Hawaii
Infectious Waste
Definition of Infectious
Waste
“Infectious
waste" means any waste that may contain pathogens capable
of causing an infectious disease and shall include, but not
be
limited to, the following wastes:
- Infectious isolation waste;
- Cultures and stocks of infectious agents;
- Blood, blood products and body fluids;
- Contaminated animal carcasses, body parts, and bedding.
Managing
Infectious Waste
The Hawaii Rules
for Management and Disposal of Infectious Waste establish minimum
requirements for the management, treatment, transport, storage
and disposal of infectious waste and treated infectious waste,
to protect the health and safety of persons living in Hawaii.
Prohibitions
No person shall handle,
treat, and dispose of, transport, or store infectious waste or
treated infectious waste except in accordance with all applicable
rules.
Handling and treatment
of infectious waste
Infectious
waste shall be incinerated, sterilized, or chemically disinfected
by the following methods recommended for waste treatment:
- The Centers for
Disease Control’s (“CDC”) “Recommendations for
Prevention of HIV transmission in Health-Care Settings, MMWR
1987&”; or
- The CDC’s Update:
‘Universal Precautions’ for prevention of transmission of HIV
immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B virus and other blood borne
pathogens in health-care settings MMWR June 1988; or
- Part
1910 of Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Subpart
Z, before their disposal; or by other methods approved by these
agencies or the department.
Infectious
waste shall be segregated from all other waste at the point of
generation. Infectious waste shall be managed and treated as follows:
- Infectious isolation waste shall be deposited at the point
of generation into containers lined with nonsoluble plastic
bags that are clearly marked with the Universal Biological Hazard
symbol, or into red plastic bags.
- All plastic bags shall meet applicable requirements.
- All bags shall be tightly closed before being transported so
as to contain the waste completely, and the waste shall be transported
in accordance with all applicable transport requirements.
- Sterilization shall be by autoclaving or incineration.
- Cultures and stocks of infectious agents shall be sterilized
or incinerated.
- Blood, blood products and body fluids, all of which are considered
infectious, shall be incinerated, sterilized, disinfected, or
disposed of via a wastewater disposal system approved by the
department.
- Pathological waste shall be incinerated, sterilized, or disinfected;
sterilized or disinfected material may be finely ground and
flushed into a drain leading to a wastewater disposal system
approved by the department.
- Contaminated sharps shall be deposited at the point of generation
into rigid puncture resistant and leak-proof containers, red
in color or clearly marked with the Universal Biological Hazard
symbol.
- Needles shall not be recapped, purposely bent, broken, or otherwise
manipulated.
Transportation of
infectious waste within a facility
- Bags and other containers of untreated infectious waste shall
be tightly closed before transport. The bags and containers
of waste shall be transported in leak-proof rigid or semi-rigid
portable containment systems or carts, clearly marked with
the Universal Biological Hazard symbol.
Transportation of
infectious waste for treatment away from the generating facility
- The bags and other containers of infectious waste shall be
tightly closed before transport. The bags and other containers
shall be placed in a rigid, or semi-rigid tightly closed, leak-proof
containment system, which shall be clearly marked with the Universal
Biological Hazard symbol prior to transport.
- Infectious waste in containment systems shall be transported
away from the facility in fully enclosed rigid, leak-proof containers
or vehicle compartments that will prevent scattering, spillage,
and leakage of the waste during transport. The transport vehicle
shall be labeled with a clearly visible Universal Biological
Hazard Symbol.
- Untreated waste shall not be compacted.
- Containers may be disposable or reusable. Disposable containers
that have been in contact with infectious waste shall be sterilized
prior to disposal, or incinerated. Reusable containers shall
be cleaned after each use and disinfected daily when in use.
Storage of infectious
waste and treated infectious waste
- Infectious waste that is being stored while awaiting treatment
shall be stored in disposable or reusable sturdy, leak-proof
containers that have tight-fitting lids or a leak proof fully
enclosed room, which are clearly labeled with the Universal
Biological Hazard symbol. These containers shall be kept in
fully enclosed and secured locations that are inaccessible to
animals and to persons not authorized to handle their treatment,
transfer, or disposal.
- Infectious waste that has been treated and is awaiting transport
for disposal shall be stored in fully enclosed and secured areas
or containment systems that are accessible only to persons authorized
to handle their disposal.
Disposal of infectious
waste and treated infectious waste
- All infectious waste which is not disposed of via a waste water
disposal system approved by the department shall be treated
in accordance with the regulations and then disposed of only
in state permitted landfills or authorized disposal sites.
- Treated infectious waste that has not been incinerated shall
be in containers, which are clearly, marked as treated waste,
which has been rendered noninfectious.
Infectious waste
management plan
Each infectious waste
generator and transporter of untreated infectious waste shall
have a written plan that contains policies and detailed procedures
for the safe and effective management of infectious waste in accordance
with the regulations. A copy of this plan shall be kept in the
respective administrative offices of the generator and the transporter.
The plan shall also
provide for contingencies in emergency situations. At a minimum,
this shall include procedures to be used under the following circumstances:
- Spills of liquid
infectious waste. These procedures shall include provisions
for containment, protection of personnel, clean up procedures,
disinfection and disposal of the spill residue and of contaminated
containers;
- Rupture of plastic bags or other loss of containment. These
procedures shall include provisions for containment, protection
of personnel, clean up procedures, disinfection, and repackaging
of waste; and
Penalties
Any person, corporation,
or agency that violates any of the provisions of the regulations
shall be subject to an administrative penalty not to exceed one
thousand dollars for each separate offense. Each day of violation
may constitute a
separate offense. The violator shall also be subject to the other
remedies and provisions, including recourse to administrative
contested case proceedings
OSHA Regulations
HERC
OSHA State Page
In addition to the state medical waste environmental regulations
there are some Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA)
rules that apply to medical/infectious waste. Hawaii is
one of 24 states operating an approved occupational safety and
health program. This program is operated by the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration OSHA rules (Occupational Exposure
to Bloodborne Pathogens Standards) impact various aspects of medical/infectious
waste, including management of sharps, requirements for containers
that hold or store medical/infectious waste, labeling of medical/infectious
waste bags/containers, and employee training. These requirements
can be found in the HERC section entitled OSHA
Standards for Regulated Waste
Statutes,
Regulations and Guidelines
Hawaii
Rules for the Management and Disposal of Infectious Waste
Hawaii Solid
Waste Management Requirements
Contacts
Hawaii
Department of Health
More Information
Permit
Application for Solid Waste Management Facility
Instructions
for Filing a Permit Application for Solid Waste Management Facilities
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