The following guidelines describe the safe and appropriate handling and disposal of infectious waste. These wastes include human blood and body fluids, sharps, infectious microbiological materials, pathological specimens, and blood, body fluids and parts from infected animals.
DEFINITIONS
Blood and blood products - human blood, blood products (such as serum, plasma and other blood components) and body fluids.
Sharps - includes needles, syringes, scalpels and glass vials. These should be placed in sharps containers.
Microbiologicals - wastes including all cultures and stocks of infectious agents. These should be collected in appropriate containers, autoclaved, and discarded with regular trash (solids) or sink (liquids).
Pathologicals - wastes including tissues, organs, body parts discarded from surgical, obstetrical, autopsy and laboratory procedures.
WASTE PROCEDURES
Separation and labeling of infectious waste (which may include red bagging, universal biohazard symbol, etc.) must be done at the point of generation. During collection, storage and transportation, all waste must be managed such that the integrity of the packaging is preserved and that rapid microbial growth and putrefaction is inhibited. Sharps containers should be rigid, impervious and puncture-resistant; plastic bags should be tear-resistant, leak-resistant and sturdy enough to withstand handling.
Whenever possible, infectious waste should be treated to render it non-infectious and non-recognizable as to its former character.
Infectious waste - Infectious waste should be properly treated to render it non-infectious. Autoclaving and chemical treatment are the most common methods. Treated waste is considered solid waste and may be safely landfilled, i.e. placed in the regular trash. This waste does not require a red bag. This material shall be placed in autoclave bags or other clearly identifiable containers and properly labeled with autoclave tape or other means that show that the waste is no longer hazardous. Blood and blood products may be disposed into the sanitary sewer.
Red bag waste - Red bags, like the universal biohazard warning label, warns that the contents are potentially hazardous to your health. They are for waste which has not been treated to make it non-infectious. The use of a red bag says that "this bag and its contents must be incinerated." Material that is intended to be autoclaved should not be placed in red bags. Specifically:
- Red bags must be used for infectious waste only and contain no other type of waste. Do not put non-infectious waste in red bags; this is an expensive and harmful practice.
- Red bags must be totally segregated from other waste.
- Red bag waste from the Medical Center may be taken to the incinerator by the generator or it may be picked up by designated personnel that have had training in the proper handling of infectious waste. Designate a point in the laboratory for storage and pick up of red bags, sharps containers and other infectious waste.
- Non-Medical Center red bag waste pickup and disposal will be coordinated through the Office of Hazardous Materials Management.
Animal waste - Animal waste shall be considered infectious if it is derived from animals infected with zoonotic diseases (transmissible from animals to human) or purposely infected with agents infectious to humans. Carcasses, body parts, tissue, body fluids, excreta and bedding should be considered infectious.
Infected animal carcasses or tissue that is also contaminated with hazardous chemicals or radioactive materials is a type of mixed waste. This type of waste poses special safety and regulatory problems and should not be generated if at all possible. The Office of Hazardous Materials Management should be consulted before generating this type of waste.
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