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Learning the State's Rules

OSHA will expect any practice to establish and enforce safety measures for the staff, but they are not concerned with the medical waste once it leaves the facility. On the other hand, the local solid waste management agency (in conjunction with state and federal EPA rules) is primarily concerned with ensuring that waste which may be hazardous to the general public is ultimately disposed of properly.

Of course, when there are multiple agencies regulating similar activities, it’s necessary to set up a program to cover BOTH sets of rules. Before beginning a practice medical waste or infection control plan, it’s best to obtain a copy of the community (or state) regulations.

Start by visiting the Federal EPA web site by clicking here. This page has links to many state medical waste regulations on the web.

If you don’t find your state listed, or the information is not clear to you, contact the local office of the health department - look in the blue pages of the phone book for the number. If the health department can’t help, contact the local waste management agency. Of course, the state or local veterinary association could be of help also. It may take a little detective work but be persistent. Remember your task is to track down a copy of the regulation - not to rely on anyone’s interpretation or recommendations!

Once you have a copy of the rules, the next task is to "decipher" exactly which items are considered medical waste and which are regular trash. Read the definitions closely. Pay particular attention to differentiation between HUMAN and animal materials. Also be conscious of any requirements to register the business as a medical waste generator.

Based on this knowledge, you’re now ready to develop a plan within your own hospital to properly handle and dispose of medical waste and sharps. By doing a little homework, your practice can comply with all the rules, minimize hazards and keep costs under control!

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The information on these pages is excerpted from
The Veterinary Safety & Health Digest,
Copyright 2001 Philip J. Seibert, Jr., CVT  All Rights Reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced for distribution without prior permission from the publisher.