Plain-English explanations of the technical terms and legislation used in this document.
- Ampoule
- A small sealed glass container holding a single dose of a medicine, opened by snapping off the top.
- Botulinum toxin
- A prescription-only medicine injected to relax muscles, commonly used in aesthetic treatments to soften lines.
- Cannula
- A thin flexible tube inserted into the body, for example to deliver a dermal filler or fluid.
- Care Quality Commission (CQC)
- The independent regulator of health and social care services in England.
- Clinical waste
- Waste that could carry infection or contains medicines or chemicals, and so must be disposed of safely rather than as ordinary rubbish.
- Cold chain
- Keeping vaccines and certain medicines within a safe temperature range from delivery to use.
- Consignment note
- The legally required document that accompanies a load of hazardous waste from the clinic to the carrier and disposal site.
- Controlled drug
- A medicine whose supply, storage, records and destruction are tightly restricted by law because of its potential for misuse.
- Controlled Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2012
- The law that classifies household, industrial and commercial waste, including healthcare waste, and how it must be handled.
- Cytotoxic
- Describes substances toxic to living cells (such as some chemotherapy drugs) that need a separate, specially marked waste stream.
- Decontamination
- The combined process of cleaning, disinfecting and, where needed, sterilising equipment or surfaces so they are safe to reuse.
- Denaturing
- Rendering a controlled drug unusable and unrecoverable before disposal, so it cannot be retrieved and misused.
- Diluent
- A sterile liquid used to dissolve or thin a medicine so it can be drawn up and given.
- Duty of care (for waste)
- The legal obligation to manage your waste correctly and pass it only to someone authorised to take it.
- Environmental Protection Act 1990
- The main law setting the duty of care for handling, storing and disposing of waste in England.
- Hazardous waste
- Waste harmful to people or the environment, such as some infectious or medicinal waste, that must be tracked on a consignment note.
- Hazardous Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2005
- The law governing how hazardous waste must be classified, stored, moved and recorded.
- Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014
- The regulations setting the fundamental standards of safety and quality that registered care providers must meet, enforced by the Care Quality Commission.
- HTM 07-01 (Health Technical Memorandum 07-01: Safe management of healthcare waste)
- The national best-practice guidance and colour-coded system for sorting and disposing of healthcare waste safely.
- Infection prevention and control (IPC)
- The measures used to stop infection spreading between clients, staff and visitors.
- Infectious waste
- Clinical waste that is known or likely to carry germs capable of causing disease, such as blood-soaked dressings.
- Licensed (registered) waste carrier
- A company authorised by the environmental regulator to collect and transport waste lawfully.
- Medicinal (pharmaceutical) waste
- Unused, part-used or expired medicines and items contaminated with a medicine, which must be disposed of as a regulated waste.
- Offensive (hygiene) waste
- Non-infectious waste that is unpleasant but not a disease risk, such as clean gloves and aprons with no blood on them.
- Personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Items such as gloves, aprons and masks worn to protect against harm or infection.
- Prescription-only medicine (POM)
- A medicine that may lawfully be supplied only on the instruction of an appropriate prescriber.
- Reconstitution
- Mixing a powdered medicine with a sterile liquid to make it ready to use, for example preparing botulinum toxin for injection.
- Registered Manager
- The person registered with the regulator as responsible for the day-to-day running of a service.
- Sharps
- Needles, blades, cannulae, ampoules and other items that can cut or puncture the skin.
- Sharps bin
- A rigid, puncture-resistant, lockable container for the safe disposal of needles and other sharps.
- Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
- A written, step-by-step instruction setting out exactly how a particular task must be carried out every time.
- Swan-neck closure
- A way of sealing a waste bag by twisting the neck, folding it over and taping it so nothing can escape.
- Vial
- A small glass or plastic bottle holding a medicine, sealed with a rubber stopper that a needle passes through.
- Waste stream
- A category of waste that is kept separate and disposed of in its own way, identified by container type and colour.
- Waste transfer note
- The document that must accompany a transfer of non-hazardous waste to an authorised carrier.