Environment, Health, & Safety at SUNY Plattsburgh - Regulated Medical Waste

Regulated Medical Waste at SUNY Plattsburgh

SOP Number: 14.004

Effective Date:  12/01/89
Review Date: 10/26/2011
Replaces: 14.003
Review by: G. Hicks/C. Eldridge

Compliance Procedure for 6NYCRR Part 364

Regulated Medical Waste (RMW) 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 contaminated,  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 be exposed to infectious agents during research (including research in veterinary hospitals), production of biological, or testing of, pharmaceuticals.

Other 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. Collect in a glassware box (available from the Biological Sciences Department). When reasonably full, place in a red autoclavable bag, seal the bag and tag it as above.

Plastics – Includes Petri dishes, culture vessels, culture tubes, test tubes, gloves, pipette tips, weigh boats, beakers, flasks, pipettes (5,10,25,50 ml), spectrophotometer cuvettes, syringes without needles and anything else made of plastic polymer that could reasonably be construed as used in a laboratory. 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 5 ml or larger plastic pipettes 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”x 20” 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 until pickup. Untagged bags in the freezer will be opened to identify the laboratory of origin and appropriate administrative action will be taken.

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. Collect in an approved disposable Sharps container and when full transport to the pickup location in the basement of Beaumont Hall. Be sure that the laboratory of origin is clearly identified on the container.

Procedures

1. Packaging and Storage

All bags used for containment and disposal of RMW shall be red in color. All college generated RMW, except for sharps, shall be contained in red bags clearly labeled as “BIOHAZARD” or with the universal warning sign, which are impervious to moisture and have sufficient strength to resist ripping, tearing or bursting under normal conditions of usage and handling. These red bags shall be secured so as to prevent leakage during storage, handling or transport. Enclosed in each red bag shall be two floatable identification tags. Each department generating RMW shall designate adequate storage space to store their RMW until the scheduled pick up date by the Stericycle waste disposal company.

All discarded sharps shall be contained for disposal in leak proof, rigid, puncture-resistant containers.

1. Before RMW is transported from the College, the waste contained in disposable containers shall be placed for storage or handling in disposable or reusable pails, cartons, 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.”
2. Containment of regulated medical waste shall be in a manner and location which affords protection from the environment and limits exposure to the public.
3. Maintain the regulated waste in a nonputrescent state, using refrigeration when necessary.
4. 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.

2. Labeling

1. 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.
2. Inner containers, including red bags, sharps and fluid containers, will be marked with two floatable indelible ink tags containing College Name and Address.

3. Decontamination Standards for Reusable Containers

1. All non-rigid packaging and inner liners must be managed as RMW and must not be reused.
2. Any container used for the storage and/or transport of RMW and designated for reuse once emptied, must be decontaminated if the container shows visible signs of contamination.
3. Any container used for the storage and/or transport of RMW that for some reason cannot be rendered free of any visible signs of contamination must be managed as regulated medical waste itself.

4. Collections and Transportation

Sharps containers from the students should be brought to the Infirmary for collection.

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 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. Stericycle, the contracted RMW transporter, will weigh and record each container presented for disposal.

Removal and Disposal of Regulated Medical Waste

RMW is picked up and disposed of by Stericycle. Pickups are scheduled for the Student Health Center and in Beaumont Hall every two weeks. The athletic training room in the Fieldhouse is emptied as needed. The pickup schedule is modified to accommodate the needs of the campus. Contact Environmental Health and Safety with any questions or concerns.

Disposal of Regulated Medical Waste

Special red containers must be used for the storage and disposal of RMW. They are two types: (1) red bags; and (2) red fiberboard or rigid plastic containers, as explained below. All containers must be leakproof, and must be labeled as “BIOHAZARD” or with the universal warning sign.

Glass: Collect in glassware box (available from the Biological Sciences Department). When reasonably full (do not overfill), place in a red autoclavable bag, seal the bag and tag. Contact Environmental Health and Safety for pickup from your laboratory.

Plastics: Collect in a suitably sized red fiberboard or plastic container lined with two clear or opaque autoclavable bags. It is recommended that two or more - 5ml or larger plastic pipets - be bundled together before placing in the waste bags to prevent puncture. When reasonably filled, the bags shall be autoclaved for at least 30 minutes in the 20”x 20” 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 for pick up; again, make sure the originating laboratory is clearly indicated on the tag. In the event that any bag is discovered lacking the identification of its originating laboratory, all college personnel, without exception, are expected to contact the Environmental Health and Safety office and report the occurrence immediately. Administrative action will be taken for failure to properly label each bag, as well as failure to report observation of such.

Sharps: These are rigid red plastic containers that are leakproof and puncture resistant, labeled “BIOHAZARD” or with the universal warning sign. They are for the disposal of RMW that has the potential to cause percutaneous (through the skin) injuries, and include: needles, syringes, scalpels, razors, glass slides, etc., and any other sharp items, irrespective of whether or not they are contaminated with infectious agents. Do not attempt to remove needles from the barrels of syringes; the total needle and syringe assembly shall be placed in the sharps container.  When full, contact Environmental Health and Safety for pickup.  As described in “b”- immediately above - make sure the laboratory/dept. of origin is clearly labeled on the container, and immediately report any occurrence where a sharps container is observed that fails to display the laboratory or dept. of origin.

Segregation: RMW must be segregated into sharps, fluids (quantities greater than 20 cubic centimeters), etc. See “Procedures/numbered 1 through 4” above.

Additional information

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Regulated Medical Waste Division

Environmental Health and Safety Department
Cathleen Eldridge,  Associate Director
Office: Sibley Hall 421
Phone: 518-564-5009
Fax: 518-564-5082
E-mail: eldridcm@plattsburgh.edu
Website: http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/8789.html

Appendix

Note: these documents require the latest version of Acrobat Reader, which is available as a free download.

• Sample Form: Medical Waste Tracking #47-14-10 (PDF file size 550KB)
• Short description of Stericycle, the current contracted RMW transporter (PDF file size 535KB)

Contact Information

Cathleen Eldridge, Associate Director
Office: Sibley Hall 421
Phone: 564-5009
Fax: 564-5082
Email: eldridcm@plattsburgh.edu