Do Businesses have to provide sanitary bins?
Every UK business, large or small, must by law provide a means of hygienic disposal of sanitary waste in all bathrooms. As a business owner, you must adhere to the rules and guidelines set out in the following acts and regulations:
The Environmental Protection Act 1990 imposes a Duty of Care on businesses and organisations who are individually responsible for collection, storage and disposal of all waste including sanitary waste, which is produced on their premises.
The Water Industries Act 1991 covers the disposal of waste in toilets and is in place to ensure that no waste which could cause a blockage to sewers or drains, including sanitary waste, should be flushed down the toilet.
The Workplace (Health, Safety & Welfare) Regulation 1992 states that ‘suitable and sufficient sanitary conveniences should be provided at readily accessible places.’
What is sanitary waste?
Sanitary waste includes sanitary towels, tampons, and other menstrual products as well as incontinence pads and used nappies. Sanitary bins should ideally be fully enclosed and preferably operated using either a foot pedal or electronic sensor to limit any physical interaction, thereby disposing of waste in a safe and hygienic manner. Anti-bacterial sanitary bin liners can also be used preventing the build up of germs and unpleasant odour.
Benefits of having sanitary bins in the workplace
Without sanitary bins, people would probably be tempted to flush sanitary waste items down the toilet. This would result in a disastrous effect on the environment. These items are not dissolvable and are designed to absorb liquid so would therefore end up in our sewers causing blockages. Flushing sanitary waste items could also cause blockages in your actual toilets leading to out of order toilets and costly repair bills. Even wet wipes can gather in pipes preventing your toilets from flushing properly and potentially resulting in sewage backing up.
Disposal of sanitary waste
Managing sanitary waste in a safe and hygienic way is a legal requirement including its disposal by licensed waste carriers such as CLD. Sanitary bins need to be serviced, cleaned and sanitised on a regular basis and this is crucial to maintain a clean, hygienic and safe environment for your employees.