(a) To containerize or store medical waste, at the point of generation and while collected in that room, a person shall do all of the following:
(1) Medical waste, as defined in Section 117690, shall be contained separately from other waste at the point of origin in the producing facility. Sharps containers may be placed in biohazard bags or in containers with biohazard bags.
(2) Biohazardous waste, as defined in paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 117690, shall be placed in a biohazard bag and labeled in compliance with Section 117630.
(3) Sharps waste, as defined in paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) of Section 117690, including sharps and pharmaceutical waste containerized pursuant to paragraph (7), shall be contained in a United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) approved sharps container that meets USFDA labeling requirements and is handled pursuant to Section 118285.
(4) Trace chemotherapy waste, as defined in paragraph (5) of subdivision (b) of Section 117690, shall be segregated for storage, and, when placed in a secondary container, that container shall be labeled with the words “Chemotherapy Waste,” “CHEMO,” or other label approved by the department on the lid and sides, so as to be visible from any lateral direction, to ensure treatment of the biohazardous waste pursuant to Section 118222. Sharps waste that is contaminated through contact with, or having previously contained, chemotherapeutic agents, shall be placed in sharps containers labeled in accordance with the industry standard with the words “Chemotherapy Waste,” “CHEMO,” or other label approved by the department, and shall be segregated to ensure treatment of the sharps waste pursuant to Section 118222.
(5) Pathology waste, as defined in paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 117690, shall be segregated for storage and, when placed in a secondary container, that container shall be labeled with the words “Pathology Waste,” “PATH,” or other label approved by the department on the lid and sides, so as to be visible from any lateral direction, to ensure treatment of the waste pursuant to Section 118222.
(6) Pharmaceutical waste, as defined in paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 117690, shall be segregated for storage in accordance with the facility’s medical waste management plan. When this waste is prepared for shipment offsite for treatment, it shall be properly containerized for shipment in compliance with United States Department of Transportation and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) requirements.
(A) Pharmaceutical wastes classified by the DEA as “controlled substances” shall be disposed of in compliance with DEA requirements.
(B) Nonradioactive pharmaceutical wastes that are not subject to the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (Public Law 94-580), as amended, and that are regulated as medical waste are placed in a container or secondary container labeled with the words “HIGH HEAT” or “INCINERATION ONLY,” or with another label approved by the department, on the lid and sides, so as to be visible from any lateral direction, to ensure treatment of the biohazardous waste pursuant to Section 118222.
(7) A person may consolidate into a common container, which may be reusable, sharps waste, as defined in paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) of Section 117690, and pharmaceutical wastes, as defined in paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 117690, provided that both of the following apply:
(A) The consolidated waste is treated by incineration or alternative treatment technologies approved to treat that waste pursuant to paragraph (1) or (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 118215 prior to disposal. That alternative treatment shall render the waste unrecoverable and nonhazardous.
(B) The container meets the requirements of Section 118285. The container shall be labeled with the biohazardous waste symbol and the words “HIGH HEAT” or “INCINERATION ONLY,” or with another label approved by the department, on the lid and sides, so as to be visible from any lateral direction, to ensure treatment of the waste pursuant to this subdivision.
(b) To containerize medical waste being held for shipment offsite for treatment, the waste shall be labeled, as outlined in subdivision (a), on the lid and sides of the container.
(c) When medical waste is containerized pursuant to subdivisions (a) and (b) there is no requirement to label the containers with the date that the waste started to accumulate.
(Amended by Stats. 2015, Ch. 352, Sec. 8. (SB 225) Effective September 28, 2015.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018