Healthcare institutions have a legal duty to ensure that their hazardous waste is managed responsibly, and Averda has introduced the Averda TruTrak to demonstrate its commitment to the responsible management of hazardous waste products.

Averda South Africa healthcare head Eugene Barnard explains: “The mandated duty of care and record keeping for hazardous waste presents significant difficulty for medical institutions, which consign various stages of the disposal process to external service providers.”

The innovative Averda TruTrak waste management system enables clients to access automated waste-tracking and record-keeping capabilities through an online client portal – a first-to-market innovation in South Africa.

Barnard explains that clients trust that waste management companies collect and transport waste, subject the waste to the required treatment processes, dispose of it in a suitably compliant manner and keep accurate records to support their client’s auditing requirements.

Failure to act in accordance with the specific regulations of each step exposes waste generators, their directors, managers, agents and employees to significant liability. The lack of oversight in a system that is vulnerable to human error and mismanagement does little for a waste generator’s peace of mind, he adds.

However, the introduction of Averda TruTrak will resolve this concern, says Barnard, noting that “medical institutions can ensure that they comply with their legal responsibility to protect the communities they serve by providing them with the means to monitor the disposal of their hazardous waste loads”.

The system uses radio frequency identification (RFID) tracking tags that are attached to the con- tainers that hold high- risk waste. Thereafter, scanners on scales, collection vehicles and at treatment facilities automatically record information, including collection and delivery weight, time, date and location details. This data is automatically captured and uploaded to an online client portal.

Barnard notes the portal allows waste transport to be monitored in real time. This also provides access to delivery notes, invoices and disposal reports detailing the nature, quantity and disposal methods for each waste consignment.

The information is automatically stored and can be printed when required, in line with a waste generator’s auditing requirements.

“The automation of this process eliminates the risk of inaccurate or incomplete reporting, enhances transparency and boosts data integrity for record-keeping purposes,” Barnard states, adding that the company is currently piloting the system with key clients.