Regulated medical waste classifies waste materials that pose a danger of infection. Separate Federal and State regulations exist for the control of medical waste. Medical waste includes liquid or semi-liquid blood, contaminated items that release blood and contaminated sharps. You should contact your HSE team for proper disposal of medical waste at any location.
Nearly all 50 US states have regulated medical waste regulations. However, these regulations vary widely. Some of these regulations are based upon the Medical Waste Regulation Act, whereas others have no relationship or resemblance to this law. In most states, the EPA is mainly responsible for medical waste regulation.
Regulated medical waste regulations should include identification of which medical waste should be regulated. There should also be a cradle to grave tracking system, management systems for segregation, packaging and storage of the medical waste. The requirements for record keeping should also be spelled out as well as defined penalties that could be imposed for the mismanagement of medical waste.
Federal law does not provide a conclusive definition of what medical waste actually is. That leaves it to each state’s department of health to issue regulations that determine which products are to be classified as regulated medical waste.