phs and producers of healthcare waste have a legal duty to collect certain information before waste can be collected and disposed of. This is called a Pre-Acceptance Audit.
To make the Pre-Acceptance process as easy as possible, phs now offer an enhanced digital Pre-Acceptance audit process.
This process has been developed as part of our commitment to continuous improvement, providing a simple, quick, and effective way for your business to meet legal obligations and stay compliant.
Where do I complete the audit?
If you are an existing phs customer, you can complete the digital phs pre-acceptance via the myphs portal. On the home page you will find a link to the My Audits area. Here you can follow the prompts to complete digital phs audit.
Alternatively, you can upload your own pre-acceptance audit. However, the digital phs audit is linked to your phs contracted waste services, making the process quick and simple.
The story behind pre-acceptance
Healthcare waste is waste produced during human and animal healthcare and related research activities. It covers both clinical and offensive waste and is generally the result of healthcare activities, like those taking place in hospitals, clinics, veterinary practices, and nursing homes.
Some healthcare waste producers have been required to assess their waste composition and inform their waste removal operators since 2010. The aim of this being to aid the safe collection and disposal of waste. The Environmental Agency prioritised this requirement in 2013 and pre-acceptance as we know it was created.
Now, all producers of human and animal healthcare waste are legally required to assess their waste segregation practices and provide an audit to their waste removal operators. This audit ensures the removal operators can safely handle, transport, store and dispose of the waste.
Pre-acceptance audits itemise the waste generated at a location and detail how it is segregated to ensure appropriate disposal methods, recycling procedures, and treatment options. This information prevents improper waste handling, reduces environmental risks, and minimises the potential for adverse health effects.
What is a pre-acceptance audit for healthcare waste?
A pre-acceptance waste audit is a legal requirement for various types of waste, ensuring they are handled and disposed of safely and responsibly. Regulated facilities must possess an environmental permit to treat or transfer healthcare waste.
It is important to follow the guidance provided by the Environment Agency to ensure proper waste management and storage and adherence to duty of care obligations.
The purpose of pre-acceptance is to:
- Ensure that waste is classified correctly
- Ensure that waste is correctly packaged and labelled
- Ensure that waste is correctly segregated, based on its hazard
- Ensure waste is transported in accordance with legal requirements
- Ensure that the site receiving waste is permitted to take waste
- Ensure that the site receiving waste has the resources to accept waste (e.g., sites receiving anatomical waste are likely to require refrigerators)
- Prevent harm to human health and the environment
- Provide a comprehensive audit trail for waste.
Types of Waste that Require Pre-Acceptance Audits
A pre-acceptance waste audit is crucial for the safe and efficient collection and disposal of waste in several waste streams:
Generated from hospitals, clinics, research laboratories, and other healthcare facilities, healthcare waste includes items like used bandages, gloves, and other medical supplies. Conducting pre-acceptance audits ensures compliance with regulations and safe disposal practices.
This category includes waste produced from medical procedures, such as surgical waste, anatomical waste, and infectious waste. Pre-acceptance audits help in classifying and managing clinical waste to prevent harm to human health and the environment.
Waste that poses a risk to human health or the environment, such as chemical waste, radioactive waste, and toxic waste, falls under this category. Pre-acceptance audits are essential for identifying and mitigating the risks associated with hazardous waste.
This includes waste that requires special handling and disposal, such as asbestos, lead, and mercury. Conducting pre-acceptance audits for special waste ensures that these materials are managed in accordance with legal requirements and environmental standards.
By conducting pre-acceptance audits for these types of waste streams, waste producers can ensure that they are meeting legal requirements and protecting both human health and the environment.
What are the requirements for a pre-acceptance waste audit?
If your business is generating healthcare waste and, therefore, is applicable to submit a Pre-Acceptance Audit, you will need to remember:
Pre-acceptance audits are a legal requirement for the collection, transportation, storage and disposal of all healthcare waste. Failure to conduct Pre-Acceptance Audits may prevent a waste contractor from legally accepting waste, thus jeopardising the waste producer's ability to operate.
These audits should cover all the waste services on-site, whether or not these products are serviced by phs. The audit will need to be updated if a new waste type is added to the contract.
Audit frequency will increase if there is an increase in the number of bins or service frequency that will result in over five tonnes of waste collected each year.
Benefits of Conducting a Waste Pre Acceptance Audit
Conducting a waste pre-acceptance audit offers numerous benefits for waste producers, including:
Pre-acceptance audits help waste producers comply with environmental regulations and laws, such as the Environmental Protection Act. This compliance is crucial for avoiding legal penalties and ensuring safe waste management practices.
By identifying potential risks associated with waste handling and disposal, pre-acceptance audits help reduce the likelihood of accidents and environmental harm. This proactive approach to risk management is essential for maintaining a safe working environment.
Pre-acceptance audits provide valuable insights into waste management practices, helping waste producers develop more effective strategies. This can lead to reduced waste volumes and improved disposal practices, contributing to overall sustainability.
Demonstrating a commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainability through pre-acceptance audits can enhance a waste producer’s reputation and credibility. This can be particularly beneficial for businesses looking to build trust with customers and stakeholders.
Pre-acceptance audits can help waste producers identify cost-saving opportunities, such as reducing waste disposal costs and improving waste recycling rates. By optimising waste management practices, businesses can achieve significant financial benefits.
Overall, conducting pre-acceptance audits is a vital step for waste producers to ensure compliance, reduce risks, improve waste management, enhance their reputation, show compliance and achieve cost savings.
Responsible and legal waste disposal from phs
phs are committed to supporting sustainable growth and reducing the impact of its products and services upon the environment. phs collects around 65,000 tonnes of waste from customers per year, ranging from nappies and sanitary products to medicinally contaminated sharps and dental amalgam.
Correctly segregating all types of healthcare and non-healthcare waste not only supports best practice for waste management but also enables phs to divert offensive waste from landfill.
Diverting customer hygiene waste away from landfill
The hygiene waste we collect from our customers is redirected to state-of-the-art energy-from-waste (EfW/ERF) facilities across the country. It is then turned into a source of renewable energy and used to power schools and industries via the National Grid.
This process not only minimises our own carbon footprint, but it also minimises our customers’, making phs a partner of choice.
