ENVIRONMENT VS HEALTH RISK - HCRW: December 2017 Edition Steering healthcare risk waste in the right direction - Compass Medical Waste Services
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Article Head
December 2017 Edition
Steering healthcare risk waste in the right direction
HCRW:
ENVIRONMENT VS
HEALTH RISK
RECYCLING OF CLINICAL
GLASS – IS IT AN OPTION?
compasswasteservices.co.za
1998 - 2017
COMPASS’ 19 YEAR • 500 staff members, having started • three treatment facilities, two transit
with less than six employees 19 sites and a head office in Westville
JOURNEY OF SUCCESS years ago
Compass has grown exponentially • a joint venture with Daniels, who
from the time they opened their doors • a national foot print have a presence in Europe, Australia,
in Old Main Road, Pinetown, KZN in • six offices based in KwaZulu-Natal, New Zealand, the USA and Canada
November 1998, to where they are the Free State, Gauteng, the Eastern • a B-BBEE partnership signed with
today… Cape and the Western Cape Gap Capital
1998 Compa
KwaZu
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Old Ma opens its doo
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2004 Free St
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2006
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2007
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2008 Eastern
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2015
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Compa Compass Me s . t o C la y v
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2017
Contents
FROM THE EDITOR CONTENTS
The recycling of clinical glass has been a
hotly debated subject in medical circles and CONTINGENCY PLANS - VITAL FOR 2
thanks to the well-researched articles by HCRW MANAGEMENT
environmental lawyer, Siya Mkhize, and by ENVIRONMENT VS HEALTH RISK 3
environmental consultant, Lorna Hill, this
RAMMED EARTH BUILDING - A 5
has been laid to rest.
SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION
Contributing journalist, Shirley le Guern,
writes about levelling the Bargaining Council playing fields. IMPROVING YOUR CARBON 6
Compass’ national sales manager, Samantha Immelman, stresses the FOOTPRINT
need for a contingency plan when it comes to healthcare risk waste LEVEL THE BARGAINING COUNCIL 8
(HCRW) management, while director, Graham du Randt, refers to PLAYING FIELDS
the need for compliance when it comes to the containment of FD DOUG ANDERSON RELFECTS ON 10
HCRW. COMPASS' HIGHPOINTS
Doug Anderson, our financial director since January 2004, recalls
RECYCLING OF CLINICAL GLASS - IS 12
the highlights of his time at Compass as we celebrated our 19th
IT AN OPTION?
anniversary on 1 November 2017.
We introduce you to Josh Crickmay who provided us with the SERVING AND LEADING - SIYA 14
beautiful bird photos for the 2017 desk pad, designed and printed in MKHIZE'S INSPIRING STORY
conjunction with Daniels Sharpsmart. COMPASS CARES' WILDLIFE 16
From a corporate social investment perspective, read about CALENDAR AMBASSADORS
iThemba Projects, Compass Cares’ calendar ambassadors and the JOSH'S BIG YEAR - A STORY OF HOPE 17
upgrade of Northdale Hospital’s paediatric playground.
COMPASS' CONTAINER COMPLIANCE 18
This edition ends off with the Unashamedly Ethical business
breakfast which resulted in an incredible R76 000 being raised for COMPASS AND THE KZN DOH 19
three worthy causes. BUSINESS AND FUNDRAISING 20
BREAKFAST RAISES R76 000
Happy reading and warm regards JOIN THE TEAM 21
Tenley Cummings
Editor
REGIONAL OFFICE CONTACT DETAILS
KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal Eastern Cape Free State / Gauteng / Mpumalanga Western Cape
Head Office Westmead Berlin, East London Northern Cape / Limpopo / North West
Tel: 031 267 9700 Tel: 031 792 4200 Tel: 043 685 2242 Tel: 051 447 0254 Tel: 011 818 4610 Tel: 021 003 6810
Fax: 031 267 9732 Fax: 086 574 3612 Fax: 086 582 9921 Fax: 086 582 9923 Fax: 086 582 9599 Fax: 086 578 4925
compass@compass.za.net sales@compass.za.net salesec@compass.za.net salesfs@compass.za.net salesgp@compass.za.net saleswc@compass.za.net
December 2017 Edition 1
Healthcare risk waste management
CONTINGENCY PLANS
VITAL FOR HCRW MANAGEMENT
BY SAMANTHA IMMELMAN, COMPASS’ NATIONAL SALES MANAGER
As generators of • TREATMENT – for the treatment of closure of the cell / landfill? Are they
healthcare risk healthcare risk waste in accordance reliant on one landfill or do they
waste (HCRW), it is with the issued Waste Management have agreements in place with a
imperative that your Licence. Does your service provider number of permitted landfill sites?
service provider for have sufficient capacity to deal with • EMPLOYEES – What contingency
the containment, a significant increase in the amount plan is in place to counter labour
collection, of healthcare risk waste generated? unrest and strikes to ensure that you
treatment and • What if their treatment plant goes are not inconvenienced in respect of
disposal of HCRW down? How will your service service delivery? Does your service
has contingency provider ensure that your waste provider have an agreement in place
plans in place to cover any potential is treated and not stored outside with a reputable labour broker to
circumstance that could develop for the parameters of their Waste fill the gap left by a possible strike?
reasons beyond your control. Management Licence? Will this staff complement be
Contingency plans ensure that, when appropriately trained and available
• Does your service provider have
unforeseen circumstances occur, your within a guaranteed period of 24-
agreements in place with other
service provider is able to continue hour period?
permitted treatment facilities who
providing HCRW products and
can then assist with breakdowns or • ELECTRICITY OUTAGES – is your
services to you without interruption
unscheduled maintenance days? service provider able to continue
and inconvenience, whilst ensuring
• Does your service provider have normal services in the event of an
compliance.
more than one treatment unit (i.e. electricity outage? Do they have
autoclave or incinerator), so that if generators in place as a backup
Your service provider should have a
one unit goes down they can rely on so business continues without
backup plan in place to cover every
the second unit to continue to treat interruption?
eventuality in respect of products and
service delivery: the waste received? • DATA – In terms of ISO 9001,
• CONTAINERS - supply of SABS • What if the treatment facility goes certain documentation is required
approved, SANS aligned containers down in one region, does your to be stored for a specified period
for the containment of healthcare service provider have the ability of time, the time dependant on
risk waste. Does your service and the resources to transport the document itself. Is your service
provider rely on one supplier or can your waste to their other facility for provider keeping their documents
they rely on others in the event a treatment, or will it sit on the floor off site and in line with ISO 9001
breakdown in production with their until the treatment facility is back up requirements so that, should
existing container supplier. and running? you misplace your Safe Disposal
Certificate or your agreement, you
• TRANSPORTATION – for the • Has your service provider ever asked
can call upon them to supply a
delivery of clean containers and you to hold onto your waste until
copy? If a fire breaks out will all your
the collection of the containers they can overcome their issue?
documentation disappear or does
filled with HCRW for treatment • DISPOSAL – once the waste is your service provider have copies
and disposal. Does your service treated it must be disposed of in a stored off site as back up?
provider have their own fleet of permitted landfill. Is your service
vehicles or are they reliant on third At Compass we are proud of the
provider aware of the holding
party transporters? What if there contingency plans that we
capacity of the landfill and
is a breakdown in the relationship have in place to counter for
subsequent
between your service provider and any potential eventuality.
the transporter (i.e. non-payment) This gives us peace of mind
– how will this impact on you? that we can consistently
Should your service provider provide our customers
own their fleet, do they have a with an effective, efficient,
comprehensive maintenance compliant service with
programme in place to minimal disruption and
ensure their vehicles are fully inconvenience.
operational at all times?
2 The Compass Crux
Legislation
ENVIRONMENT
VS HEALTH RISK
BY SIYA MKHIZE
Is the recycling of pharmaceutical sound management,” it is defined and the process, lowering greenhouse gas
glass vials legal? If so, what are the means “the taking of all practicable emissions, and significantly reducing
implications for the environment, and steps to ensure that waste is managed the carbon footprint³.
health of persons? in a manner that will protect health and With that said, glass companies
the environment².” do not recycle laboratory or
INTRODUCTION One of the primary objectives of pharmaceutical glass vials. One of
Pharmaceutical glass vials are the Waste Act is to protect health, the main reasons is because of the
commonly used to contain and well-being and the environment by residue of contaminants found in
store medication in liquid or solid providing reasonable measures for: glass vials. Most recycling companies
form including hazardous chemicals. • reducing, re-using, recycling and are unequipped to deal with the
After the contents have been used, recovering waste; and residue of sometimes hazardous
the glass vials are discarded and treating and safely disposing of substances that may be found in
become pharmaceutical waste. Used waste as a last resort either laboratory or pharmaceutical
glass vials may present a health and • In essence, the primary objective glass vials. Consequently, most
environmental risk if not properly of the Waste Act is to divert waste healthcare facilities utilise the services
managed as they often contain away from the landfill by preferably of a contractor with a licensed waste
residues from various types of reducing, re-using, recycling and treatment facility that is equipped to
medicines. recovering waste. treat and dispose of the contaminated
glass at a waste landfill.
WHAT DOES THE LAW SAY? An established South African waste
INDUSTRY BEST PRACTICE
Pharmaceutical waste is primarily recycling company is of the view that
According to the largest
regulated by several pieces of it’s difficult to recycle laboratory and
manufacturers and recyclers of glass
legislation which include but not pharmaceutical glass vials because
products in Sub-Saharan Africa, South
limited to the following: of the residue of contaminants that
Africa uses more than 3.1 million tons
• National Environmental can be traced in the glass vials. They
of glass a year, and two thirds of that
Management: Waste Act 59 of 2008 argue that in order to determine the
is reusable and can be diverted from
(“Waste Act”) and its Regulations, type of contaminant in the glass vial
landfills. They further estimate that
Norms and Standards. you would need, in certain cases, to
glass accounts for 4.5% of all waste in
• Pharmacy Act 53 of 1974 (“Pharmacy obtain information such as the safety
South Africa, and that recycling glass
Act”) and its Regulations, Rules and data sheet (SDS) for the chemical that
not only diverts waste away from
Standards was stored in the glass vial before
landfill, but it also saves on energy,
determining the most appropriate
• Medicines and Related Substances water and natural resources while, in
and efficient method of recycling the
Act 101 of 1965 (“Medicines Act”)
glass, which can be a cumbersome
and its Regulations.
process. They also argued that the
potential impacts on the environment,
The waste is generally stored by for example, as a result of effluent from
the holder¹ in separate and marked the treatment process far outweighs
colour coded receptacles ready for the currently established practices
disposal. which include incineration and disposal
In this article we examine whether to a hazardous landfill.
it is legally permissible to recycle Trying to recycle the glass vials
pharmaceutical glass vials, and if it would also waste a lot of resources
is, whether there are any tradeoffs such as water and energy, and in the
to the environment or health of end still be devoid of any certainty
persons? that the recycled glass can be safely
Section 16 of the Waste Act, re-used. Thus, according to their view,
provides that the holder of recycling contaminated glass vials is
waste must ensure that the environmentally unfriendly and may
waste is treated and disposed result in potential harm to the health of
of in an environmentally sound persons⁴.
manner. Although the term They conclude that there is no
“environmentally sound manner” established method of recycling
is not defined as “environmental
December 2017 Edition 3
Legislation pharmaceutical glass vials in South disposal or destruction of the glass is, or may be, used in future must Africa (SA), and if there was, there vials is parallel to the disposal or not compromise the environment or would be some environmental and destruction of the actual medicine health of persons. health trade-offs. and substances, and both methods Regulation 44 of the General take into consideration and negate A healthcare article on Regulations published under the the potential harm to health and the pharmaceutical waste published Medicines Act provides that a environment. in the United States observed the “medicine shall only be destroyed by a following: waste treatment facility authorised to CONCLUSION “Pharmaceutical waste continues destroy medicines or pharmaceutical Although recycling waste is preferable to be a new frontier in environmental waste in terms of the Waste Act, and to treating and disposing of it at a management for healthcare facilities. that such destruction or disposal must landfill, this must not be at the expense The compliant, cost-effective be conducted in such a manner as to of the environment or health of management of waste pharmaceuticals ensure that the medicines or scheduled persons. is a complex challenge. It is substances cannot be salvaged, and In line with this view, section 17(1) of interdisciplinary in nature, involving the medicine or scheduled substance the Waste Act states that, ‘Any person pharmacy, nursing, environment has been denatured.” who undertakes an activity involving services, safety, infection control, In addition, Rule 7 of the Minimum the reduction, re-use, recycling quality assurance, risk management, Standards Regarding the Destruction or recovery of waste must, before education, administration, and and Disposal of Medicines and undertaking that activity, ensure that purchasing, and requiring the Scheduled Substances⁵ published the reduction, re-use, recycling or implementation of new systems to under the Pharmacy Act’s Rules of recovery of the waste: insure proper waste management⁶.” Good Pharmacy Practices provides a. uses less natural resources than The same can be said of that ‘destruction’ in terms of the Rules disposal of such waste; and pharmaceutical waste in South Africa. shall mean rendering the medicines b. to the extent that it is possible, is It continues to be a new frontier as and scheduled substances unusable or less harmful to the environment our legislation, particularly governing irretrievable for use or consumption, than the disposal of such waste.’ waste is still relatively new, and while taking into consideration the there are no clear cut legal answers environment and harm to health. While there is no express provision to some of the daily challenges that While pharmaceutical glass vials in our law prohibiting the recycling arise in practice, our environmental are not medicines and scheduled of pharmaceutical glass vials, it is management laws are nevertheless substances per se, they contain clear that any recycling method that broad enough to provide the necessary residues of medicines and direction as in this instance. scheduled substances, and the currently established methods of References ¹ “holder of waste” means any person who imports, generates, stores, accumulates, transports, processes, treats, or exports waste or disposes of waste; ² As defined in the Waste Act. ³ https://www.consol.co.za/why-glass/ sustainability-and-recycling ⁴ This information was provided to the writer in a telecon interview with the waste recycling company. Their name is not disclosed because of commercially sensitive reasons. ⁵ BN 34, GG 35095 of 2 March 2012 ⁶ Managing Pharmaceutical Waste: Practice Green Health A 10-Staep Blueprint for Healthcare Facilities In the United States – August 2008 4 The Compass Crux
Corporate Social Investment
RAMMED EARTH BUILDING
A SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION BY SHARON DE BEER, COMPASS MARKETING
INTRODUCTION compaction, mixing it with a stabiliser that comes from mentoring and
Through our B-BBEE partnership and ramming it between shuttering training in ECD.
with Gap Capital, Compass Medical (wooden planks with gum pole upright Sibongile inspires ECD teachers to
Waste Services is able to indirectly supports) until it has cured. The dream and believes that it is possible to
assist four NPOs, namely, the Domino shuttering is then removed and can have a radical impact on a community
Foundation, Grace Aid, the Red Light be reused. Rammed earth buildings through changing one life at a time.
programme and iThemba Projects. have much higher insulation, are cost- According to the Douglas and Elanor
All four of these NPOs focus on effective, require little outside materials Murray Trust (DGMT) “ECD is the most
upskilling people to make them and the process is simple enough powerful investment in human capital
more employable and ultimately to be reproduced throughout the that a country can make. In South
contribute successfully to economic community. Africa, there are roughly five million
transformation in our country. They hired local unemployed and children under five years of age. Unless
unskilled people for the construction things change, half of these children
team. By working on the centre, these will never be exposed to any form of
ITHEMBA PROJECTS
employees gained marketable skills in out-of-home learning experience. ¹
iThemba Projects is an NPO construction, gained work experience Therein lies a massive opportunity if
that partners with the people of and were able to provide financially for we defy these predictions and give
Sweetwaters in the KwaZulu-Natal their families. every child the benefit of quality early
Midlands to transform a generation The first phase of the community childhood development. The irony is
of children and teenagers through centre, the iThemba Preschool, was just how simple the inputs are – love,
mentoring and education, so that they opened in August 2015 and the second food, safety and stimulation – that
can bring hope to their community and phase – the community hall and should be non-negotiables for every
be a light throughout South Africa. space for after school mentoring – is child!”
On a weekly basis, their Early underway.
Childhood Development (ECD) work Excellent education programmes are Reference
impacts over 1 000 youth. Their dream a key focus area for iThemba Projects. ¹ Republic of South Africa. National Diagnostic
is that the majority of children in They want the children in Sweetwaters Review on ECD. Department of Planning,
Sweetwaters will have access to quality Monitoring & Evaluation, 2012
to receive the best education possible
early childhood education, through a so that they have an opportunity to
well-run crèche or home stimulation, succeed in life. Each child who attends
and get the educational foundation one of their primary schools or ECD
they need to succeed in life. centres, receives food on a daily basis.
In 2007 iThemba Projects were Good nutrition is essential for the
unexpectedly given a piece of land children so that they can stay healthy
by the traditional leaders (Nkosi) of and grow in accordance with their
the community and asked to build expected development stage.
a preschool and community centre. Sibongile Kunene started as a crèche
They wanted a building that was truly teacher in Sweetwaters with no training
sustainable - both for the environment in ECD. She recalls her initial days of
and for the community. Their teaching and says, “I would wake up
philosophy of community development in the morning just dreading the day
prioritises developing people over because I didn’t know what to do with
projects or infrastructure. the children all day.”
It was important that they found a Once iThemba Projects started
green building method which required partnering with her crèche, she
simple materials and minimal oversight, received one on one mentoring in
at the same time allowing the NPO ECD, and eventually went on to earn
to train local unskilled community basic ECD qualifications. She is now
members in the construction method. excited about the school day and all
The method of ramming was selected she can accomplish with the children
as it is cost-effective and allowed them in her care.
to focus their finances on building skills Through iThemba Projects she has
rather than expensive materials. been upskilled to tutor other teachers
Rammed earth building involves in the community, so that they too can
digging out soil from the site, sieving gain the confidence and excitement
to allow for proper mixing and
December 2017 Edition 5
Environment
IMPROVING YOUR
CARBON FOOTPRINT BY JACO KLEINHANS
Dr Mzukisi Grootboom
HEALTHCARE’S CLIMATE FOOTPRINT: hospitals, health systems and health Global warming is harming the
The health sector is unexpectedly organisations committed to reducing environment in several ways
making a significant contribution to their environmental footprint. including:
climate change. Through the products • desertification
and technologies it deploys, the COUNTERACTING GLOBAL WARMING • increased melting of snow and ice
energy and resources it consumes, the THROUGH REDUCING OUR CARBON
• sea level rise, stronger storms and
waste it generates and the buildings FOOTPRINT:
extreme events including droughts.
it constructs and operates, the health Greenhouse gas is measured
sector is a significant source of carbon as carbon emissions equivalent
emissions around the world, and (CO2e). CO2e is the international Below are some simple everyday
therefore an unintentional contributor standard unit of measurement used things we can do to make an impact:
to climate change trends that for greenhouse gas accounting in 1. REDUCE YOUR ENERGY
undermine public health. businesses, countries, carbon trading, REQUIREMENTS Use low energy
and international agreements like the globes, low energy appliances,
FOR INSTANCE: United Nations Framework Convention unplug appliances that are not
• the National Health Service (NHS) on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The in use. Coal and gas are used to
in England has calculated its carbon international standard unit for CO2e is generate electricity and in the
footprint at more than 18 million metric tons (tons). process, emit greenhouse gas.
tons of carbon emissions equivalent Greenhouse gasses are immitted 2. REDUCE YOUR FOSSIL FUEL
(CO2e) each year - 25% of total from everyday activities on the planet. CONSUMPTION Drive less and,
public sector emissions. Trees use carbon dioxide in their when you do, try to make use
• Brazilian hospitals use enormous photosynthesis process and transfer of public transport or a car pool
amounts of energy, accounting for carbon back into the soil. Nature arrangement.
more than 10% of the country’s total itself can only counteract greenhouse
gasses to a point. 3. REUSE YOUR WATER
commercial energy consumption.
The average human generates 4.0 CONSUMPTION Water is a scarce
• In the U.S., an analysis published in resource and energy is used in the
tons of CO2e every year. Personal
the Journal of the American Medical process to supply it to your home.
footprints can be broken down into
Association, concluded that the Use it wisely. The average house
five main categories: housing, travel,
healthcare sector was responsible in South Africa can harvest 33 000
food, products and services. Seeing
for 8% of the country’s total litres of water per year.
that there are 7.6 billion humans on the
emissions.
planet, at 4 tons CO2e generated each 4. ADJUST YOUR HOME TO THE
• The health sector is responsible for year, gives us a total of 30.4 billion tons LOCAL CLIMATE. For example,
7% of carbon emissions from all of CO2e produced. This is a figure that insulate your roof rather than
buildings in Australia. nature cannot counteract and we will using electrical heating, fireplaces.
• In China, healthcare construction have to take drastic steps to reduce our Bigger windows to let a breeze in
spending exceeds $10 billion a year, impact on the planet’s climate. as opposed to electrical fans and air
and is growing by 20% annually The main effect of increased conditioning etc.
creating a significant long term greenhouse gas emissions is global
health sector climate footprint. 5. BUY LOCAL AND IN SEASON
warming. Carbon dioxide, methane,
FOOD. Buying out of season food,
nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases
creates a market demand and
At the same time, hospitals all help trap heat in the earth’s
storing and transporting fruit and
and health systems can become atmosphere as part of the greenhouse
vegetables creates more CO2e
beacons of low carbon development, effect. The earth’s natural greenhouse
deploying onsite renewable energy effect makes life as we know it 6. PLANT A TREE. Research shows
technologies such as wind and solar, possible. However, human activities, that the South African Spekboom or
super-efficient building design, primarily the burning of fossil fuels Porkbush to be an excellent ‘carbon
minimised waste generation, water and deforestation, have intensified sponge’ as it can sequestrate
recycling and more. There are a the greenhouse effect, causing global (absorb) free carbon from the
growing number of examples around warming. atmosphere which is used to make
the world of health sector initiatives plant tissue. An area of Porkbush
for low carbon healthcare. Many of consequently has the ability to
those working in this direction are remove more carbon from the
members of Global Green and Healthy atmosphere than an equal amount
Hospitals, a worldwide network of of deciduous forest.
6 The Compass Crux
Article Head
This planet is 4.6 billion years old of
which civilisation as we know it has
Use energy
lived on it for 6 000 years according saving globes and
to scientists. That means that if one
equates the total life of the planet to a appliances
24 hour day, human life makes up less
than one second. How much damage
have we done in this one second? If
one looks at this in perspective the
question is not if nature will survive
in the long run but if we, as humans,
will survive? We need to be far more
resource orientated and create a
symbiotic relationship with our planet
to ensure our own survival. Do your bit
to reduce your carbon footprint today.
References
Heath care without harm
Agronomy for sustainable production - Contrasted
greenhouse gas emissions from local versus long-
range tomato production
Northern Arizona University - Nature can help
reduce greenhouse gas, but only to a point
Reuse water
World population clock
What is your impact - Effects of increased
greenhouse gas emissions?
UK National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory
PlantZAfrica - Portulacaria afra Jacq.
Jaco Kleinhans
Take the bus
ABOUT JACO KLEINHANS
Jaco has over 17 years of
Insulate your home
maintenance and engineering or business
experience. A qualified artisan
with a Mechanical Engineering
qualification, Jaco joined Compass
Medical Waste Services in 2012
as the Gauteng operations
Eat seasonal
manager. With the establishment foods and plant
of Compass’ Clayville treatment
plant, Jaco took over the position Spekboom
as national plant engineer. He
is responsible for the project
management of all plants, plant
and equipment maintenance
and special programmes like the
carbon footprint project, national
energy and water management
December 2017 Edition 7
Legislation LEVEL THE BARGAINING COUNCIL PLAYING FIELDS BY SHIRLEY LE GEURN Despite South Africa’s shockingly deaf ears. Council to level the playing fields, but high unemployment rate – a disturbing According to human resources to urge customers to require their 27,7 percent during the second quarter manager, Rosemary Schonknecht: suppliers to behave ethically. of 2017, and a massive 36,6 percent if “We have approached the Bargaining “The companies that are not the disillusioned who have stopped job Council on numerous occasions registered can undercut / under spec seeking are included – there seems via email, verbally and through our on their prices because they pay their to be little attempt by government to lawyers. We continuously advise them staff less than the minimum specified make ‘doing business in South Africa’ of other medical waste transport and wage in terms of the Bargaining any easier. treatment facilities that are not subject Council. They also pay less benefits According to managing director, to the jurisdiction of the bargaining to the staff in terms of the Bargaining Ian du Randt, companies that would council and are, as a consequence, Council so the costs are less,” he points like to grow their businesses and able to operate at lower fixed costs as out. provide employment in an ethical they do not need to comply with the According to Doug, competitors and professional environment minimum conditions set out in the who are not part of the Bargaining are constantly coming up against Bargaining Council main agreement. Council have an advantage of between unfair practices that compromise But the response has always been 40 percent and 45 percent when competitiveness. the same - they tell us that they are compared with Compass. He points For Compass, this is especially true looking into the matter.” out that Compass had always met the when it comes to the requirements of An example is a response received wage rates stipulated by the Bargaining the Bargaining Council for the Road after a complaint lodged to Deon Council. The negative impact came Freight and Logistics industry of which Koen, compliance manager, on July 29, from all the other ‘add-ons and it is required to be a part. 2015. “I acknowledge receipt of your entitlements’. In a nutshell, this significantly mail. In my view, we have provided you “Compass has, since inception - and increases company costs which have with the necessary feedback when you before we were forced to join the to be passed on to customers in tough initially reported possible unregistered Bargaining Council - aligned itself with financial times. Although difficult to companies in the Industry to us (which the pay scales promulgated by the quantify, this may have resulted in up we still appreciate). As mentioned Bargaining Council. These pay scales to R100 million worth in business for previously, we have to follow legal were used as a guideline and were not Compass. He believes it is time to level processes and these processes may mandatory. The problem came when the playing fields. take time. I am, however, not prepared we were forced to join the Bargaining According to financial director, to report back to you on every Council in respect of all our distribution Doug Anderson, just 33 percent of specific matter that we are involved employees. As a consequence, our companies transporting and treating in. In my view, this would be unfair labour costs increased by a massive 34 medical waste are actually registered to the company involved and a may percent. This was not in terms of pay with the Bargaining Council. This be regarded as a contravention of scale, but as a result of allowances, figure applies to bigger and more section 201 of the Act which deals with automatic entitlement to annual established companies. Should the confidentiality. I can however assure bonuses irrespective of performance so-called ‘rats and mice’ or fly by night you that we have investigated all the or non-performance, farcical sick companies that are often set up by companies which appeared on the lists fund membership and the accrual and ‘tenderpreneurs’ to win government provided to us.” payment of sick leave to employees contacts be included, the figure would Two years later, and there has been each December, irrespective of be much higher. no progress. whether the employee had been sick Non-registered companies and fly Rosemary tried again on September or not during the year, and many other by nights are compromising the good 19 this year. “I sent an email with a membership requirements and fees.” name of the industry and threatening schedule of all the non-compliant “Our competitors are paying wages public health by cutting corners. Not companies to the ‘Be Heard’ Non- at rates that are in the region of 60% only are drivers being employed at a Compliance help line of the Bargaining of what we are paying because they fraction of the minimum rate stipulated Council. They sent me a reference are not members. They are also not by the Bargaining Council but many, number and advised that I should required to pay any of the ‘add ons’. who are prepared to work for these receive a reply within four to six weeks. Compass has always been fair when low wages, are foreign nationals That would have been on about 20 it comes to bonus awards which are without the required documentation, October 2017.” To date, there has been subject to individual performance permits and qualifications. no reply. appraisals for every single employee. However, attempts by Compass to Ian believes that the official channels Today, we are forced to pay bonuses to follow the correct channels and draw have failed Compass and he intends to employees irrespective of whether they attention to this seem to have fallen on not only openly call for the Bargaining have performed on not. Transgressions 8 The Compass Crux
Legislation
of company policy and procedure and DOUG UNPACKS THIS. Bargaining Council costs in its annual
even inefficiencies are currently being “The healthcare industry has become increases to customers.
‘rewarded’ because of the Bargaining bottom line driven. Today, it is this “Each contract customer has
Council imposed regulations,” he rather than quality and compliance of been provided with a cost increase
explains. service that determines tender awards. component table in which we show
Compass’ clash with the Bargaining In recent years we have lost significant the percentage contribution of the
Council dates back to 2011, starting business to non-Bargaining Council increase related to labour. We are
with whether or not Bargaining Council competitors. including the Bargaining Council costs
regulations should be applied to it Ironically, even though government in our annual increase on standard
in the same way that they applied to and large private sector companies regional zone pricing to customers and
trucking and logistics companies. are often outspoken in their support prospects. But, despite the transparent
Rosemary tells the story: “It all started for good corporate governance, applications on the increase
with the Bargaining Council saying compliance with labour legislation component table, we are constantly
that we were transporting goods and registration with the relevant requested to relook at our annual
for gain like a trucking company. Bargaining Council is seldom, if ever, increase percentage and reduce it,” she
No matter how hard and how stipulated in tender documents in says.
many times we explained either the public or private sector. So, why is so little being done to sign
and proved that our core In an attempt to improve up others in the sector and to force
business was the treatment transparency in this regard, companies’ customers to make this a
and safe disposal of national sales manager, qualification prerequisite for tenders in
medical waste, they would Samantha Immelman, much the same way as B-BBEE is?
not listen. They used says that Compass “This is a very good question. One
Gauteng and Free State is now could well argue that the Bargaining
as an example as, at including Council is being selective. They tend to
the time, we only had target the big companies, with certain
transit sites in those notable exceptions, where there
two provinces and is critical mass and avoid the small
had to transport the companies. They are not transparent
waste to another and they certainly haven’t levelled the
facility or to playing fields,” Ian replies.
KwaZulu-Natal or “There appears to be a reluctance
the Eastern Cape to pursue other competitors in our
to be treated.” industry some of whom hide behind
As a result, the smoke and mirror company structures,
company was subsidiaries or shelf companies. In my
registered with view, the Bargaining Council is not
the Bargaining being proactive in its approach to
Council on signing up all members operating
November 26, 2012. in our industry. You are either
“We then went to the transporting for gain or you are
Labour Court in Johannesburg for a not. If you are doing your own
Demarcation hearing in September transport then, they say, you
2013, where we again lost the case,” are doing so for gain and
she explains. you are obliged to join
This latest call for justice is not sour the Bargaining Council,”
grapes but about survival and creating Doug adds.
jobs by ensuring that the same rules
apply to all in the industry.
“Since we have been compelled to
be part of the Bargaining Council, it
has become difficult for Compass to
remain competitive in the market as we
have had to increase our prices to try
and cover the extra costs of being part
of the council,” she explains.
December 2017 Edition 9Personality Profile FD DOUG ANDERSON REFLECTS ON COMPASS’ HIGHPOINTS BY TENLEY CUMMINGS It has been said that a partner-ship, treatment site in Eastern Cape and followed by 10 years of call backs is the only ship that does not sail. This the successful award of the EC DOH and when I started my BCom degree cannot be said for Doug Anderson business. full time at Natal University, it meant I and Ian du Randt who have been “Compass was the first company in couldn’t go during the year, so I had to in partnership for over 19 years and Africa to pioneer the use of autoclave sacrifice three weeks of my December defied the theory taught by all global non-burn technology and, having holidays to fulfil my commitment.” business schools - that a company an international, highly successful Doug wrote his final BCom exams really only sees significant profits after company like Daniels want to partner three years later and had one carry at least five years of trading. with us, was definitely a feather in our over subject which he decided to do Compass opened its doors in cap,’’ exclaims Doug. part time while working for Ropes and November 1998 and in the first month Securing Netcare as a customer after Mattings, now known as Romatex. of trading showed a loss of R93 000. 12 years of pursuing their business, Here he earned a gross salary of R122 The following month, December 1998, the ‘text book’ planning, building and per month! Compass made a profit of R11 000 opening of the Clayville site and the After passing the outstanding subject and by May 1999, Compass was a cash opening of our Western Cape transit and obtaining his BCom, he realised positive company. site in September this year can be that if he wanted to be truly successful Over the past 10 years Compass added to Doug’s list of highpoints. in commerce, he needed to become a has grown turnover, on average, by a Doug was born in Durban and during Chartered Accountant (CA). massive 21% per annum and in 2009 his senior primary school years he In 1972, Doug started his CA degree alone by an astounding 47%. dreamt of matriculating from Durban and a job at Deloitte, which he believes “The journey of working with Ian Boys High School, purely for their is the most successful accounting and growing a business which was swimming pool. “I used to ride my firm in SA. His salary dropped to R95 conceived around a four seater dining bike past the school and look at the a month of which he paid R10 to room table one Friday evening, has highest diving board I had ever seen his mother for board and R10 to the been an incredible ride,’’ explains and thought, I would love to go to that church. “It only cost R3.29 to fill my Doug, financial director for Compass school,’’ comments Doug. little Alfa Romeo and 20 cents for a Medical Waste Services. That was not to be. After an packet of cigarettes, so I could actually Looking back, there are too many educational assessment at the age survive on under R100 a month.’’ highlights to mention, but for Doug of 12, Doug’s ability to read and Doug worked for Deloitte for five some of the most significant include understand figures were so evident years before moving to Grafton securing the tender for the KZN that his parents signed him up with Everest. During this time, he got Department of Health (DOH) which Glenwood Boys High, the only school married and had his first daughter, is what really saw life breathed into in Durban to offer accounting in the Stacey. However, his life was turned the company and, undoubtedly, the early 1960s. upside down when his first wife left catalyst for everything that is Compass Doug loved his time at Glenwood him the day before his final board today. and after matriculating in 1966 went exam. He went ahead and wrote, but Compass then went on to secure the on to complete his compulsory nine understandably, failed dismally. Free State DOH and opened a transit months of army training. “I was devastated and my confidence site in Bloemfontein, followed by a “In those days, this training was took a knock. Seven months later, the 10 The Compass Crux
Personality Profile
divorce went through and thankfully I for better business experience over my Tender’ by Elvis Presley, which provided
got custody of my daughter, who was twelve years with the firm.’’ great entertainment for our Japanese
22 months at the time.’’ “On the flip side, between 1977 and partners.
At this point in his life, Doug had 1979, the study material for the board Ian’s wife, Judy, also worked at
given up on getting his CA and was not exam had not only tripled, but the Rennies and asked her boss if there
in a good place. His father suggested contents had changed significantly. was anyone he could recommend
he join them on an overseas trip. I had a lot of catching up to do and to assist her sister-in-law with her
During the family trip, Doug flew to ended up failing the exam for the recently established small business.
California to see his good friend, Ivan. second time. Fortunately, I bounced He recommended Doug who
“Ivan and I have been friends since back immediately and rewrote in 1980 subsequently assisted. A couple of
class two and he is an extraordinary and passed.” months later, Ian who had been
entrepreneur. I knew spending time During his time at Deloitte, Doug was retrenched, had a fantastic business
with him is what I needed.’’ exposed to every possible industry – idea but needed to establish a business
Ivan had just opened up a restaurant mining, shipping, wholesaling, retailing, plan and strategy.
in a beautiful old church, and organised manufacturing, motor, construction, “I was invited to Judy and Ian’s home
for Doug to have dinner with a female farming, pension funds, medical aids, in Westville and around that glass
friend of his, Terri. insurance etc. and wicker table, the dream of the
“I will never forget that dinner for as “I learnt how to run a business and, Compass Group was put onto paper.
long as I live. We were sitting at a table more importantly, how not to run a I still have Ian’s proposed company
which was in the pulpit and Terri asked business.’’ structure diagram, twenty years later. I
me what I did for a living. I explained In 1993, Doug joined Rennies as arrived at 6.30pm and left at 2am the
that I was on the path to becoming a financial director and, during this ten- next morning, completely inspired.”
CA and why it hadn’t worked out.’’ year period with the company, it grew “I produced the business plan and
“In the nicest possible way, she gave from R3 million a year profit company Ian started making the vision a reality.
to one of R57 million. Every Friday, I was handed a file of
What really kept Doug inspired Compass documents and queries for
was his involvement in the various the week and on Saturday morning
subsidiary companies – marine I would wake up 3.00am and work
insurance and salvage and, his until 9.00am. I was married to Jill, who
favourite, the Japan Marine Supplies had a son, Andrew, the same age as
company. Stacey, and we had just had Kelly, so I
“We had two board meetings a year, needed to be available for my young
one in South Africa and one in Japan, family over the weekends, hence the
and my time spent in Japan created reason for working early on a Saturday
memories that I will never forget. The morning before they woke up”.
culture of respect, the work ethic, “Compass grew exponentially under
the cleanliness is beyond compare. Ian’s entrepreneurial spirit, but Ian felt
Everything functions like clockwork that he needed me onboard full time
and, in my eyes, the pride that the to guide the ship from a financial point
Japanese show in their work and of view. I joined Compass in January
appearance is superior to any other 2004, and as the saying goes ‘the rest
me the ‘lecture’ I needed. She told me nation.’’ is history’.’’
not to give up on my dream. Very few “After the board meetings, the “Compass celebrated their 19th
people become CA’s and if I didn’t Japanese contingent would take us birthday on 1 November 2017 and
achieve this goal, I would regret it for out for dinner in an authentic fishing during my speech I turned to the
the rest of my life.’’ village where we sat cross legged on Compass team gathered around our
“I was 31 years old and a single dad. the floor to eat. This wasn’t the easiest eight metre long boardroom table, and
Going out with friends was not an thing to do for us South Africans who explained that I have put my stamp on
option, so what better way to spend suffered through knee pain and pins the company, I have endured the ups
my evenings, than to put my head and needles. The discomfort was soon and the downs, and it is time for me to
down and study?” washed away by the whiskey and Saki.” pass on the baton. I challenged them
My mind was made up, but I needed “The evening ended, like most nights to seize the opportunity so that when
to get back into an accounting firm out in Japan, with karaoke. I learnt very they eventually hand over the steering
so I could put my theory into practice. quickly that slow songs were easier to wheel, that they too can look back with
I phoned my ex-boss from Deloitte, handle, so on every occasion I sang no regrets.’’
Mike Downie, simply to get advice on ‘House of the Rising Sun’, ‘Green,
what salary I should be asking for. Green Grass of Home’ and ‘I Did It “It’s when ordinary people
He said, “If you want to get back into My Way’. I also was coerced into a rise above the expectations
the profession, why not come back to duet with my boss, Mike Atter, who and seize the opportunity that
Deloitte?” I jumped at this offer and I couldn’t sing for love or money. We milestones truly are reached”.
can honestly say, I couldn’t have asked ended up ruining the song ‘Love Me - Mike Huckabee
December 2017 Edition 11Environment
RECYCLING OF CLINICAL GLASS
IS IT AN OPTION? BY LORNA HILL
With a growing world population Act, Act 85 of 1993 establishes the • Every ton of new bottles and jars
and dwindling natural resources, requirement that employers carry made using recycled glass rather
waste minimisation, re-use, recovery out recycling where possible. Clause than raw materials prevents the
and recycling are recognised as 15 states that an employer shall, as emission of 670 kg of CO².
being important components of far as is reasonably practicable – • The energy saving from recycling
sustainability. a) recycle all hazardous chemical one bottle will power a computer
When we consider recycling in substance waste. for 25 minutes.
general, this is what some of our local It is, therefore, our legal responsibility In the healthcare industry glass is
South African laws and strategies say as citizens of South Africa to consider used as a dispensing container for
about waste minimisation, re-use, how we can reduce the amount of injectables and other medication. This
recovery and recycling: waste that we generate, look for type of glass is called ‘clinical glass’.
• The National Waste Management options to re-use or repair items Recycling of this waste stream from
Strategy (2012) states that: instead of throwing them away, and healthcare institutions could reduce
-- The waste management then to recycle wherever possible. the volume of healthcare risk waste
hierarchy consists of options However, a risk-averse approach going for treatment and disposal.
for waste management during must be adopted whenever there Would recycling of clinical glass
the lifecycle of waste, arranged is uncertainty about the hazard therefore be a viable option?
in descending order of priority: associated with any type of waste. The If there is a possibility that clinical
waste avoidance and reduction, National Environmental Management glass has been contaminated with
re-use and recycling, recovery, Act, Act 107 of 1998 (as amended) the blood or body fluids of patients
and treatment and disposal as the established the requirement in clause in healthcare facilities, there is a risk
last resort. 4 a) viii) that a risk-averse and cautious of infection for anyone coming into
The waste management hierarchy approach is applied, which takes contact with the glass. A risk averse
is a series of waste management into account the limits of current approach must, therefore, be adopted.
steps, with the most preferred option knowledge about the consequences of SANS 10248-1 (2008): Management of
being waste avoidance and the least decisions and actions. healthcare risk waste from a healthcare
preferred being disposal of waste to The requirement to reduce and facility adopts this risk-averse approach
landfill. If the steps of the hierarchy are recycle our waste must, therefore, be by including clinical glass as a category
applied, this significantly reduces the balanced by adopting a risk-averse of healthcare risk waste. The Standard
amount of waste going to landfill, with and cautious approach when there is defines clinical glass as ‘glass that
the result that landfill space and natural uncertainty about risk associated with might be contaminated with blood,
resources are conserved. the type of waste being reduced or body fluids or chemicals e.g. blood
• The National Environmental recycled. collection tube, laboratory glassware
Management: Waste Act, Act The Department of Health and and medication vials’. ³ As with other
59 of 2008 (NEM:WA) echoes healthcare sector have embraced the categories of healthcare risk waste,
the objectives of the waste principles of the waste management clinical glass may, therefore, not be
management hierarchy. NEM:WA hierarchy by introducing reusable rigid disposed of without prior treatment.
states in Clause 2 that the objects of plastic containers and wheelie bins Treatment to render the glass non-
this Act are: to containerise infectious waste, and infectious would still be a requirement,
-- To protect health, well-being and reusable sharps containers for the even if the glass was destined for
the environment by providing sharps waste stream. These containers recycling.
reasonable measures for: are washed, sanitised and re-used until When clinical glass has been used
-- minimising the consumption of they reach the end of their useful life, as packaging for injectables and other
natural resources, at which time the clean containers are pharmaceutical liquids, due to the
-- avoiding and minimising the sent for recycling. presence of a small amount of residue
generation of waste, Another recyclable material used left inside the container, this waste
-- reducing, re-using, recycling extensively in the healthcare waste stream is classified as pharmaceutical
and recovering of waste, industry is glass. Glass can be recycled waste. For example, the Draft
-- treating and safely disposing of an infinite number of times without Healthcare Waste Management
waste as a last resort.¹ losing its intrinsic properties. Recycling Regulations (2012) developed by the
of glass also saves energy and natural Department of Environmental Affairs
• The Regulations for Hazardous resources. For example ², defines Pharmaceutical Waste as
Chemical Substances (1995, • Every ton of glass recycled can ‘expired, unused, spilt or contaminated
amended 2003) promulgated under avoid the quarrying of 1.2 tons of drugs, medicines and vaccines which
the Occupational Health and Safety raw material. are no longer usable and includes their
12 The Compass CruxEnvironment
packaging materials’ ⁴ avenue were to be provided at some
Section 3.2 of the South African future date, it is doubtful whether
Pharmacy Council: Rules relating to recycling would be economically
good pharmacy practice states that ‘All feasible or sustainable in a water scarce
medicines and scheduled substances environment, if a triple rinsing process
(including medicines and scheduled was necessary to remove any chemical
substances returned by patients) must or pharmaceutical contaminants.
be destroyed in such a manner that A treatment process to render any
does not allow recovery or retrieval.’ ⁵ blood or body fluids present on the
Heathcare risk waste is classified a glass non-infectious, would also be
Type 1 waste according to the Waste necessary before any recycling could
Classification and Management be considered.
Regulations GNR 634 of NEM:WA
(2013), Annexure 1. Type 1 wastes References
NWMS, 2012: p 9
may only be disposed of at a Class 1
2 http://theglassrecyclingcompany.co.za/facts-
A (Hazardous) landfill. However, the about-glass/ ; accessed 24 Oct 2017
National Norms and Standards for 3 SANS 10248-1 (2008), p4
the assessment of waste for landfill 4 Department of Environmental Affairs: National
disposal GNR 635 of NEM:WA (2013) Environmental Management: Waste Act 2008
Draft Healthcare Risk Waste Management
state in clause 7(5) that wastes listed Regulations (June 2012)
in item (2)(b) of Annexure 1 to the 5 Rules relating to good pharmacy practice, 2012
Regulations are considered to be 6 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (USA)
Type 1 Waste, unless assessed and 7 Managing Pharmaceutical Waste: A 10 step
blueprint for healthcare facilities in the USA,
determined otherwise in terms of 2008 p16
these Norms and Standards. ⁶ The Lorna Hill
method of assessment provided is
leach testing of waste to determine
the Total Concentration and Leachable
Concentration of chemicals in the
waste. Leach testing requires that the
waste be ground into a homogenous
state before the leach testing is carried
out. This would, however, not be
feasible for glass.
Managing Pharmaceutical ‘P-listed’
Waste: A 10-step blueprint for
healthcare facilities in the United States ABOUT LORNA HILL
provides the following advice for used Lorna has been a member of
pharmaceutical containers: ICANDO for the past 17 years
A container that has held a P-listed and has extensive experience
waste is not considered ‘RCRA empty’ in environmental and waste
unless it has been: management. She has worked
1. Triple rinsed, and locally and in Lesotho, Namibia,
2. the rinsate is managed as Tanzania and Botswana. She
hazardous waste. holds an MSc in Environmental
Since triple rinsing is not practical Management and is a registered
in healthcare settings, all vials, facilitator and assessor with
intravenous fluid containers (IVs), the Local Government SETA.
and other containers that have held She also holds a certificate in
a P-listed drug must be managed Occupational Safety and Health.
as hazardous waste, regardless of Waste management is her passion
whether or not all of the contents have and she particularly enjoys training
been removed. ⁷ people to manage their waste in
In the light of these requirements, a way that protects human health
recycling of clinical glass is not legally and the environment.
possible at present. Even if a legal
December 2017 Edition 13You can also read
