In British hospitals is it illegal to dispose of used latex gloves in the black household bags? ?6 replies

In British hospitals is it illegal to dispose of used latex gloves in black household bags ?
also is it illegal to dispose of cloths that have been used for cleaning with acti chlor plus ,in black household bags?
and how about cloths that have been used to clean up bodily fluids
(urine and poo) should they go into black bags?
Should these not be disposed of in yellow bags for incineration?

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1. paul h said on March 23, 2009 at 7:30 am

   I’m not sure u can ask a professional doctor.
2. D D said on March 23, 2009 at 7:57 pm

   As far as I am aware it is not illegal.
   If it was then you’d have every mother in the country who ever put a pooey nappy in the bin being charged,or every woman who wrapped up used sanitary towels, or people with incontinence pads etc…
3. tenko cowboy said on March 24, 2009 at 9:09 am

   they dont use black household bags in hospitals. Their very name ‘household’ should give you an idea as to where these bags are used. In hospitals you have yellow bags for incineration, dont recall seeing other colour bags.
4. H W said on March 26, 2009 at 5:47 pm

   I worked in a UK hospital for two years, and there were three sets of refuse bags: the black ones for general waste (food etc), white for paperwork (for shredding of confidential files), and yellow for hazardous waste, which includes latex gloves and cloths used for cleaning bodily fluids.

   While I am not sure of the actual legalities, if they exist, every worker at the hospital was fully debriefed/instructed on the proper usage of the bags. Any misuse would come from individuals themselves and not from the lack of guidelines, as they were very strict. If any worker was caught ignoring the rules they were severely reprimanded… well, at my hospital anyway. I cannot comment on all UK hospitals.
5. radley.x. said on March 27, 2009 at 2:45 am

   Nope, i think if a doctor uses them and sticks his hand up someones bum then it will go in clinical waste but when i wear them to prepare medicines i just put them in a black bag.
6. David C said on March 30, 2009 at 12:34 pm

   Depends on the use of the gloves. If considered clinical waste then they should be disposed of in yellow bags, or sharps bins. Clinical waste is defined below:
   “Clinical waste is defined in the Controlled Waste Regulations 1992. It means any waste which consists wholly or partly of:

   human or animal tissue;
   blood or bodily fluids;
   excretions;
   drugs or other pharmaceutical products;
   swabs or dressings; or;
   syringes, needles or other sharp instruments;
   which unless rendered safe may prove hazardous to any person coming into contact with it. And:

   any other waste arising from medical, nursing, dental, veterinary, pharmaceutical or similar practice, investigation, treatment, care teaching or research, or the collection of blood for transfusion, being waste which may cause infection to any person coming into contact with it.”

   Whilst some actions may be technically illegal, it is very unlikely that they will be detected, if detected assigning blame is difficult, if blame assigned probably not financially viable to prosecute. Not entirely sure of legalities