Biohazardous Waste Disposal
OP-G-3.1.4
--Printer Friendly Version

Table of Contents

Introduction

The purpose and goal of the Biological Waste Program is to ensure that biological waste is handled in a safe, secure manner, and is disposed of properly. In order to achieve this goal, the University will comply with state rules and regulation regarding Biomedical Waste as outlined in Chapter 64E-16, Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.). The Biological Waste Program has established a convenient and economical policy for the disposal of biological waste for the University.

Back to Index

Definitions

Animal contact: direct physical contact with one or more animals used for research at the University.

Assistant Secretary: the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, or designated representative.

Biological waste: any microorganism containing waste, such as E.coli cloning strains, cell cultures or cell lines. Biological waste includes biomedical waste.

Biomedical waste: any solid or liquid waste that presents a threat of infection to humans, including non-liquid tissue, body parts, blood, blood products and body fluids from human and other primates; laboratory and veterinary waste which contain human disease-causing agents; discarded contaminated sharps; and used, absorbent materials or disposable devices contaminated with regulated waste.

Note: laboratories where any of the above discarded waste that has not been decontaminated is regarded as "biomedical waste".

Biomedical sharps bin: puncture-resistant plastic bin for contaminated glassware or glass sharps.

Biomedical waste box: single corrugated box, supplied by contracted waste disposal company.

Biomedical waste generator: a facility or person that produces biomedical waste.

Blood: human blood, human blood components that include plasma, platelets and wound exudates, and products made from human blood.

Bloodborne pathogens: pathogenic microorganisms present in human blood, which can cause disease in humans. Includes the hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Communication of Hazards to Employees: use of signs, labels, and a training program to employees on Biohazardous safety.

Contaminated: presence or reasonably anticipated presence of blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM) on an item or surface.

Contaminated laundry: laundry that has been soiled with blood or other potentially infectious materials or may contain sharps.

Contaminated sharps: any contaminated object that can penetrate the skin including, but not limited to, needles, scalpels, broken glass, broken capillary tubes, and exposed ends of dental wires.

Decontamination: use of physical or chemical means to remove, inactivate or destroy bloodborne pathogens on a surface or item to the point where they are no longer capable of transmitting infectious particles and the item or surface is rendered safe for handling, use, or disposal.

Engineering controls: controls such as sharp disposal containers, or self-sheathing needles that isolate or remove the hazard from the workplace.

Exposure determination: identification of individuals exposed to blood or other potentially infectious materials in the workplace.

Exposure incident: specific eye, mouth, other mucous membrane, non-intact skin or parenteral contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials that results from the performance of an employee's duties.

Glass Sharps: broken glass bottles, containers, pipettes or laboratory ware.

Hand wash facilities: a facility providing an adequate supply of running potable water, soap and single use towels or hot air drying machines.

HBV: hepatitis B virus.

HIV: human immunodeficiency virus.

Methods of compliance: engineering controls, practices and procedures that are needed to keep the worksite in a clean and sanitary condition. General methods of compliance, which may include specific instructions for a particular area, may be added.

Needle box: red, puncture-resistant plastic box for metal sharps, such as needle-syringe units, scalpels and razor blades.

Occupational exposure: reasonably anticipated skin, eye, mucous membrane, or parenteral contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials that may result from the performance of an employee's duties.

Other potentially infectious materials (OPIM): including the following human body fluids: semen, vaginal secretions, cerebrospinal fluid, synovial fluid, pleural fluid, pericardial fluid, peritoneal fluid, amniotic fluid, saliva in dental procedures, any body fluid that is visibly contaminated with blood and all body fluids where it is difficult or impossible to differentiate between body fluids; any unfixed tissue from human and HIV/HBV containing culture medium.

Parenteral: entry into the body by other means than through the digestive tract such as by piercing mucous membranes or the skin by needle sticks, human bites, cuts or abrasions.

Personal protective equipment (PPE): special clothing worn by an employee to protect against a hazard. General work clothes, such as pants, shirts, blouses not provided by the school or department, are not intended to function as protection against a hazard or considered to be personal protective equipment.

Record keeping: maintenance of medical and training records.

Regulated waste: defined in 64E-16.002(2) Florida Administrative Code, Biomedical Waste; any solid or liquid waste that may present a threat of infection to humans.

Examples include:

  • Non-liquid or semi-liquid tissue and body parts from humans and other primates; laboratory and veterinary waste which contain disease-causing agents; discarded sharps; and blood, blood products and body parts from humans and other primates;
  • Or, other potentially infectious materials; contaminated items that would release blood;
  • Or other potentially infectious materials in a liquid or semi-liquid state if compressed;
  • Items that are caked with dried blood or other potentially infectious materials and are capable of releasing these materials during handling; and
  • Contaminated sharps and pathological and microbiological wastes containing blood or other potentially infectious materials.

Sharps box: any strong corrugated box that can be used to package non-contaminated glass sharps. Must be clearly labeled SHARPS and should not be filled no more than ¾ of the way. Once it is filled it must be tightly sealed and disposed of as regular waste.

Transporter: contracted licensed waste disposal company moves the biomedical waste away for incineration.

Universal precautions: an approach to infection control; a concept that all human blood and certain body fluids are treated as if known to be infectious for HIV, HBV, or other bloodborne pathogens.

Work practice controls: controls that reduce the likelihood of exposure by altering the manner in which a task is performed (for instance prohibiting the recapping of needles by a two-handed technique).

Zoonotic diseases: diseases transmitted from animals to man.

Back to Index

General Policies

Waste disposal requires well-defined procedures to prevent exposure to pathogens. Improper disposal of biohazardous waste puts everyone at risk as well as jeopardizes the University's waste permits.

In order to prevent unwanted exposure, principal investigators, supervisors, technicians and students must be familiar with current waste disposal procedures for biohazardous materials as well as for chemical and radioactive materials.

This Biological Waste Policy must be accessible to all. Department representatives, laboratory personnel, principal investigators, and or supervisors are responsible for ensuring that all employees are trained and familiar with the Biological Waste Program and that all laboratory procedures conform to these requirements.

Back to Index

Type of Waste

In order to have an effective Biological Waste Program, the University has organized the biological waste into seven categories:

General Biohazardous Waste Materials: General biohazardous waste materials are biological wastes that contain, "biological agent(s) or substance(s) present in or arising from the work environment which presents or may present a hazard to the health or well being of the worker or community." All general biological wastes must be autoclaved or decontaminated by equivalent means to deactivate the biohazardous materials prior to disposal as regular trash.

Biohazardous Waste Containing Non-Human Pathogens: Are biological wastes that contain no human pathogen. Biological waste that is considered non-human pathogen-containing waste will be discarded as regular trash after it is autoclaved or decontaminated by equivalent means.

Biomedical Wastes Containing Human Pathogen: Are biological wastes that may contain a human pathogen. All waste that may contain human pathogens must be disposed of as biomedical waste.

As defined by 64E-16 F.A.C., all biomedical waste must be disposed of within thirty days of generating the waste.

Biohazardous Sharps: Are needles, needle-syringe units, scalpels, and razor blades, contaminated or non-contaminated with biological materials, are consider biohazardous sharps. All biohazardous sharps are consider biomedical waste and must be placed into a red, puncture resistant plastic needle box and discarded as biomedical waste.

Sharps Waste: Are glassware/glass sharps such as Pasteur pipettes and broken or unbroken glassware. For contaminated glassware/glass sharps, Pasteur pipettes, broken or unbroken glassware must be autoclaved or decontaminated prior to disposal. All sharps wastes must be properly package and labeled prior to disposal as regular trash. However, if the repackaging of sharps for autoclaving presents a risk of infection, sharps may be packaged and disposed as biomedical waste.

Biohazardous Waste mixed with Hazardous Waste: Are biological wastes mixed with hazardous waste, as defined in the 40 Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) 261.3. These types of biological waste shall be managed as hazardous waste.

Biohazardous Waste mixed with Radioactive Waste: Are biological wastes mixed with radioactive waste, as defined in Section V of Florida State University's Radiation Safety Manual. These types of biological waste shall be managed as radioactive waste.

Note that the cost of disposing biological waste mixed with hazardous waste and or radioactive waste is high. Therefore, unnecessary mixing of these forms of waste is highly discouraged.

Back to Index

Permit

Biomedical waste generators are required to have a biomedical waste generator permit from the Leon County Health Department. The Biological Safety Office applies for and maintains permits for all sites on campus. The Biological Safety Office also maintains a file for exempt sites on campus that generates less than 25 lbs. in a 30-day time period. All permits are displayed at waste generation sites.

Back to Index

Labeling

Labels and signs bearing a red biohazard warning logo shall be affixed to locations and containers used to store and transport biomedical and biohazardous materials.

The following legend is the biohazardous warning symbol:

The Biohazardous Symbol

This label shall be fluorescent orange or orange-red or predominantly so, with lettering and symbols in a contrasting color.

In addition to the red biohazardous warning logo, biomedical waste generators must affix labels to biomedical waste boxes and biomedical sharps bins with the generator's name, address and the date of the first day when biomedical waste was generated or the date that the biomedical sharps box was closed and taped.

The Biomedical waste transporter will provide labels for biomedical waste boxes and biomedical sharps bins with the transporter's name, address, registration number and 24 hour telephone number. The waste disposal transport contractor provides all above information on bar code stickers forms for boxes and bins.

Back to Index

Storage

Indoor storage must be in an access-restricted area and be maintained in a sanitary condition.

For outdoor storage on University campus, three designated locked biomedical waste dumpsters are available. One is located in the service alley at Bio-Unit I and the second is located behind the College of Medicine and the third is at the Conradi Building in the service alley. To access the biomedical waste dumpsters, call the Biological Safety Office.

Both indoor and or outdoor biomedical waste storage must be coordinated with the biomedical waste contractor and the Biological Safety Office. All biomedical waste storage duration must not exceed 30 days for the biomedical waste pick-up schedules. Biomedical waste schedule pick-up for the biomedical waste dumpsters can be found on the EH&S website at www.safety.fsu.edu, under Biological Safety, Biomedical Waste Disposal, or by calling the Biological Safety Office at 644-5374 or 644-9117.

Back to Index

Disposal Procedures for General Biohazardous Waste Materials and Biohazardous Waste Containing Non-Human Pathogens

General biohazardous waste materials and biohazardous waste containing non-human pathogens must be collected in clear autoclave bag.

Bagged waste must be autoclaved at 121oC, 15 psi for at least 15 minutes.

After autoclaving, the bagged waste should be placed in a non-clear trash bag and disposed as regular trash.

Back to Index

Disposal Procedures for Biomedical Waste Containing Human Pathogens

Biomedical waste containing human pathogen must be collected in an autoclavable biohazardous label bag.

Bagged waste must be autoclaved at 121oC, 15 psi for at least 15 minutes.

All biomedical waste must be discarded into a lined biomedical waste box.

The maximum gross weight for a 30-gallon biomedical waste box is 50 lbs.

For a 15-gallon biomedical waste box, the maximum gross weight is 40 lbs.

Be sure the bottom of the biomedical waste box is secured with two-inch wide pressure sensitive tape or equivalent.

When the box is full, reaches its maximum gross weight, or waste accumulation approaches the 30 days limit for storage, the biomedical waste box should be sealed.

Be sure that the top of the liner is closed by twisting the bag opening, and tying it in a single knot, or by taping the twisted opening.

Secure the top of the biomedical waste box with a two-inch wide pressure sensitive tape or equivalent.

Label the box with the name of the principal investigator's laboratory, the location of the laboratory, and the date when the waste was first generated.

After the biomedical waste box is sealed and labeled, place the box in a designated biomedical waste dumpster for disposal.

For facilities other than Conradi Building, Biology Unit I (Bio-Unit I) Building, Institute of Molecular Biophysics (IMB) Building, Biomedical Research Facility (BRF), Florida State University Medical School facility, Chemistry, and the Thagard Student Health Center, a biomedical waste pick-up request must be placed to the Biological Safety Office at 644-5374 or 644-9117.

National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL) and Florida Agriculture & Mechanic University (FAMU)/FSU Engineering School also needs to request a biomedical waste pick-up through the Biological Safety Office at 644-5374 or 644-9117.

Back to Index

Disposal Procedures for Biohazardous Waste Mixed with Hazardous Waste

Biohazardous waste mixed with hazardous waste is highly discouraged.

Prior to generating this type of waste, coordinate with the Biological Safety Office at 644-5374 or 644-9117, or the Chemical Safety Office at 644-7682 or 644-0971.

General biohazardous waste materials, biohazardous waste containing non-human pathogens, or biohazardous waste containing human pathogens mixed with hazardous waste must be collected in a double red biohazardous bag.

As defined in 40 Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) 261.3, these types of biological waste shall be managed as hazardous waste.

When the bag is full, it must be secured by ensuring the top of the bag is closed by twisting the bag opening and tying in a single knot, or by taping the twisted opening.

Clearly label the bag as "Biohazardous Waste Mixed with Hazardous Waste".

Biohazardous waste mixed with hazardous waste should not be placed in the biomedical waste dumpster for disposal.

After the bag is sealed and labeled, a mixed waste pick-up request must be placed to the Biological Safety Office at 644-5374 or 644-9117, or the Chemical Safety Office at 644-7682 or 644-0971 for disposal.

Back to Index

Disposal Procedures for Biohazardous Waste Mixed with Radioactive Waste

Biohazardous waste mixed with radioactive waste is highly discouraged.

Prior to generating this type of waste, coordinate with the Biological Safety Office at 644-5374 or 644-9117, or the Radiation Safety Office at 644-8801 or 644-8802.

General biohazardous waste materials, biohazardous waste containing non-human pathogens, or biohazardous waste containing human pathogens mixed with radioactive waste must be collected in a double red biohazardous bag.

As defined in Section V of Florida State University's Radiation Safety Manual. These types of biological waste shall be managed as radioactive waste.

When the bag is full, it must be secured by ensuring the top of the bag is closed by twisting the bag opening, and tying in a single knot or by taping the twisted opening.

Clearly label the bag as "Biohazardous Waste Mixed with Radioactive Waste".

Biohazardous waste mixed with radioactive waste should not be placed in the biomedical waste dumpster for disposal.

After the bag is sealed and labeled, a mixed waste pick-up request must be placed to the Biological Safety Office at 644-5374 or 644-9117 or the Radiation Safety Office at 644-8801 or 644-8802 for disposal.

Back to Index

Disposal Procedures for Biohazardous Sharps

Needles must not be re-capped or removed from the syringe.

Biohazardous sharps must be discarded into a red puncture-resistant needle box sharps box.

When needle box reaches ¾ full, close, tape, date, and discard the box as biomedical waste within 30 days from the time the needle box is closed.

After the box is secured and labeled, place the box in designated biomedical waste dumpster or call the Biological Safety Office.

For facilities other than Conradi Building, Bio-Unit I Building, IMB Building, Biomedical Research Facility, Florida State University Medical School facility, Chemistry, and Thagard Student Health Center, a biohazardous sharps box waste pick-up must be called to the Biological Safety Office

(NHMFL and FAMU/FSU Engineering School also needs to request a biomedical waste pick-up through the Biological Safety Office at 644-5374 or 644-9117.

Back to Index

Disposal Procedures for Sharps Waste

Razor blades and non-contaminated glass sharps are collected in a strong, sturdy cardboard box that is clearly labeled in large print "SHARPS" on the outside of the box on at least two side.

Contaminated glassware/glass sharps, Pasteur pipettes, broken or unbroken glassware must be autoclaved or decontaminated prior to disposal.

When the "sharps" box is ¾ filled, it should be closed, securely taped, and disposed as regular trash. Note that the "SHARPS" labeled must be clearly visible after it is secured with tape.

Back to Index

Enforcement and Penalties

Anyone in violation of 64E-16 F.A.C., who interferes with, hinders, or opposes any employee in the discharge of his duties, is chargeable with a misdemeanor of the second degree.

If any violation occurs, the Department of Health may deny, suspend, or revoke any biomedical waste permit and/or impose an administrative fine up to $2500/day.

Should you have any questions in regard to the general policies or waste disposal procedures, please call the Biological Safety Office.

Back to Index

Supplies

The following is a list of common use supplies for biohazardous waste disposal:

  1. Autoclavable clear plastic bags
  2. Autoclavable red biohazardous bags
  3. Autoclavable clear plastic Biohazardous labeled bags
  4. Needle boxes: red, puncture-resistant plastic box (for disposal of needle-syringe units, scalpels and razor blades)
  5. Two-inch wide pressure sensitive sealing tape for the boxes or equivalent
  6. Permanent marker

The following is a list of materials supplied by the licensed waste disposal contractor:

  • 15 and 30 gallon biomedical waste box (single corrugated)
  • Biomedical bin
  • Red biomedical plastic liner

All materials used in biological waste disposal can be found at Bio-Unit I stockroom, the Biological Safety Office, or other suppliers.

Back to Index

Appendix

Chapter 64E-16 Florida Administrative Code

Back to Index

 

© Environmental Health & Safety, 1200 Carothers Hall, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4481 | 850/644-6895
Comments & broken link reports to web master