The risks of improper disposal

While we should expect all staff working with potentially hazardous materials to be aware of waste management protocols, it is of course human nature to make mistakes. The consequences of improper disposal of dental waste can be dire, so whatever measures can be taken to minimise the chance of such errors occurring should be pursued.

Better understanding fosters diligence. Everyone knows that safely disposing of waste is important, but a deeper understanding of why and the potential consequences of not doing so will help ensure staff are especially mindful while going about their duties.

What could go wrong?

Recently, members of the public were horrified to learn about a catastrophic failure in waste disposal, wherein a company working for the NHS had been unable to incinerate waste in a timely fashion, kept quiet about it, and ended up stockpiling hundreds of tonnes of hazardous materials including human body parts. While this incident did not pose a direct threat to the public, the story was widely covered in the press and was met with shock and disgust. It is a timely reminder that such failures can have disastrous consequences, both practically and to a business’s reputation.