MEDICAL WASTE
MEDICAL WASTE DISPOSAL COMPLIANCE
- Wastes generated by hospitalized patients who are isolated to protect others from communicable diseases
- Cultures and stocks of infectious agents, including specimen cultures from medical and pathological laboratories, cultures and stocks of infectious agents from research and industrial laboratories, wastes from the production of biologicals, discarded live and attenuated vaccines, and culture dishes and devices used to transfer, inoculate, and mix cultures
- Waste human blood and blood products such as serum, plasma, and other blood components
- Pathological wastes (i.e., tissues, organs, body parts, and body fluids) that are removed during surgery and autopsy
- All discarded sharps (e.g., hypodermic needles, syringes, pasteur pipettes, broken glass, scalpel blades) used in patient care or which have come into contact with infectious agents during use in medical, research, or industrial laboratories
- Contaminated carcasses, body parts, and bedding of animals that were intentionally exposed to pathogens in research, in the production of biologicals, or in the in vivo testing of pharmaceuticals
- The following wastes from patients known to be infected with blood-borne disease
- Contaminated wastes from surgery and autopsy (e.g., soiled dressings, sponges, drapes, lavage tubes, drainage sets, underpads, surgical gloves)
- Wastes from medical, pathological, pharmaceutical, or other research, commercial, or industrial laboratories that were in contact with infectious agents (e.g., specimen containers, slides and cover slips, disposable gloves, lab coats, aprons)
