Waste disposal strategy
Consider your current practices Anyone with a responsibility for client data retention compliance or procurement should consider their current practices, and question whether the service is being carried out by a trusted, reliable, compliant contractor. Both the rebates available to Trusts from the recovered silver, and the ease with which the NHS can ensure compliance in a streamlined, resource-light manner, are clear benefits ready to be exploited. Betts welcomes NHS organisations
Film stripping; all material is stripped from its paper / card sleeves, and film is graded before being destroyed.
Data Protection registration: This
document confirms that the contractor is registered under the ‘Data Protection Act’ to handle confidential material. It also confirms that we have adopted an ‘Information Security Policy’ (ISO 27001), and that we have taken steps to control physical access to confidential material. This registration also deems that we have undertaken correct training of our staff, making them aware of the security implications regarding confidential data. Liability insurance: Contractors should
be covered to undertake work on client sites. At Betts, we have insurance cover of up to £10 million. Site licence: This certificate proves that
sites are authorised by the Environment Agency to undertake waste acceptance, and processing of wastes that contain precious metals; it is clearly important for customers to know where their waste is being taken, and that the site that is accepting their waste is permitted to do so. ADR licences: This is a licence held by
drivers, which allows them to collect hazardous wastes such as photographic fixer and cyanides. It is important to note that if a company or driver does not have an ADR collection licence, then the individual cannot collect hazardous waste streams such as those above. These licences have to be carried by the drivers at all times, and must be produced at any roadside VOSA checks.
Processed under its own roof Betts Envirometal is the only UK company that has invested heavily to ensure that the full range of correct processes, certification, and legislative requirements, is fulfilled. Furthermore, we insist on the processing of all traditional X-ray material under our own roof. Material is never sent elsewhere to be destroyed. This is an important point, since it limits a Trust’s exposure to any data breaches that may
80 Health Estate Journal September 2013
occur when third party contractors are involved. Ensuring compliance with patient data
retention guidelines is an important task for NHS Trusts. By procuring a ‘one-stop shop’ service from a reliable, fully audited, UK-based company, NHS Trusts can not only be sure that the necessary and timely destruction has taken place, but can also make money from materials that would otherwise have been costing them money to store.
Longer-term benefits Retaining precious metals within the UK economy may also lead to longer-term benefits, as we will be able to continue manufacturing new X-ray film and other important silver-containing medical products nationally. This will ensure that costs remain manageable, while supporting the UK manufacturing sector. Recycling should not stop at the readily
available materials such as paper, tins, and plastics.We have a duty to manage our resources responsibly, and thereby ensure that they remain available for future generations. Ensuring that the silver is recycled in
the UK adds a further ethical dimension, as many recovery operations in the Far East have questionable conditions for workers, and it is rarely possible for UK companies employing third-party contractors to be sure of where these materials are ending up, or confident as to the security of the data contained on them.
Ensuring compliance with patient data
retention guidelines is an important task for NHS Trusts
visiting and auditing its facility, so that visitors can see for themselves the tightly controlled, autonomous process of managing the destruction of confidential, high value materials. The Betts team will happily offer guidance as to the financial implications of secure X-ray film culling and destruction, as well as on the potential rebates from the recovered silver.
Simon Hundal
Simon Hundal is the general manager of Betts Envirometal, a UK company that recovers the value of precious metals from diverse waste streams. With over 20 years’ experience in the
waste and recycling sector, Simon Hundal has a track record of delivering significant change in how organisations manage their waste to improve both efficiency and profitability. He provides strategic direction in the
precious metals sector, and is driving change in the way that hospitals treat certain waste streams. He is an expert in the recovery of precious metals for NHS Trusts, having developed a fully auditable and licensed service. Through engaging with the NHS, he says he is ‘working to raise awareness of the value contained in X-rays’, and advising Trusts on compliance with retention guidelines. On a broader scale, Simon Hundal is
‘seeking to address the significant amount of lost revenue to the UK through the export of precious metals for recycling’.
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