Help And Advice - Update

Updates on legislative and regulatory issues relating to clinical waste management will appear here.

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road Regulations 1996

Carriage of clinical waste must be carried out according to the above act and regulations as defined by the Health and Safety Executive and in accordance with the exemption certificate No.1 detailed below.

Certificate of Exemption No 1 of 2002

1. In pursuance of the power conferred on it by regulation 25(1) of the Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road Regulations 1996 ("the Regulations") and being satisfied as required by regulation 25(2) thereof, the Health and Safety Executive ("the Executive") hereby grants the following exemption subject to the conditions in paragraphs 4 and 5.

Definition

2. "Competent Authority" means the Secretary of State.

Exemption

3. The operator of a vehicle that is being used for the carriage of
UN 3291 CLINICAL WASTE, UNSPECIFIED, N.O.S shall be exempt from the prohibition for carriage in bulk applying to that type of waste set out in regulation 8(1) (a) of the Regulations and in column 8 of the Approved Carriage List, subject to the conditions in paragraphs 4 and 5.

Conditions

4. The consignor shall ensure that:

(a) clinical waste, other than that containing sharp objects, is placed is sealed leakproof sacks of a design type that is certified by the Competent Authority and marked as a suitable for solids in Packing Group II in accordance with regulation 6(1) (e) of the Carriage of Dangerous Goods (Classification, Packaging and Labelling) and Use of Transportable Pressure Receptacles Regulations 1996 and
(b) clinical waste containing sharp objects should be placed in leakproof packaging that is resistant to puncturing, being of a design type that is certified by a Competent Authority, in accordance with regulation 6(1) (e) of the Carriage of Dangerous Goods (Classification, Packing and Labelling) and Use of Transportable Pressure Receptacles Regulations 1996

5. The operator shall ensure that:

(a) clinical waste is carried in a closed vehicle or closed container
(b) appropriate measures are taken to prevent leakage of dangerous goods from the vehicle or container in the event of any of the sacks being damaged
(c) clinical waste contained within rigid packagings and that contained in sealed leakproof sacks should not be carried together in the same closed vehicle or closed container unless adequately segregated by a suitable rigid divider or compartment
(d) no other dangerous goods may be carried in the same container or compartment of the vehicle
(e) during loading and unloading the manual handling of the clinical waste shall be limited to reduce the risk of anyone being exposed to the clinical waste; and
(f) during loading or carriage the load shall not be compressed such that sacks are liable to be damaged and leak

Signed

Brian Etheridge
Head of Gas and Transport Safety Policy Division of the Safety Policy Directorate of the Executive who has been duly authorised by the Executive to sign in that behalf.

Date 28 February 2002

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