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Infectious
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Definition of Infectious Waste
Managing Infectious Waste
OSHA Regulations
Statutes, Regulations
and Guidelines
Contacts
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Definition of Infectious Waste
"Infectious waste" means
any waste that may contain pathogens capable of causing an infectious
disease in humans and shall include, but not be limited to, the following wastes:
- Infectious isolation waste;
- Cultures and stocks of infectious agents;
- Blood, blood products and body fluids;
- Pathological waste;
- Contaminated sharps; and
- Contaminated animal carcasses, body parts, and bedding.
Managing Infectious
Waste
The Hawaii Rules for Management
and Disposal of Infectious Waste establish minimum requirements for the
management, treatment, transport, storage and disposal of infectious
waste and treated infectious waste, to protect the health and safety
of persons living in Hawaii.
Prohibitions
No person shall handle,
treat, and dispose of, transport, or store infectious waste or treated
infectious waste except in accordance with all applicable rules.
Handling and treatment
of infectious waste
Infectious waste shall be incinerated, sterilized,
or chemically disinfected by the following methods recommended for waste
treatment:
- The Centers for Disease Control's ("CDC") "Recommendations
for Prevention of HIV transmission in Health-Care Settings, MMWR 1987";
or
- The CDC's "Update: 'Universal Precautions'
for prevention of transmission of HIV immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis
B virus and other blood borne pathogens in health-care settings MMWR
June 1988"; or
- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's "Guide
for Infectious Waste Management", May 1986; or
- Part 1910 of Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations,
Subpart Z, before their disposal; or by other methods approved by these
agencies or the department.
Infectious waste shall be segregated from all other
waste at the point of generation. Infectious waste shall be managed and
treated as follows:
- Infectious isolation waste shall be deposited at
the point of generation into containers lined with nonsoluble plastic
bags that are clearly marked with the Universal Biological Hazard symbol,
or into red plastic bags.
- All plastic bags shall meet applicable requirements.
- Bags used for autoclaving shall also be marked with
the Universal Biological Hazard Symbol.
- All bags shall be tightly closed before being transported
so as to contain the waste completely, and the waste shall be transported
in accordance with all applicable transport requirements.
- Sterilization shall be by autoclaving or incineration.
- Cultures and stocks of infectious agents shall be
sterilized or incinerated.
- Blood, blood products and body fluids, all of which
are considered infectious, shall be incinerated, sterilized, disinfected,
or disposed of via a wastewater disposal system approved by the department.
- Pathological waste shall be incinerated, sterilized,
or disinfected; sterilized or disinfected material may be finely ground
and flushed into a drain leading to a wastewater disposal system approved
by the department.
- Recognizable human body parts shall be disposed
of in accordance with applicable requirements.
- Contaminated sharps shall be deposited at the point
of generation into rigid puncture resistant and leak-proof containers,
red in color or clearly marked with the Universal Biological Hazard
symbol.
- Needles shall not be recapped, purposely bent, broken,
or otherwise manipulated.
- Containers shall be located in the immediate area
where sharps are used and shall not be allowed to overfill.
- Prior to transport containers shall be closed securely
to contain sharps completely and shall remain closed throughout transport,
storage, and disposal.
- Sharps shall be sterilized, incinerated, or undergo
chemical disinfection prior to disposal.
- Contaminated animal carcasses, body parts and bedding
shall be sterilized, incinerated or undergo chemical disinfection in
accordance with the regulations.
Transportation of
infectious waste within a facility
- Untreated infectious waste shall be placed
in containers sufficient to contain the waste completely as follows:
- Nonsoluble plastic bags either red in color
or clearly labeled with the Universal Biological Hazard symbol;
or
- Sharps containers; or
- Sturdy leak-proof containers clearly marked
with the Universal Biological Hazard symbol.
- The number of plastic bags and the thickness of
bags shall be sufficient to contain the waste completely from generation
through treatment and storage.
- Bags and other containers of untreated infectious
waste shall be tightly closed before transport. The bags and containers
of waste shall be transported in leak-proof rigid or semi-rigid portable
containment systems or carts, clearly marked with the Universal Biological
Hazard symbol.
- Untreated infectious waste shall be transported
manually to minimize rupturing and dissemination or aerosolization.
- Reusable carts bins and other containment systems
used to transport waste must be cleaned after each use and disinfected
daily when in use.
Transportation of
infectious waste for treatment away from the generating facility
- Infectious waste shall be placed in containers
that are sufficient to contain the waste completely as follows:
- Nonsoluble plastic bags, red in color or clearly
labeled with the Universal Biological Hazard symbol; or
- Sharps containers as described in section
11-104-5(c) (5); or
- Sturdy leak-proof containers clearly marked
with the Universal Biological Hazard symbol.
- The number of plastic bags and thickness of plastic
bags shall be sufficient to contain the waste completely from the generation
through treatment.
- The bags and other containers of infectious waste
shall be tightly closed before transport. The bags and other containers
shall be placed in a rigid, or semi-rigid tightly closed, leak-proof
containment system, which shall be clearly marked with the Universal
Biological Hazard symbol prior to transport.
- Infectious waste in containment systems shall be
transported away from the facility in fully enclosed rigid, leak-proof
containers or vehicle compartments that will prevent scattering, spillage,
and leakage of the waste during transport. The transport vehicle shall
be labeled with a clearly visible Universal Biological Hazard Symbol.
- Untreated waste shall not be compacted.
- Containers may be disposable or reusable. Disposable
containers that have been in contact with infectious waste shall be
sterilized prior to disposal, or incinerated. Reusable containers shall
be cleaned after each use and disinfected daily when in use.
- Untreated infectious waste shall not be transported
with noninfectious waste unless all waste in the load is managed as
infectious waste.
Storage of infectious
waste and treated infectious waste
- Infectious waste that is being stored while awaiting
treatment shall be stored in disposable or reusable sturdy, leak-proof
containers that have tight-fitting lids or a leak proof fully enclosed
room, which are clearly labeled with the Universal Biological Hazard
symbol. These containers shall be kept in fully enclosed and secured
locations that are inaccessible to animals and to persons not authorized
to handle their treatment, transfer, or disposal.
- Infectious waste that has been treated and is awaiting
transport for disposal shall be stored in fully enclosed and secured
areas or containment systems that are accessible only to persons authorized
to handle their disposal.
Disposal of infectious
waste and treated infectious waste
- All infectious waste and treated infectious waste
shall be disposed of in accordance with the regulations.
- All infectious waste which is not disposed of via
a waste water disposal system approved by the department shall be treated
in accordance with the regulations and then disposed of only in state
permitted landfills or authorized disposal sites.
- Treated infectious waste that has not been incinerated
shall be in containers, which are clearly, marked as treated waste,
which has been rendered noninfectious.
- Recognizable human body parts shall be incinerated
or disposed of in accordance with other applicable state laws governing
the disposal of human remains.
- Incinerator ash shall be disposed of only in state
permitted landfills or authorized disposal sites.
Infectious waste
management plan
Each infectious waste generator
and transporter of untreated infectious waste shall have a written plan
that contains policies and detailed procedures for the safe and effective
management of infectious waste in accordance with the regulations. A
copy of this plan shall be kept in the respective administrative offices
of the generator and the transporter.
The plan shall also provide
for contingencies in emergency situations. At a minimum, this shall include
procedures to be used under the following circumstances:
- Spills of liquid infectious waste. These procedures
shall include provisions for containment, protection of personnel,
clean up procedures, disinfection and disposal of the spill residue
and of contaminated containers;
- Rupture of plastic bags or other loss of containment.
These procedures shall include provisions for containment, protection
of personnel, clean up procedures, disinfection, and repackaging of
waste; and
- Equipment failure. These procedures shall include
alternative arrangements for waste storage, transportation, and treatment.
Penalties
Any person, corporation,
or agency that violates any of the provisions of the regulations shall
be subject to an administrative penalty not to exceed one thousand dollars
for each separate offense. Each day of violation may constitute a separate
offense. The violator shall also be subject to the other remedies and
provisions, including recourse to administrative contested case proceedings
OSHA Regulations VetCA
OSHA State Page
In addition to the state medical waste environmental
regulations there are some Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) rules that apply to medical/infectious waste. Hawaii is
one of 24 states operating an approved occupational safety and health
program. This program is operated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA
rules (Occupational Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens Standards) impact
various aspects of medical/infectious waste, including management of
sharps, requirements for containers that hold or store medical/infectious
waste, labeling of medical/infectious waste bags/containers, and employee
training. These requirements can be found in the VetCA section
entitled OSHA Standards for Regulated Waste.
Statutes, Regulations and Guidelines
Hawaii
Rules for the Management and Disposal of Infectious Waste (Title 11,
Chapter 104)
Hawaii
Solid Waste Management Requirements (Title 11 Chapter 58.1)
Contacts
Hawaii Department of Health
More Information
Permit
Application for Solid Waste Management Facility
Instructions
for Filing a Permit Application for Solid Waste Management Facilities
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