SOP handling of waste paper generated during documentation in the pharmaceuticals
1. Purpose
To provide a standard operating procedure for the management of waste paper generated during the documentation in the pharmaceuticals.
2. Scope
The scope of this procedure is applicable for the management of waste paper generated during the documentation in all the departments at [company name].
3. Responsibility
All employees: To put waste paper in waste paper box with lock and key arrangement.
An authorized person from the user department:
Review the papers available in the waste paper box, record the number of documents and types of documents to be discarded, and access the waste paper disposal room.
Department head: Verify the document disposal request before any document is discarded.
4. Definitions
Waste paper: Waste papers are the papers generated during documentation, drafting, reviewing, etc., which are not controlled or approved documents.
Authorized person (under scope of this SOP): The person who has access to the waste paper box lock and key and waste paper disposal room.
5. Procedure
- No paper shall be discarded or shredded without authorized request.
- In the absence of an authorized individual, the department head can allocate the task to another individual for that day.
- The waste paper generated at all working areas shall put by an individual in the waste paper bin/box provided in the respective department.
- The number of waste paper bins/boxes shall be identified with the unique identification numbering system.
- Numbers and location of bins/boxes shall be maintained and controlled through the authorized list.
- Authorized personnel of individual departments shall collect the waste paper from the waste paper bin/ box.
- The collected papers shall be checked to ensure that it is fit for destruction.
- The authorized person needs to ensure that the document is not a master copy, original copy, control copy, weight print, machine or instrument printout, or any other GMP document.
- If such a document is noted, inform the department head to get confirmation before it is discarded.
- The authorized person also shall ensure that no document is within the retention period of the record.
- Once the documents are verified, record the type of paper and the number of pages to be discarded.
- The record shall be approved by the department head/ designee.
- While transferring the waste paper from the department to the paper disposal area, it should be kept in a sealed bag with a label for paper disposal. An authorized person should duly sign the label. The purpose of labeling the sealed bag is to identify the bag while moving from the department to the waste paper disposal area. Because of any reason, if the papers could not be discarded, they can be identified and justify at any given point in time.
- An authorized person shall access the paper disposal area. The area designated for the paper disposal shall remain in lock and key or under an access control system so that no unauthorized person can discard any document.
- Waster papers shall be discarded using a paper shredding machine.
Adequate safety measures shall be ensured while handing the paper shredding machine. - Shredded papers shall be handled by authorized housekeeping staff only.
6. Frequency
As and when waste papers are generated in the department.
7. Formats
- Format for list of authorized personnel for paper disposal
| Sr. No. | Name of authorized person | Department name | Authorized from date | Authorized by |
- Format for list of bins/ boxes and location
| Sr. No. | Bin /box Number | Department name | Location |
Prepared by:
Checked by:
Approved by:
- Format for list of authorized personnel for access to paper disposal room
| Sr. No. | Name of authorized person | Department name | Authorized from date | Authorized by |
- Format for label
| Department: Bin/ box No. Date: Sign / Date: |
- Format for waster paper disposal authorization
Paper disposal request
Department Name:
| Sr. No. | Type of document | Total pages | Reason for disposal |
Filled By (Sign / Date)
Checked By (Sign / Date)
Disposal of waste paper done by: