The Operating Room Global Centre For Education, Research and Innovation.

Call for Interest: Global Multicentre Research Collaboration

Study Title:
A Multicentre Audit of Waste Segregation Practices in Operating Rooms Across Low- and Middle-Income Settings (SEG-OR Study)

Led by:
The Operating Room Global (TORG)

Background

Operating rooms are a major contributor to healthcare waste, with a significant proportion incorrectly classified as biohazard waste. This misclassification increases environmental burden and disposal costs, particularly in resource-limited settings.

The SEG-OR Study aims to generate the first large-scale multicentre evidence on waste segregation practices across low- and middle-income settings.

Aim

To evaluate waste segregation practices in operating rooms and quantify the extent of waste misclassification.

Study Design

• Multicentre observational audit
• Short data collection period (2-4 weeks per site)
• No external funding required
• Simple, standardised data collection

We Are Recruiting for the Following Roles

We are building a global collaborative research team and invite expressions of interest for:

Site Leads/Data Collectors

• Coordinate data collection at local centres
• Ensure data quality and timely submission

What Participating Centres Will Do

• Register as a participating site
• Collect simple observational data on waste segregation practices
• Submit anonymised data via a centralised tool

Authorship

Authorship will follow the principles of the
International Committee of Medical Journal Editors

• Contributors will be recognised based on level of involvement
• Opportunities for co-authorship and collaborative group authorship will be provided

Who Can Participate?

• Hospitals and surgical centres (LMIC focus)
• Multidisciplinary operating room teams
• Clinicians, trainees, and researchers
• Individuals interested in sustainability and global surgery

No prior research experience is required for site participation.

Timeline

Activity	Timeline
Call for Interest Closes	16 July 2026
Kick-off Team Meeting	18 July 2026, 18:00 BST via Zoom
Final Site Recruitment & Local Ethics/Administrative Approvals	18 July – 31 August 2026
Data Collector Training & Site Preparation	August 2026
Study Commencement	1 September 2026
Data Collection (2 Months)	1 September – 31 October 2026
Recruitment Progress Review	30 September 2026
Data Collection Closes	31 October 2026
Data Cleaning & Database Lock	1–15 November 2026
Data Analysis	16–30 November 2026
Manuscript Preparation	December 2026
Manuscript Review & Finalisation	January 2027
Submission to The Operating Room Global Journal (TORGJ) and Conference Abstracts	January–February 2027

Ethics & Regulatory Considerations

This study is classified as a low-risk, non-interventional audit.

• This study is classified as a low-risk, non-interventional, multicentre observational audit. Overarching ethical approval has been obtained from An overarching ethical review will be obtained through The Operating Room Global Institutional Review Board (TORG-IRB)
• Depending on local regulations, some participating institutions may classify this project as a clinical audit, quality improvement initiative, or service evaluation, and therefore may not require full institutional ethical review.
• Where local ethical or administrative approval is required, the central study team will provide supporting documentation, including protocol templates, ethics cover letters, site permission letters, and guidance to facilitate the application process.
• Each participating centre is responsible for confirming its own local ethical and regulatory requirements and obtaining any required institutional approvals before commencing data collection.This study is currently unfunded.
• There is no financial support available from The Operating Room Global (TORG) to cover local ethics application fees, administrative charges, or regulatory costs.
• Any expenses associated with obtaining local ethical approval or institutional permissions will be the responsibility of the participating investigator and/or their institution, where applicable.
• All participating investigators are expected to comply with their local institutional policies, national regulations, and internationally accepted ethical principles governing research involving human participants.

How to Express Interest

Interested collaborators are invited to send an email to:

[email protected]

Email Subject: TORG SEG-OR Study Collaboration

Interested collaborators should provide the following information:

1. Full Name with any title (if applicable)
2. Phone Number (WhatsApp contact including country code +)
3. Profession/Role
4. Institution/Hospital Name
5. Country
6. Email Address
7. Area of Interest/Proposed Contribution to this Study
8. Availability of Local Institutional Ethics Approval or Permission (if applicable)
9. Estimated Number of Participants Potentially Reachable at Their Institution

Extended Deadline for Expression of Interest:

16th July 2026

We welcome collaborators from all surgical, perioperative, academic, educational, innovation, simulation, healthcare-related disciplines and partner institutions interested in contributing to this multinational collaborative study.