Medical Waste

May 10 2021

Across many developing countries we have found that options for disposing of hazardous medical waste has in the past been rather limited. In the worst situations, we have discovered hospital waste including medicines and syringes simply discarded on open ground, often shared with grazing animals or burned in open fire pits. When incinerators have been present, we often find a version of the very accessible De Montfort Medical Waste Incinerator onsite which is making a valiant effort. However, for a genuinely safe, environmental and reliable solution we have regularly provided our MP range of incinerators to replace all of these options to deliver a much more sustainable solution.

For years we have worked with international aid agencies including, MSF, UNICEF, WHO, NATO and others to supply a range of reliable medical incinerators. In doing so we have helped to develop many sustainable infrastructures for the future.

The De Montfort Medical Waste Incinerator is a fantastic solution for developing regions to establish a basic disposal system that is more controlled the open dumping or burning. However, it is still not the ideal solution. We have been asked many times to break down the difference between a De Montfort incinerator Mark 9 and the most widely selected Addfield medical solution the MP.

As such let us investigate the two and compare the similarities and differences between them. This list is in no way exhaustive and we would advise you to complete your own research into which solution is the right one for your requirements. However, we have tried to be unbiased in our comparison so that you can comfortably use this as part of your research.

What is the difference between a De Montfort Incinerator and an Addfield MP?

The De Montfort Medical Waste Incinerator

Designed by Professor D.J. Picken a De Montfort professor in 1996 and funded by the DeMontfort University and British Government. A Do-It-Yourself approach to incineration created to meet the need for cheap but effective incinerators that are easy to build in developing countries. It is estimated that there are over 1000 DeMontfort Incinerators across Africa, Asia and East Europe. Developed to reduce waste dressings, plastics and organic matter to ash as well as sterilising hypodermic needles.

The Addfield MP Medical Incinerator Range

The MP range was created to offer the best solution to safely destroy medical waste and help international aid agencies fight deadly diseases. Hundreds of MP machines are in operation globally. Predominantly installed in developing countries, including across Africa, Pakistan and Asia.

The MP range is built to offer a safe and environmentally sustainable solution for disposing of all forms of hazardous, pharmaceutical and medical waste in hospitals, laboratories and aid agencies worldwide.

What are your options?

Incinerator Range

De Montfort Medical Incinerators

3 models available – Mark 7, Mark 8a and Mark 9.
Average lifespan of 6 months to 5 years.
12-50kg/h capacity.
Cheap to produce, easy to manufacture onsite.
Suitable for hospitals up to 300 beds max.

Addfield MP Range

5 options in the range MP100 – MP500.
Average Lifespan up to 20 years.
50kg/h capacity.
Construction in the UK to order.
Suitable for hospitals up to 1000 beds max.

Construction Comparisons

The biggest differences between the two ranges clearly comes down to the construction so let’s consider the two approaches:

De Montfort

Built by hand and with materials locally sourced or pre-built at a nearby manufacturing base.
Consists of a basic primary and secondary chamber for gas combustion manually operated.
Two doors, one to light the fire, remove ash and let in the air with a second top-loading door above.
Assembled by a qualified builder requiring correct bricklaying and steel fabrication skills for construction.
Requires knowledgeable contractor sourcing the correct materials, such as proper refractory bricks, mortar and mild steel that can withstand temperatures up to 1000 degrees celsius.
Built to be airtight to prevent smoke and gases from escaping.
Cannot be built close to occupied buildings or hospital wards.
Takes roughly between 5 hours and 6 days to build onsite dependant on resources and incinerator size.

Addfield MP Range

Built in Great Britain by qualified engineers.
Consists of optimised primary and secondary chambers controlled by automated systems.
A secondary chamber is built to purposefully remove all smoke and odours.
Uses high-grade materials throughout including heavily insulated refractory lining and top quality pre-fabricated robust mild steel.
Made to order to build the machine to the exact customer specifications.
Uses Premium steel fabrication, multi-layered refractory and underfloor ‘hot hearth’ heating to ensure all waste is incinerated at safe temperatures.
Protected from the elements by a specially designed two-pack, high-grade paint system.
Can be situated close to buildings and hospital wards.
Automatic temperature controlled on-off ignition burners complete with internal combustion air fans.
Fully insulated with a tight seal fibre insulation for thermal efficiency.
Carefully delivered to site with little assembly and with qualified engineers available to ensure the machine is ready to use and working perfectly.

Operation Comparisons

Both solutions aim to dispose of waste to the best of their abilities through incineration. However, it is through the daily practical operation that some of the greatest differences can be found.

De Montfort

A fire is lit in the primary chamber using dry non-toxic materials (firewood, coconut shells) before adding small amounts of fuel (kerosene/diesel) at regular intervals to start the burn cycle and get it to optimal loading temperature.
Takes boxes of separated waste (sharps) alongside small bagged waste (red & yellow) at intervals of 8-10 minutes to ensure complete burn.
Temperature fluctuates between 600-900 degrees C.
Cannot burn wet waste (fluid bags, vials, broken thermometers).
Burning must be manually timed and maintained throughout the cycle to avoid producing toxic emissions.
Primary chamber must be kept full in order to keep a steady temperature.
Fully hands on process which requires checking the flames by eye, feeding waste every ten minutes, poking out blockages to keep the flame going.
Large flames can burst from the chamber when the door is opened to load as well as harmful gases leaking from the air holes throughout so requires utmost safety to operate.
Can only be operated during select times throughout the day due to pollution risks.
Requiring continuous maintenance, often prone to corrosion and needing daily checks for outer cracks and weather damage.

Addfield MP Range

Externally controlled with touch screen panel and electrically powered automated fans and burners for easy operation and monitoring.
One manual opening, securely locking front-facing door with a wide opening for loading and de-ashing.
Fully automated pre-heat, burn and cool-down cycles with adaptable cycle times dependant on waste type and load size.
Maintains a consistent temperature of 850ºC in the primary chamber and 1100ºC in the secondary chamber.
Can burn wet waste due to hot hearth underfloor heating.
Easy loading with help of an optional hydraulic lift table for large amounts of heavy waste.
Can be safely loaded multiple times during the burn cycle.
Runs on a fully integrated diesel or petrol fuel system that feeds the burners.
Easy to maintain with annual servicing.

Pros and Cons Comparisons

Finally let us just take a moment and review the general pros and cons of each range when it comes to providing clean, safe and environmentally sustainable medical waste disposal.

DeMontfort

● Pros:

Cheap to build.
Uses little fuel to burn.
Can be custom built in almost any location.
Regular modifications are released to improve on overall function, burn rate and safety.
University tests and results on the incinerator are free to access on their website.
Designed with developing countries in mind.

● Cons:

Requires specialist knowledge to build to the right specifications.
Requires access to multiple specialist materials and tools to build.
If built incorrectly, it can cause faults that reduce the lifespan of the incinerator.
Can be unsafe to operate even with the right protective equipment.
Poor emissions control releasing smoke and odours make it unsafe for the environment and narrows down possibilities for site placements.
Has a small load capacity and burn rate.
Short lifespan of only 5 years max.
Can only be operated at certain times of the day due to pollution emissions.

Addfield MP Range

● Pros:

Very high standards for, build, performance and ongoing support.
No smoke or odours and easily contained makes it safer for the environment.
Up to 20 years life span.
Custom built to order to fit the needs of the customer.
Easy to use and safer to operate.
Comes assembled.
Meets incineration requirements by most governing bodies.
Can be operated at any time of the day.

● Cons:

Higher costs involved for purchasing, delivery and commission.
Requires expert maintenance once a year.

As you can see the two ranges of machines are very different to each other. They are both designed to dispose of waste which they both do to an extent. At Addfield we would always recommend the MP range of any of the De Montfort Medical waste incinerators as from experience these are the machines that we have been replacing. Where nothing better is available the De Montfort is a sound addition for the short term however we believe that only an MP will deliver clean, reliable and safe results.

If you would like to learn more about our Medical Incinerators you can review the range here. https://addfield.com/machine-categories/medical-incinerators/

If you would like to learn more about some of our installations you can read our case studies here – https://addfield.com/case-studies/

If you would like to learn more about different types of medical waste we have published several articles which you can find here. – https://addfield.com/blog/

To learn more about the De Montfort Medical Incinerator you can visit their website here – https://mw-incinerator.info/ and here – https://www.engineeringforchange.org/solutions/product/de-montfort-medical-waste-incinerator/

January 15 2021

At Addfield we are recognised around the world for our expertise and quality in providing reliable solutions for disposing of hazardous medical waste safely. We work side by side with International Aid Agencies, Government bodies and even the NHS in England. Providing a range of machines purpose-built solutions exactly based around the needs of our customer and the types of waste being treated.

All of our medical machines are more than fit for purpose however for some types of waste an MP machine is your best choice and for others, it would be one from our C range. To help you understand some of the key differences our Operations Director Derek Carr has helped us to put this a little clearer for you.

To begin with the C100 we currently have two machines in the C range the C100 and the C200. In this instance, the ‘100’ and ‘200’ refers to the burn rate of the machine. This means that the C100 will be able to manage up to 100 kilograms an hour.

One of the first things that you will notice about the C range is that that they are much larger when placed beside an MP machine. This is partly because the C machines are specifically designed for high volumes of plastic. As it has a bigger chamber, this allows for lower density, higher energy waste to be put into the chamber. Because this is higher energy waste, we do not need so much energy from underneath the floor, as it is already a fuel. At the front, we have a large opening door. As standard, this will be a manual loading and deashing machine. However, there are other variants available where you can incorporate bin tippers and ram loaders that can be added onto the system for advanced automatic operation.

You will find four burners on the C range each is controllable from the control panel and you will find two down each side of the chamber directing the heat right into the heart of the waste.

Because the C range is designed for more general medical waste which may contain high levels of plastic it needs to have a much larger loading chamber the C100 has a volume of 3 cubic metres and the C200 has a chamber which is 4.3 metres cubed which is extremely spacious inside. The reason that the C machines are rounded is that this helps to eliminate any cold spots inside as there are no corners and this encourages a very active circulation of energy inside the chamber. Being front-loading this also prevents overloading to ensure you are able to achieve optimal results from every operation, this also makes the machine very ergonomic to operate.

The MP (Medical/Pathological) range for machines is available in MP100, MP200, MP300, MP400 and MP500. The MP range has been designed differently to the C range to operate with a Hot Hearth which delivers underfloor heating, this is because the this is for higher moisture pathological waste, it has three burners and also three chambers. Where the C machines have one primary chamber and one secondary/after chamber the MP also has a third underfloor Hot Hearth chamber that pushes the heat up which is ideal for pathological waste.

Across the MP range, the numeral relates to the amount of waste that can be treated in a day. You will find that it starts with the MP100 having a chamber volume of 0.4 meters cubed and then you can go up to an mp500 that would be 1.13 meter cubed chamber so you'll find the sizes don't change too dramatically as they do on the C range.

The MP also has a front opening door and loading and it can also have the options of having automatic loaders but this only becomes applicable when it's the MP500. The range is designed to be a perfect solution for a smaller hospital or a clinic where you can open the door, and insert your waste inside the chamber and it will carry on with its cycle uninterrupted. The MP come in more of a rectangular box format. This makes it incredibly easy to install and commission. By the time it gets to your client, you just add your chimney on top making on-site installation far simpler. Where with the C100 because it is a much larger machine it is delivered in components, which you have to connect on-site, adding the after chamber and then the chimney stacks. As there is a greater amount of concrete on the C range there will be a drying out schedule, whereas with the MP because it's mainly brick getting it installed and operational can be completed much quicker typically within one to two days.

The MP machines similar to the C have viewing ports on the front loading doors allowing you to see what’s happening inside the chamber during the process.

All of the Addfield machines have a touchscreen operation and they have data logging as standard so this allows you to look at the performance of the machine and how it's reacting with the type of waste that's inside to make sure that it is burning successfully.

The key things to remember is the C100 is designed more for plastic waste which is low density and high energy. It has a large chamber inside whereas the MP machine is designed for more low energy high moisture pathological waste so it has got a smaller chamber where there is heat-driven underneath the floor and above. The C100 has air distributed throughout because it is more high energy waste, it doesn't need to have a cooling effect. This encourages a faster burn. Both of the machines can have additional filtration systems which include Venturi scrubber systems if you do have any further questions or you would like to come to the factory and view the machines yourself just contact us on +44 01543 571280 or email sales@addfield.com.

To see the full range of medical incinerators available to buy click here.

January 8 2021

As we move into 2021, the coronavirus continues to affect all lives across the globe. Continuing to spread at an alarming rate, infecting more people now than we saw at the start of the crisis. This year, we hope to hit the ground running as we look ahead to the rapidly developing medical advances in vaccinations being made to help contain and fight the spread.

As millions of vaccines have already been administered across the UK, Europe, America, Russia and more putting additional strains on the medical infrastructures. In the coming weeks, millions of vaccines are due to be delivered to developing countries which in many instances sadly do not have such a robust and reliable method of waste disposal.

For years, Addfield has worked with international health organizations to bring biosecure incineration methods of medical waste disposal. As millions of vaccines create used needles, syringes and vials, this waste cannot be left unattended. Unsuitable for landfill the only safe method of disposal of these levels of waste is incineration, burning away chemicals and toxins, whilst safely sterilising the glass and metal remains ready for recycling.

We have already shipped dozens of medical incinerators worldwide to aid clinics and field hospitals in fighting the outbreaks. Recognised for our track record supporting immunisation outbreaks of HIV, TB, Measles and Ebola. We are currently putting a growing number of machines into production to continue this great work across many more countries throughout 2021 and beyond.

As there is still no reliable end in site for Covin19. One thing we are certain of is having a tried and tested, safe solution to disposing medical waste that doesn’t negatively affect the environment is essential. We can only do our best to take the necessary measures required to minimise the environmental impact. Knowing the right tools for ensuring that the virus is destroyed is the first step. To find out more, click here to review our range of medical incinerators or contact our sales team sales@addfield.com.

November 25 2020

UK manufacturer joins the fight against disease across Angola.

As Covid19 continues to make headlines it is important to recognise the work that International Aid Agencies continue to complete. Working across developing countries, often with limited infrastructure to establish facilities to enable the safe disposal of medical waste.

For many years now Addfield has worked side by side with many of these organisations to combat viral outbreaks in developing regions. Delivering comprehensive solutions across varying scales treating endemics, and epidemics, some newsworthy whilst others were not so. This year however the word pandemic has been firmly on everyone’s lips and you cannot go five minutes without hearing about the Coronavirus once again.

It is important to not forget that Covid19 is not the only infectious disease that is fatally infectious. In this instance, AFG SA, based in Portugal and experts in the sale of medical equipment approached leading medical incineration manufacturers Addfield based in the UK. AFG through their Angola subsidiary Acail Angola asked Addfield to support them on a project for the Angolan Ministry of Health to supply and install 5 medical waste machines, to not only manage the additional waste created through combatting the Covid19 outbreak but also the continuing impact of Malaria and Tuberculosis across 5 field hospitals, located in Nzeto, Huila, Cunene, Dundo and Cabinda.

Coronavirus is currently not the biggest killer in Angola. Records indicate 333 confirmed deaths from the Coronavirus as of the middle of November 2020. Compared to Malaria which is responsible for an average of 12,000 deaths a year placing Angola in the top 10 countries most affected by the disease. As such in addition to supporting in the management of the Coronavirus, these incinerators will also prove essential pieces of equipment to combat other diseases for many years to come.

For this project, they selected 5 MP100 Medical/Pathological Incinerators. The MP range has proven itself to be a highly reliable solution for many aid agencies and NGO’s for treating waste in remote locations. Being both highly compact whilst also delivering quality and reliable medical waste disposal.

Beyond the visible impact of contagious diseases, there is also a hidden threat across Angola. Poverty is a growing problem, leading many families according to reports to subsist from scavenging in openly dumped garbage, which can include medical waste in some regions. This is another benefit of these machines as they will remove the hazardous waste and the health care risks from the ecosystem protecting the environment alongside its residents.

“A lot of investment is taking place across Angola to reduce these issues and reduce the numbers of deaths from avoidable diseases such as Malaria and Tuberculosis, which are blighting the country and we are proud to be able to play a small but important part in this as we know that our machines will stand the test of time and could be supporting these 5 communities for more than 20 years a fantastic improvement in the quality of life and a great legacy for us in the region.” Eduardo Sierra Torres, International Sales, Addfield Environmental Systems.

For years now Addfield has been recognised as the name to trust in medical waste disposal. Delivering machines to suit the smallest laboratory up to several thousand-bed hospitals to safely dispose of harmful waste. This project is yet another success for Addfield not only for helping to support international health but also through being yet another new country to add onto our roster of countries that have invested in one of our solutions. Following the success of this project, we are already in negotiations for future projects.

To learn more about the MP100 Medical Incinerator visit the product page by clicking here.

September 9 2020

Why should you buy from Addfield? That’s a completely reasonable question, isn’t it? And one that we will always tell you is the right choice for you to make. ‘Buy an Addfield, we have been trusted for over 35 years and our machines speak for themselves,’ of course we are going to tell you that it's our job. However, we don’t just want you to take our word for it we follow a very low-pressure sales approach here. We like to give you the space to choose the right machine for you, confident in the quality of our machines to help you make the right decision.

One of the most important elements of any purchasing decision is researching the market and discovering the information that’s important to you.

We will always encourage you to complete your own research in all of your available options when looking to invest in a new incinerator or cremator. We do this for two reasons the first is because we want to make sure that you understand what you are getting when you choose Addfield over anyone else. The second is that we want you to be satisfied that you can be happy in the knowledge that you have chosen the right machine for the job.

If you carry out a search for similar companies to Addfield, you will quickly find several manufacturers claiming many things for their machines. However, you will also notice one key difference that sets our machines apart and that is the quality of construction.

Not all machines are built equally as you will quickly learn, they are different shapes, sizes, and colours but one of the biggest differences that you will find often lies beneath the external shell and in fact makes up the heart of any machine so, let us just cover what we believe could be the biggest difference for you to consider and compare the refractory.

The refractory chamber is one of the most important elements of any machine. It is where you load and burn your waste. An effective and insulated refractory can save you thousands of pounds each year in fuel alone.

We are one of the only manufacturers of incinerators and pet cremators to use brick-based multi-layered refractories. In fact, this is what you will find in over 99% of the machines we manufacture. And this is one of the main reasons you can often find our machines in operation for over 20 years whilst competitor products can need replacing much, much sooner.

You will find refractories constructed in one of two ways, Brick or Concrete.

We choose brick, why? Simple, because it’s the best way to do it.

You will find that most of our competitors choose a concrete refractory and the main reason is generally that, it is easier and cheaper to build.

A brick refractory is immensely labour intensive and sadly as traditional industries such as the potteries and steel production have decreased. Colleges have stopped teaching the core skills to enable people to produce these.

So, at Addfield we have addressed this and we train apprentices ourselves. It is very much a specialist skill and our refractory masons are some of the best in the country.

Ask yourself this question what is easier, pouring concrete into a mold or installing three separate layers of refractory?

We occasionally provide concrete refractories. However, these are only on our smallest mobile machines to fit a very specific requirement. All machines that are built to handle loads of 150kg and greater will always be bricked.

We only use concrete on our smallest machines.

What are the long-term benefits of Brick over Concrete?

Well for one it is vastly longer-lasting. Every refractory will go through years of daily usage. This means that every day there will be expansion and retraction of the lining as it heats up and cools down.

The concrete refractory will be held in place with dozens of small steel anchors spaced throughout the case holding the refractory in place with the steel shell. Over time this expansion and retraction will cause cracks, some hairline, and some larger. These cracks will provide access for the energy and heat to escape from the chamber, into the anchor and then into the steel body of the machine. These make the machine increasingly hot during operation. This is why you will often find ‘Danger Hot’ on a concrete refractory machine but not on ours.

Another risk caused by constant expansion and retraction of the refractory is the effect on the integrity of the steel anchors themselves. The steel and refractory lining both expand at different rates. When a crack appears in the concrete (which it will) the heat energy will be conducted through the steel anchor to your steel. If you think this machine will achieve temperatures in excess of 900°C, is conducting energy to the outside steel, do you think this is good for the longevity of the machine?

So why do we use brick?

The bricks we use are great for handling thermal shock, they allow expansion between the joints, are incredibly easy to maintain, for example, if a brick does ever fail you can replace a brick with minimal downtime and often be back up and running on the same day. If concrete fails you need to cut out the anchors, install shuttering and mix concrete and allow the customer to use their fuel for 12 hours to dry out the machine, then if it cracks and breaks again, it’s your fault, as you never dried the concrete properly. We have seen this happen with concrete refractories so many times.

The difference between brick and concrete is clear.

Beyond the technical aspects, what does this really mean to you?

· You won’t be having to reinvest another £40+K in 4 years' time.

· You’ll be using around 40 litres less fuel for every incineration/cremation cycle. Completing just three of these a week, that’s 6240 litres that could be a saving of around £3,120.00 every year.

At Addfield we aim to be able to answer all of the key questions that you may have and also make you aware of a number of key questions you need to be considering when selecting your machine.

Although our Refractories are the best in the industry they are not the only element that you will find makes our construction superior. Consider the following:

Steel thickness – Addfield uses 8-10mm, where most other manufacturers choose 4-5mm.

What do you think that would mean to you in terms of longevity?

Refractory Thickness – Addfield: 180-220mm

Consider what your new machine will weigh. A triple-layered refractory and thick steel shell is heavy and delivers a more robust solution. If you are comparing an Addfield machine to a similar-sized machine yet ours is twice as heavy, that’s something you really should ask why about.

Caution Hot Signs – Not required on an Addfield

Does the machine require a ‘Caution Hot’ sign? Ours don’t, if the machines are radiating a lot of heat, you are going to have to replace that by having the burners on for longer. What is the impact for fuel economy?

How durable is the paint system on a machine with hot surfaces, vs a paint system designed for modern vehicles?

More importantly, what are the health and safety implications?

Numbers Of Refractory Layers – Three layers are standard on Addfield machines

If you have 800°C heat in the chamber, what happens if a hot face insulation problem occurs and that heat gets behind that insulation layer?

800°C on directly painted steel (or a 20mm insulation board) vs heat on another two layers of insulation. If you use thin steel for that casing what kind of shape is it going to be in?

Steel Anchors – Not required on Addfield Brick refractories

This is an area you won’t know about. So the above illustration is a good example. Anchors hold concrete in place.

When concrete heats and steel heats up together. Which one is going to get hot first? When materials heat up they expand. If the steel is heating up quicker this will create a hole inside loosening its grip. What happens to steel when you constantly heat it and cool it? It becomes brittle and when brittle it cannot hold the concrete in place. What happens when it lets go?

Are you going to choose a costly repair or just throw it away and choose a brick refractory?

Hot Hearth Primary Chambers – Available on our Medical and Pet Cremation ranges

All human crematoriums use a hot hearth system. What do you think are the implications for speed, your throughput and ultimately earning potential of the business from using this approach?

Datalogging – Included as standard on Addfield Incinerators

Every two hours you are going to have to record burn temperatures in the secondary chamber as part of the permit for 10% of burners. (At least for APHA in the UK you do)

Our machines do it automatically other options are going to cause you a lot more labour.

When it comes to price what we quote is the price of our machines, its the price you will pay. Other manufacturers may be able to offer you large discounts that bring their final price lower, after artificially inflating their price. We build our machines by hand ourselves, investing in our workforce, and we select only the best quality materials which, gives you a fantastic finished machine at a fair price. If you ask for a large discount and get one what does that actually say about the machine you are investing in for potentially more than 20 years of usage.

For over 35 years now we have stood by our motto of being ‘Simply Built Better’, if you want to learn more about how we build our machines you are welcome to join the hundreds of visitors that have traveled from the furthest corners of the world and visit our factory to see first-hand why we are number one. If you have any questions do not hesitate to ask us we are here to help.

For more information visit us at www.addfield.com to discover our full range of solutions.

Digital approach to combat the Coronavirus spread

July 3 2020

Over that past few months, the internet has truly revolutionised the way we work worldwide. Remote meetings have become the new normal and people are engaging with technology and the business opportunities available like never before. At Addfield the sudden lockdown of borders did not mean that we were going to be unable to keep building essential medical waste incinerators, it just gave us the chance to further innovate, this time in the digital domain.

During the past year alone we have supplied dozens of machines to be installed in countries across all continents. In most instances, the final stage of the project is when an engineer flies out from the UK to complete the installation and deliver training to the new users. As the airports closed, the docks stayed open and we continued to ship essential medical incinerators worldwide to help combat the crisis caused by the Coronavirus. As the machines began to arrive so did the need to commission them. But how without a trained engineer available? This became a problem desperate to be solved.

The solution was simple and resulted in http://www.addfieldinternational.com an online learning platform launching with a detailed program for commissioning and operating the MP range of medical incinerators.

“When the travel restrictions first took hold, we knew we had to act fast. As the demand for medical incinerators grew we had to ask ourselves how can we best support our customers anytime and anywhere, without being affected by travel restrictions?

Several of our team had completed various online courses in the past as part of their personal development and proposed we make our own. Putting together a team from across the company each with their own expertise, in just a couple of weeks we were able to launch it just in time for the arrival of several of our machines in Cambodia.” Ian Gilbert, Marketing Manager.

In recent years ‘Online training courses’ have taken the world by storm. Giving the ability for anyone to learn from the experts in virtually any subject. And although it is often best to have a qualified and experienced engineer on hand when installing an incinerator. Through the power of the internet, customers are able to put their new equipment straight to work helping to reduce the spread of the Coronavirus through safe disposal of contaminated waste.

Launching our online platform this June, just in time to support the installation and commissioning of several medical incinerators being setup in Cambodia for a leading international aid agency. The first course combines more than 23 video lessons combined with essential documents and guides covering everything from positioning the machine and connecting it all together through to the first operation and basic maintenance essentials.

To be successful in business it’s essential to view new challenges, as opportunities to innovate and the Coronavirus has been no different. Throughout the past three months, Addfield has implemented dozens of fresh approaches to working locally and internationally to ensure that essential medical equipment has been able to continue to ship worldwide. As orders for essential medical machines continue to arrive this fresh approach to commissioning has already proven a vital resource.

Providing sustainable medical waste disposal in the Ivory Coast

May 13 2020

Returning to the Ivory Coast

Just two years after their initial project in the Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire) was completed Addfield has once again been commissioned to deliver more essential solutions for medical waste disposal to laboratories and clinics across the county.

As part of a program of continuing investment in the environment across the Ivory Coast, overseen by National Food and Animal Health Laboratory (LANADA) on behalf of the Government and sponsored by the USAID and WFP international aid programs. This project has progressed across several stages for safely disposing of hazardous medical waste. The initial project was originally for one location it has since expanded to cover multiple locations across the region beginning with the historic city of Bingerville.

Beginning in 2018 when SOFIM SARL first contracted Addfield to deliver a solution. This first stage of the project was for the incorporation of two modern incinerators that would be capable of cleanly disposing of large quantities of hazardous waste created across their research and testing facilities.

These laboratories were creating a range of waste including animal and biomedical by-products as such they required two machines to treat this securely. Following extensive research, they selected the MP100 and the MP200, which met and exceeded the specifications required.

"Addfield is proud to grow its network in Ivory Coast; it's another case of delivering a complete package solution to respond to our customers needs anywhere in Africa; in addition to supply a state of art machine we go the extra mile to provide direct onsite support, whether it is training, multilanguage communication assistance, spares parts etc." Abraham Bah, Addfield Representative/Distributor for Africa.

The supply and installation of these Addfield incinerators were so well received that it made local news headlines. Originally installed in July 2018 after two years of continuous operation the customer has returned to Addfield satisfied in the performance of the machines, their reliability and the ongoing follow up support by Addfield technicians and representatives. The impact that these machines have had on the environment and local communities is immense and has been recognised. As a result of this, SOFIM SARL has once again selected Addfield to supply three more MP200 machines to update more health centres and laboratories across the country.

Before these machines were installed the waste had previously been disposed of by being burned openly in the backyard of the facility. An approach that resulted in many complaints from the local residents about the smoke and odours that were regularly being created. The impact of this air pollution had become a genuine cause for concern, potentially causing serious health problems for both the staff and the surrounding community.

Unfortunately, this is all too common a practice across many developing countries. Waste disposal has not been prioritised and as such open incineration is common for destroying medical waste. This is a far from ideal approach. When compared to controlled incineration, open fires run the very real risks of spreading diseases and hazards. From floating particles and pieces of debris potentially carrying bacteria beyond the grounds, to also releasing highly toxic chemicals into the atmosphere when burning plastics and other materials. In addition to the air pollution aspect, the volume of waste is not reduced greatly resulting in contagious waste still being disposed of at landfill or local dumps.

Although a controlled open fire can reach temperatures close to 900°C in places the temperatures can be considerably lower elsewhere, giving an uneven burn leaving some waste virtually untouched. An Addfield MP incinerator has multiple chambers which guarantees that all waste is safely destroyed and sterilised. The first chamber destroys the waste, burning it at temperatures up to 1000°C, and reducing it to safe sterile ash at only 3% of the initial volume, this is safe enough for landfill in most countries. After the primary chamber, the secondary chamber treats the waste gasses removing all odours, smoke and most importantly pathogens, furans and pollutants, firing at temperatures up to 1100°C along a 2 second retention time which ensures only clean gasses are returned back into the environment which is a massive improvement for the local community.

Protection from Coronavirus and Pandemics

February 5 2020

As the recent Coronavirus outbreak has shown us having a robust biosecurity waste management system in place is essential and will save lives.

Throughout the years we have delivered clinical incinerators and support to some of the world’s largest international aid agencies in times of emergencies to help reduce the impact of viral outbreaks.

The Coronavirus is not a unique situation, it is just this years danger. Each year we are seeing an increase in the number of viral outbreaks and every year the news latches on and declares another potential Pandemic, this does not mean that Coronavirus is the only risk out there.

As the words Pandemic being thrown about it is important to have an understanding of what the real risks are and what can be done to reduce your risks.

An Endemic outbreak:

The most common viral outbreaks you will find are ‘Endemic’ and as such primarily affect the local population. These are defined as diseases that are constantly present within a region or population and maintained at a baseline level in a geographic area.

Examples of an Endemic Disease:

Malaria
Polio
Sickle Cell Anemia
Typhoid Fever
Meningitis
Cholera
Measles

When a virus extends across a larger region it becomes an epidemic.

An Epidemic outbreak

Once a disease begins to spread across multiple communities at the same time then it becomes recognised as an Epidemic. There are many reasons why these spread. One is through poor site biosecurity and waste disposal allowing an increasing size of the population to come into contact with the virus before traveling.

Recent outbreaks of the Zika virus and Ebola are perfect examples of this kind of infection. However, due to the implementation of rapid biosecurity measures including the use of medical incinerators to destroy the virus, these were controlled and localised.

Examples of recent Epidemic Diseases:

Cholera
Zika Virus
Meningitis
Typhoid Fever
MERS-Cov (The Coronavirus)
Influenza
Ebola

As you can see an Endemic disease can become an Epidemic as it spread geographically.

A Pandemic outbreak:

When a virus becomes truly worrying is when it reaches Pandemic levels. Once an Epidemic has spread across a large region, multiple continents or in the worst-case scenario worldwide. This can lead to a truly devastating situation such as the Spanish Flu outbreak in 1918 estimated to have infected 500 million people, which was a third of the world's population and been responsible for the death of up to 50 million.

However most modern pandemics although able to spread faster due to an increased global population and transportation options have not had the same impact. Catastrophic Pandemics have often been avoided through rapid biosecurity measures, quarantine and the sharing of information and resources globally. Will the Coronavirus join the following list only time will tell.

Examples of catastrophic Pandemic diseases:

HIV/Aids (Peaked 2005-2012)
Influenza (Peaked 1968)
Spanish/Asian Flu (Peaked 1918)
Cholera (Peaked 1910-1911)
The Black Death (Peaked 1346-1353)

As you can see compared to Endemic and Epidemic diseases we are much more aware of the risks of a Pandemic and as such have the measures in place to maintain biosecurity. This proactive approach helps to prevent the conversion into a global disaster.

How does Biosecurity Help prevent Coronavirus?

If we use the Coronavius as an example of how a disease can rapidly spread from an Endemic disease into a Pandemic infecting people globally in just a matter of weeks after being discovered. In the early days as the disease was initially being contained images were shown on the news of medical clothing and personal protective equipment just discarded on the street after being used to clean the initial site of infection. This enables the virus to stay in the environment and spread.

The disposal of infected waste is one of the major causes of the spread of a virus and throughout the past decade we have been called upon by international aid agencies to support their work in preventing the spread of diseases such as Ebola and the Zika virus.

In several instances when our team has arrived onsite to install and commission the machines we have seen previous attempts to dispose of waste to have included, outdated equipment, hazardous waste being burnt in an open fire and simply being dumped on common ground all are perfect ways to increase the spread of infectious diseases.

Preparation is always the key to being able to contain and treat any Endemic disease before it can become a Pandemic. We are continuing to work with organisations supplying a growing range of medical waste incinerators that are able to neutralise all infections waste, from infected materials, PPE, Syringes, through to Infected Organic Compounds.

It is essential that they are not just burned uncontrollably, the process needs to reach sufficient temperatures to ensure complete destruction of the virus preventing any further risks of airborne infection.

All Addfield Incinerators benefit from a primary chamber that achieves temperatures of 850°C which is more than sufficient to fully neutralise even the most aggressive bacteria followed by a secondary chamber which achieves an even greater 1100°C releasing only clean and safe gasses back into the environment.

We are very proud of the beneficial impact that our machines have had across the world and our team has become genuine experts in biosecurity if you have any questions on managing medical waste contact us or read on for further information.