E-mail this pageRegulated Medical Waste
Compliance Procedure For 6NYCRR Part 364
Regulated Medical waste as defined under Part 360 and 364 includes any medical solid waste that is generated "in the diagnosis, treatment or immunization of human beings or animals, in research pertaining thereto, or in the production or testing of biological..."
- Cultures and stocks of infectious agents and associated biologically including: cultures from medical and pathological laboratories; discarded live and attenuated vaccines; and culture dishes and devices need to transfer, inoculate and mix cultures.
- Liquid waste human blood, products of human blood, items saturated and/or drying with human blood, or are now caked with dried human blood...
- Sharps that have been used in animals or human patient care or treatment or in medical, research, or industrial laboratories, including hypodermic needles, syringes (with or without the attached needle)... Also included are types of broken or unbroken glassware that were in contact with infectious agents, such as slides and cover slips.
- Contaminated animal carcasses, body parts, and bedding of animals that were known to expose to infectious agents during research (including research in veterinary hospitals), production of biological, or testing of pharmaceuticals.
Procedures
Packaging and Storage
All regulated medical waste, except for sharps, shall be contained in bags, which are impervious to moisture and have sufficient strength to resist ripping, tearing or bursting under normal conditions of usage and handling. The bags shall be secured so as to prevent leakage during storage, handling or transport. All bags used for containment and disposal of regulated medical wastes shall be red in color. Enclosed in each red bag shall be two floatable identification tags.
All discarded sharps shall be contained fir disposal in leak proof, rigid, puncture-resistant containers.
- Before regulated medical waste is transported from the College, the waste contained in disposable containers, shall be placed for storage or handling in disposable or reusable pails, cartoons, drums, or portable bins. The containment system shall be leak proof, have tight fitting covers, and be kept clean and in good repair. The containers may be of any color and shall be conspicuously labeled with the word "infectious" or the words "regulated medical waste."
- Containment of regulated medical waste shall be in a manner and location, which affords protection from the environment and limits exposure to the public.
- Maintain the regulated waste in a nonputrescent state, using refrigeration when necessary.
- Store the regulated waste in a manner that affords protection from animals and does not provide a breeding place or a food source for insects and rodents.
Labeling
- The outermost surface of the containment system will be marked with a water-resistant identification tag containing College Name, Address, Identification of Waste and Date of Shipment
- Inner containers, including red bags, sharps and fluid containers, will be marked with two floatable indelible ink tags containing College Name and Address
Decontamination Standards for Reusable Containers
- All non-rigid packaging and inner liners must be managed as regulated medical waste and must not be reused
- Any container used for the storage and/or transport of regulated medical waste and designated for reuse once emptied, must be decontaminated if the container shows visible signs of contamination.
- Any container used for the storage and/or transport of regulated medical waste that for some reason cannot be rendered free of any visible signs of contamination, must be managed as regulated medical waste itself.
Collections and Transportation
Medical waste from the athletic training facilities and sharps containers from the students will be brought to the Infirmary for collection. When collection is complete waste will be transported by Safeguard Bio Med for destruction.
The Laboratory Animal Caretaker will regulate the holding area in Beaumont. This area will include a secure holding container for the waste bearing the proper labeling for biohazard. There will also be a chest freezer in this area for storage of waste that may require this type of protection from deterioration.
Two copies of Medical Waste Tracking form 47-14-10 will be required for transportation pickup. One copy will stay with the transporter the other will be retained by the Laboratory Animal Caretaker and forwarded to the Environmental Health Office for recording. These manifest records will remain on file for three years. Each manifest will contain quantity by weight. Safeguard Bio Med will weigh and record each container presented for disposal.
Removal and Disposal of Regulated Medical Waste
Regulated Medical Waste is picked up and disposed of by Safeguard Bio Med Services. Pickups are scheduled for the Student Health Center every two weeks and in Beaumont Hall once a month. The pickup schedule is very flexible and may be modified to accommodate the needs of the campus. Contact Environmental Health and Safety with any questions or concerns
Types of Regulated Medical Waste
There are three main types of Regulated Medical Waste:
- Glass: Includes broken glass, decommissioned lab ware, test tubes, culture tubes, microscope slides, cover slips, Pasteur, other glass pipettes and anything else made of glass that could reasonably be construed as used in a laboratory
- Plastics: Includes petri dishes, culture vessels, culture tubes, test tubes, gloves, pipet tips, weigh boats, beakers, flasks, pipettes (5,10,25,50ml), spectrophotometer cuvettes, syringes without needles and anything else made of plastic polymer that could reasonably be construed as used in a laboratory.
- Sharps: Includes needles, razor blades, scalpel blades, scalpels, microscope slides and cover slips. Please note: there are two acceptable locations for microscope slides and cover slips.
Disposal of Regulated Medical Waste
- Glass: Collect in a glassware box (available in the Biological Sciences Stockroom). When reasonably full, place in a red autoclavable bag, seal the bag and tag it as above. Contact Environmental Health and Safety for a pickup from your laboratory.
- Plastics: Collect in a suitably sized cardboard or plastic container lined with two clear or opaque autoclavable bags. It is recommended that if you have a lot of 5ml or larger plastic pipets that you collect them separately and bundle them together before placing them in the waste bag to prevent bag puncture. When reasonably filled, the bags should be autoclaved for at least 30 minutes in the 20"x20" autoclave in the basement of Beaumont Hall. When cooled the autoclaved bags should be placed in RED autoclave bags and sealed and tagged with the contents (plastics) listed, as well as the date and laboratory of origin. The bag should then be placed in the hall freezer on the third floor of Beaumont Hall for pickup. Untagged bags in the freezer will be opened to identify the laboratory of origin and appropriate administrative action will be taken.
- Sharps: Collect in an approved disposable Sharps container and when full contact Environmental Health and Safety for pickup. Be sure that the laboratory of origin is clearly identified on the container. Sharps containers can be ordered in a number of sizes and will be purchased using Departmental Safety Funds.
Important:
Regulated Medical Waste must be segregated into sharps, fluids (quantities greater than 20 cubic centimeters), and other regulated medical waste.
More Information
- For more information visit: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's Regulated Medical Waste Division
Contact Information
Keith Tait, Director
Office: Beaumont Hall-207C
Phone: 564-3290
Fax: 564-5082
E-mail: ktait001@plattsburgh.edu