Posted By Jon-P We currently have a contract where we collect and transport “sludge cakes” which I believe contain human body waste. They are taken to a licensed site where they are disposed of in the correct manner or used for spreading. The drivers transporting them aren’t directly in contact with the waste but they are walking on the site where they may be excess waste on the ground. They also open the rear doors of the trailer / skip where sometimes there may be waste on the handles, safety catches etc from tipping out. My question is……. Even though the drivers are wearing the relevant PPE gloves, boots etc should they have vaccines as a good measure? Also….. We have in-house maintenance workshops where tyre fitters, mechanics etc remove and handle parts of the vehicle which have been caked in sludge from sites even thoroughly washed down. What are your thoughts? Thanks all…… Jon

Posted By garyh You need to be more specific, don't be shy, I take it that you mean sewage sludge type waste. Treat them as sewage workers. HSE offers excellent advice. As stated, hygiene is really important, also awareness.

Posted By Chris Packham Keep in mind that actions such as PPE, e.g. gloves, hand washing and decontamination, etc. are secondary measures. The primary control measures should include handling the material in such a way that exposure is eliminated. How well has this been addressed if workers are finding that door handles, etc. are becoming contaminated? Is there not a case for re-examining the whole process? Remember that decontamination, e.g. wipes, etc., are rarely 100% and that in some cases only hand washing will be adequate. For example, for C.difficile the transfer of infection is via spores and alcohol sanitisers will not inactivate these. Finally, what do you propose to vaccinate against? Given the material you describe you could be dealing with an extremely wide variety of potential pathogens. I suggest you should be consulting a microbiologist - possibly at your local hospital - for advice on this. Chris

Posted By Ali The first thing I must ask is has this sludge been processed and how ? If it is the by product of sewage i.e it has been subjected to a further process before handling, then (in theory) it should be safe and you need take no more further precautions than using PPE and good personal hygiene measures. If not, then vaccaination maybe of significant value. As an ex Microbiologist i was routinely vaccinated in hospital, but I was at the "sharp" end of things and it appears you may not be.

Posted By Simon Heesom Jon Hi, I work in the Waste water industry and look after sites that transport sewage sludges. the industry standard that you are looking for is published by Water UK (see thier web site) this is the main body for the water industry (all sectors). Specific Innoculation is not required for sewage related work, however it is recommended that all persons working in the water industry are in date for Tetanus and Polio (which is free on the NHS via individuals own GP, so no expense to your company). The main thing you should ensure through your company is a robust hygiene / welfare arrangements policy (including laundry systems). regards Simon