long-haul flights too.

They have also recommended that patients who have symptoms of Covid but are not able to test, isolate for ten days .

If an individual tests negative they can leave isolation early.

Total Covid-19 infections in the UK fell at the start of the month, suggesting the current wave may have peaked – though levels have yet to start dropping in every part of the country.

There has also been an “encouraging” decrease in the number of patients in hospital with the virus according to experts.

What are your thoughts?

Source GBNEWSUK

What’s the big deal with Sanitary bins?

Posted on November 3, 2022November 3, 2022 by lee whalley

Workplaces should always provide sanitary bins, whether intended for nappies, feminine hygiene, medical waste or anything else that would be considered inappropriate to dispose of in ‘normal’ litter bins. Making sure that there is some form of sanitary bin in any public sectors ensures that people know where to dispose of these forms of waste and can do so accordingly.

You may not be aware that sanitary bins are extremely dangerous. Why we hear you say?!

Harmful germs that land on bins can be a great risk to your health and wellbeing. Every time a toilet is flushed, mist evaporates into the air and lands onto sanitary bins next to the toilet, which contains the likes of Salmonella and E.coli. Having your bin professionally disposed of may be the best solution to ensure that you in-house cleaner does not go off on long-term sick! We know how to dispose of these bins effectively and will have the correct equipment to do so.

Sanitary bins come in all shapes and sizes. They can be easily cleaned to get rid of any bugs or bacteria that may be present. Keeping bins hygienic in public places is essential, especially when there are so many people using them throughout the course of the day.

You can opt for pedal or sensor bins so that the bin itself doesn’t ever need to be touched when disposing of sanitary items. There will be germs inside and outside of the bin, therefore safeguarding that hygiene is kept up to an ideal standard means that bins should be operated without having to be touched at all.

Every sanitary bin should be of a suitable size due to the large amounts of waste that will be needed to be disposed of every single day. Overfilling bins that aren’t large enough to cope with the amount of waste will cause severe and rather unpleasant odours, if bins are emptied at certain times of the day and not all that regularly.

Ensure that the quantity of bins is suitable for the area and big enough for everyone to use to prevent overfilling. If the bins do become full too quickly; the next issue would be that waste could be thrown down the toilet causing blockages that will add up to even more of an expense. Investing in the correct bin initially will save a great deal of money, time and effort for all involved. We can help calculate what you will need don’t worry.

It Is also important to know that sanitary bins are NOT the same as ordinary bins that are in shopping centres and on high-streets. Sanitary items such as bandages, sanitary towels and nappies are disposed of differently than usual waste which is taken to landfills, due to governing laws.

Get in touch with us today to discuss the best solutions for your business. We work in the North of England and can often be seen in Manchester, Bolton, Bradford, Preston, Bury, Liverpool, Southport, Chorley, Blackburn.

Hand Dryers or Paper Towels dispensers: Which is Best for your Business?

Posted on October 6, 2022October 6, 2022 by lee whalley

If you’re in the process of renovating your washroom, you’ll want the best solution you can afford. Choosing your soap dispensers, toilet roll holders, and air fresheners are fairly straightforward, but when it comes to drying yours and your customers hands, you’ll be faced with the choice of electric or paper.

Advantages of Paper Towel Dispensers

Paper towel dispensers are a little more flexible than electric hand dryers, making them ideal for building sites, garages, gyms and much more.

Watch out for those rising bills – No Need for Electricity!

Manual paper towel dispensers don’t need to be plugged in so you can install them anywhere. They’re perfect for portacabins or building sites which might not have access to a power supply. Also, this means they’re not subject to PAT testing so they’re much quicker and easier to install in the workplace.

Quicker to use

Once a user has pulled out a paper towel, they can move away from the dispenser and let someone else dry their hands. This means a paper towel dispenser is great for very high-traffic areas or places where your staff need to constantly clean their hands, such as a garage or a kitchen.

Quick and Efficient

Paper towel dispensers can dry hands very quickly – buy you do need to keep them stocked with paper towels.

Quiet

While there are electric hand dryers that are quiet, it’s impossible to find a silent one. Paper towel dispensers sidestep this problem completely, so they’re recommended for smaller businesses or workplaces where noise is a concern.

Cheaper to Buy

Paper towel dispensers are generally the more affordable choice for your washroom, so if you know you have a large washroom that needs several sets of hand drying options, a paper towel dispenser is the most cost-effective solution.

Advantages of Electric Hand Dryers

In times gone by, electric hand dryers were an expensive and often impractical luxury. However, hand dryers have come a long way in the last decade or so, meaning they’re faster, quieter, and eco-friendlier than they’ve ever been.

Cheaper to Run and Eco-Friendly

Electric hand dryers cost a little more to buy, but most modern models are so energy-efficient that you’ll make that money back in energy savings compared to the cost of replacing your paper towel supplies. Hand dryers such as the Jet Blade cost, on average, between £4 and £10 a year to run, dramatically reducing your overheads and helping out the environment, too.

Space-Saving

If you have a paper towel dispenser, you need to make sure you have some storage space to keep your replacement paper towels. If you only have one paper towel dispenser, this isn’t much of a problem, but if you have several then you’ll need to keep a lot of bulky paper towel packages. An electric hand dryer completely avoids this problem, so they’re good for any business where space is at a premium.

Cut Down on Waste

For every paper towel you have to store, you also need to bear in mind that you’ll need to dispose of that towel once it’s been used. That brings with associated costs, such as extra waste bins for your washroom, extra cleaning and maintenance, plus waste disposal. An electric hand dryer produces no waste whatsoever, perfect for any environmentally conscious business.

Low-Maintenance

Hand dryers need barely any maintenance to run properly. In addition, they tend to stay more hygienic as you don’t need to touch them much to use them. With an automatic hand dryer, users don’t need to touch the unit at all to dry their hands, reducing the number of bacteria that ends up on the unit. This reduces the time it takes to keep them clean, making hand dryers an essential purchase for any business washroom in a high-traffic area, such as a service station or shopping centre.

Quick and Efficient

Modern hand dryers can dry hands in around 10 seconds – just as quick as a paper towel. As with paper towels, though, the drying time can vary depending on the quality of the product you buy. A cheaply-made hand dryer will take much longer to dry your hands than a quality paper towel and vice versa.

Overall: Should You Get an Electric Hand Dryer or a Paper Towel Dispenser?

If you’re an environmentally conscious business that wants a low-maintenance, low-cost hand drying solution for your washroom, an electric hand dryer is the best choice. If you want something that can be used flexibly to dry user’s hands quickly and often, or if you want the freedom to install it in areas without electricity, a paper towel dispenser is the best choice. If you use your hand dryer or paper towel dispenser properly and you ensure your staff and customers can use a hygienic soap dispenser to wash their hands, there isn’t any difference when it comes to hygiene.

Speak to us today regarding your hand drying solutions or to order paper towels.