HellermannTyton is urging hospitals and NHS Trusts not to rely on knotting or tying clinical waste bags with tape but to use clinical waste ties which it says are inexpensive, secure and traceable.
The system involves using a printed tie either 200 mm or 275 mm long to seal clinical waste bags. These are all printed with a sequential serial number as standard but can also be customised with a specific hospital/Trust name. The product reference details are on each individual bag and the serial numbers are identified on a peel off label. Therefore, when the ties are issued, the top portion of the peel off label is detached and inserted into a formal register along with an issue date and signature of ownership, which facilitates error free batch recording.
HellermannTyton also stocks ties printed "HellermanTyton" together with a sequential number and the company's telephone number that can be used in case of an emergency – for example if a particular hospital's customised stock has not been reordered or has been misplaced.
Phil Hodson, HellermannTyton's security seal product manager for the UK said: "A good seal can be accomplished without damaging the bag, and by swan-necking the bag prior to applying the tie, a double seal is achieved. This not only prevents the bag from being overfilled, it reduces the risk of dangerous substances leaking from the bag and also creates a convenient handle allowing the user to carry the bag safely."
