APPENDIX I
Regulated Medical Wastes Defined
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Medical wastes covered under New York State and federal regulations are as follows:
WASTE CLASS DESCRIPTION
I) Cultures and stocks Cultures and stocks of infectious agents and associated biologicals, including:
cultures from medical and pathological laboratories; cultures and stocks of infec tious agents from research and industrial laboratories; wastes from the produc tion of biologicals; discarded live and attenuated vaccines; and culture dishes and devices used to transfer, inoculate and mix cultures.
2) Pathological wastes Human pathological wastes, including tissues, organs, body parts and body fluids that are removed during surgery or autopsy, or other medical procedures and specimens of body fluids and their containers.
3) Human blood and liquid waste human blood; blood products products of human blood; items saturated and/or dripping with human blood, or items that were saturated and/or dripping with human blood that are now caked with dried human blood, including serum, plasma and other blood components, and their containers, which were used or intended for use in either patient care, testing and laboratory analysis or the development of pharmaceuticals. Intravenous bags are also included in this category.
4) Sharps Sharps that have been used in animal or human patient care or treatment or in medical, research or industrial laboratories, including hypodermic needles, syringes (with or without the attached needle), Pasteur pipettes, scalpel blades, blood vials, needles with attached tubing and culture dishes (regardless of presence of infectious agents). Also included are other types of broken or unbroken glassware that were in contact with infectious agents, such as used slides and cover slips.
5) Animal waste Contaminated animal carcasses, body parts and bedding of animals that were known to have been exposed to infectious agents during research (including research in veterinary hospitals), production of biologicals, or testing of pharmaceuticals.
6) Contact wastes Wastes from surgery or autopsy that were in contact with infectious agents, including soiled dressings, sponges, drapes, lavage tubes, drainage sets, underpads and surgical gloves.
7) Laboratory wastes Laboratory wastes from medical, pathological, pharmaceutical or other research, commercial, or industrial laboratories that were in contact with infectious agents, including slides and cover slips, disposable gloves, laboratory coats and aprons.
8) Dialysis wastes Dialysis wastes that were in contact with the blood of patients undergoing hemodialysis or renal dialysis, including contaminated disposable equipment and supplies such as tubing, filters, disposable sheets, towels, gloves, aprons and laboratory coats.
9) Isolation wastes Biological waste and discarded materials contaminated with blood, excretion, exudates or secretions from humans who are isolated to protect others from certain highly communicable diseases, or isolated animals known to be infected with highly communicable diseases.
10) Unused sharps The following unused, discarded sharps: hypodermic needles, suture needles, syringes, and scalpel blades.
ESF - SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY BIOSAFETY COMMITTEE
Chairman
Dr. Scott Rogers
Associate Professor
304 Illick Hall
470-6935
sorogers@mailbox.syr.edu
ESF Committee Members
Dr. Charles Maynard, Professor, 216 Marshall Hall, X6560, cmaynard@mailbox.syr.edu
Dr. Thomas Fondy, Professor, Syracuse University, 443-2615, tpfondy@syr.edu
Dr. David Griffin, Professor, 456 Illick, X6786, griffin@mailbox.syr.edu
Dr. William Powell, Associate Professor, 319 Illick, X6744, wapowell@mailbox.syr.edu
The Recombinant DNA Research Registration form (pdf - Acrobat Reader required) must be completed and submitted to the Biosafety Committee before initiating any work.
Assessment of the Levels of Physical and Biological Containment
Containment of recombinant DNA molecules generated by the utilization of these procedures and hosts is described in section III-A-1-b of the NIH Guidelines for research involving recombinant DNA (Revised January 29, 1980). Experiments will be conducted under BL2 + HVI conditions.
BL2 physical containment requires the following laboratory procedures (Section II-B-2):
- Laboratory doors shall be kept closed while experiments are in progress.
- Work surfaces shall be decontaminated daily, and immediately following spills of organisms containing recombinant DNA molecules.
- All laboratory wastes shall be steam sterilized (autoclaved) before disposal. Other contaminated materials such as glassware, animal cages, laboratory equipment, and radioactive wastes shall be decontaminated by a means demonstrated to be effective before washing, reuse, or disposal.
- Mechanical pipetting devices shall be used; pipetting by mouth is prohibited.
- Eating, drinking, smoking, and storage of food are not permitted in the laboratory area in which recombinant DNA materials are handled.
- Persons shall wash their hands after handling organisms containing recombinant DNA molecules and when they leave the laboratory.
- Care shall be exercised to minimize the creation of aerosols. For example, manipulations such as inserting a hot inoculating loop or needle into a culture, flaming an inoculation loop or needle so that it splatters, and forceful ejection of fluids from pipettes or syringes shall be avoided.
- Contaminated materials that are to be steam sterilized (autoclaved) or decontaminated at a site away from the laboratory shall be placed in a durable leak-proof container, which is closed before removal from the laboratory.
- Only persons who have been advised of the nature of the research being conducted shall enter the laboratory.
- The universal biohazard sign shall be posted on all laboratory access doors when experiments requiring P2 containment are in progress. Freezers and refrigerators or other units used to store organisms containing recombinant DNA molecules shall also be posted with the universal biohazard sign.
- An insect and rodent control program shall be instituted.
- The use of laboratory gowns, coats, or uniforms is required. Laboratory clothing shall not be worn to the lunch room or outside of the building in which the laboratory is located.
- Animals not related to the experiment shall not be permitted in the laboratory.
- Use of the hypodermic needle and syringe shall be avoided when alternative methods are available.
- The laboratory shall be kept neat and clean.
- Experiments of lesser biohazard potential can be carried out concurrently in carefully demarcated areas of the same laboratory.
