Make sure you stay up-to-date on healthcare risk waste management news with us.
We cover Compass and industry news, while our Compass CRUX will fill you in on the latest regulation changes, technology trends, products and more within the healthcare risk waste industry.
What infrastructure challenges does Compass, as a service provider to generators of medical waste, encounter when providing services to healthcare facilities. Read more to prevent or resolve some of these issues to ensure the safer and more efficient management of healthcare risk waste.
Each year Compass sends senior staff members on the various GLS conferences across the country. Read here about what the top take homes and outcomes from the 2018 GLS were.
Global Leadership Summit 2018
Compass family
Staff Development
Meet Mduduzi Sokhela, Compass’ Security Site Supervisor. Read about his humble beginnings to now managing over 23 Compass Secure staff members and overseeing rosters for 35 onsite staff at nine KZN DOH hospitals. Not only is he a team player, but he is a family man and a leader in his local community. Mduduzi embodies our Compass core values of commitment, reliability, initiative and teamwork.
Compass Family
Staff Development
From containerisation to disposal, Compass supports the HCRW generator in reducing the spread of infection.
HCRW
Infection Control
Risk Reduction
Sharps
Compass Medical Waste Services, in conjunction with Unashamedly Ethical, CSBM and iThemba Lethu, held a business and fundraising breakfast on 22 September 2017 and raised R76 000. Compass is a member of Unashamedly Ethical which confronts corruption and injustice through co-ordinated, targeted and impactful advocacy and campaigns to advance ethical behaviour.
Unashamedly Ethical
Business Ethics
Fundraising
Compass Cares
CSI
A B-BBEE deal for Compass with a philanthropic focus.
B-BBEE
GAP Capital
Light Trust
CSI
“The findings are a slap in the face for KZN’s people who have been let down by the very people who were supposed to ensure financial accountability within the already ailing province’s health sector” – taken from the Polity article. Read the whole article by clicking on the link.
Overview of Novel Coronavirus (nCoV) and Waste Handling’, written by Microbiologist, Terry Grimmond, for Daniels Health US. Although the article is specific to US waste regulations, the principles of nCoV transmission and waste handling are universal. As of 4 February 2020, reported cases in China rose 19%; cases in other countries rose 4%, and no new countries have reported cases in last 72 hours.
If you are in healthcare, the Daniels Sharpsmart reusable container is the ideal way to reduce plastic to landfill. You can also reduce plastic in your personal capacity and click on the link to find out 15 ways that 4ocean, an NPO with a mission to clean up the world’s oceans, suggest you do.
Daniels Sharpsmart
Environment
Recycling
No to plastic
Take a read of Lessons learnt from the Listeriosis Crisis – a hot topic at the recent DEA Workshop whereby reacting quicker to the containment, collection, treatment and disposal of Listeria infected waste was at the top of the agenda.
Infection Control
Listeriosis
HCRW
According to the Daily Maverick article which appeared on 13 December 2019.. “medical waste services in KZN are being provided in terms of a contract that appears to be costing government as much as triple the previous contract.
Looking into what the law has to say about the validity of the Waste Manifest documents that are issued electronically.
waste manifest
electronic waste manifest
Compliance
The design of HCRW containers, as well as the selection of the containers, their availability and careful use, is critically important to ensure both safety and minimal impact on the environment.
HCRW
Compliance
Correct Containerisation
How to use healthcare risk waste containers appropriately and realise the importance of good hand hygiene and surface disinfection protocols when dealing with waste containers – read the research.
HCRW
Compliance
Correct containerisation
Often technology is introduced to an industry and the perception is that it is the most effective solution, when in fact the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. Read about Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) vs Barcode when it comes to the tracking and traceability of your healthcare risk waste. Is RFID the right solution? Compass CRUX March
The lessons learnt from Listeriosis crisis which hit South Africa this time last year is covered in this edition, followed by an update on Compass’ Western Cape treatment facility. Read about how the illegal storage of healthcare risk waste (HCRW) is not limited to South Africa, while the second education feature covers infectious waste solutions. Three personality profiles are included in this edition – Compass’ Melanie Marcelino, Neville de Lucia, franchise owner of Dale Carnegie, and Marc de Chalain who is providing all our photographs for the Compass Cares’ 2020 wildlife calendar.
Managing HCRW from isolation wards and, in particular, from patients with Formidable Epidemic Diseases (FED) is covered in this edition. The SANS guidelines for having a SLA with your HCRW service provider is highlighted, as well as the pitfalls to look out for in order to avoid automatic renewals, additional charges or unnecessary legal action. Find out how to become an organ, blood or breastmilk donor and save a life.
The recycling of clinical glass is debated in this edition by both environmental lawyer, Siya Mkhize, and environmental consultant, Lorna Hill. Compass’ contingency plan is covered – a necessity when dealing with the management of HCRW. Container compliance is featured, as well as a personality profile on Doug Anderson who has been involved in Compass since inception.
Healthcare risk waste is a vital service and, as a result, is governed by numerous pieces of international, national, provincial and local legislation. Shepstone & Wylie details the ramifications for generators not monitoring the full ‘cradle to grave’ process. Compass announces its B-BBEE partnership with Gap Capital.
The health effects of Mercury exposure kicks off this publication followed by the announcement of Compass winning the pmr.africa award for excellence. Dr Mzukisi, the chairman of the South African Medical Association, covers the topic of patient records – the ethical and legal considerations.
Clinical microbiologist, Terry Grimmond, alerts us to the fact that in just 18 months the Zika virus has spread to 28 countries across the world. The ‘golden rules’ for handling healthcare risk waste containers is spelt out, and the introduction of our improved scanning system is featured.
Terry Grimmond, clinical microbiologist and international speaker on sharps safety, writes about his 12 week deployment to help combat the spread of the Ebola virus in Sierra Leone. We introduce you to our treatment shift supervisor, William Shozi, and the opening of our Clayville treatment facility takes place.
The Daniels Sharpsmart system has been proven to be the world’s safest sharps management system as it helps prevent sharps injuries. It is an innovative reusable system that reduces plastic from the sharps waste stream by 30%. The instructional video shows you how to use the Daniels Sharpsmart container and how to dispose of sharps in a legally compliant way. It also outlines the safety rules that the waste generator needs to follow when disposing of sharps.
Watch Compass’ instructor video on the simple steps that need to be followed when making up an infectious waste, single-use box set. These box sets are used to contain infectious materials such as gloves, bandages, nappies, dressings and swabs that could transmit infectious agents. All box sets must be lined with a red bag and then sealed with a cable tie once ¾ full.
Environmentally responsible
Infection Control
Sharps solution
Daniels Sharpsmart
Compass Medical Waste Services Celebrating 21 Years
Compass Cares is a culture of grace, gratitude and generosity. Press play to learn about the amazing people and organisations that we hope will benefit from the legacy of Compass Cares for many years to come.
Compass Cares
CSI
Compass Cares, the CSI arm of Compass, is active throughout South Africa. Press play on the extended Compass Cares DVD to learn about our initiatives and the incredible organisations we support, as well as how our staff get involved in brightening up the lives of people who need it the most.
Compass Cares
CSI
We understand energy is precious. With that in mind, we use an energy recovery system and HFO (heating fuel oil) boilers to increase boiler efficiency, reducing fuel and electrical costs. Using the HFO boiler drastically reduces the energy requirement to treat each kilogram of waste by 64%.
In addition, our closed loop water cooling system ensures that minimal water leaves the site resulting in a water consumption reduction of 50%. While our reusable container washers also reduce the amount of energy and water required in the washing process.
Caring for the environment and the safety of healthcare workers with the best in the world.
If you have the opportunity to reduce carbon emissions and plastic to landfills, why wouldn’t you? Proud to partner with Daniels International, we deliver smart, world-class design in the healthcare risk waste management sector.
Long term, Daniels Sharpsmart is an environmentally safer system that sets the bar for global best practice.
The reusable design of the patented Daniels Sharpsmart container provides significant environmental advantages by reducing both the number of containers produced, along with a substantial reduction in carbon emissions and a 99.9% reduction in plastic going to landfill.
Through Daniels Sharpsmart we can help safeguard the health and safety of your employees and patients, while providing an environmentally sound practice of disposal.
