42 U.S.C. § 6992a : US Code - Section 6992A: Listing of medical wastes

Search 42 U.S.C. § 6992a : US Code - Section 6992A: Listing of medical wastes

(a) List
Not later than 6 months after November 1, 1988, the Administrator
shall promulgate regulations listing the types of medical waste to
be tracked under the demonstration program. Except as provided in
subsection (b) of this section, such list shall include, but need
not be limited to, each of the following types of solid waste:
(1) Cultures and stocks of infectious agents and associated
biologicals, including cultures from medical and pathological
laboratories, cultures and stocks of infectious agents from
research and industrial laboratories, wastes from the production
of biologicals, discarded live and attenuated vaccines, and
culture dishes and devices used to transfer, inoculate, and mix
cultures.
(2) Pathological wastes, including tissues, organs, and body
parts that are removed during surgery or autopsy.
(3) Waste human blood and products of blood, including serum,
plasma, and other blood components.
(4) Sharps that have been used in patient care or in medical,
research, or industrial laboratories, including hypodermic
needles, syringes, pasteur pipettes, broken glass, and scalpel
blades.
(5) Contaminated animal carcasses, body parts, and bedding of
animals that were exposed to infectious agents during research,
production of biologicals, or testing of pharmaceuticals.
(6) 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 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 that were in contact with the blood of
patients undergoing hemodialysis, including contaminated
disposable equipment and supplies such as tubing, filters,
disposable sheets, towels, gloves, aprons, and laboratory coats.
(9) Discarded medical equipment and parts that were in contact
with infectious agents.
(10) Biological waste and discarded materials contaminated with
blood, excretion, excudates (!1) or secretion from human beings
or animals who are isolated to protect others from communicable
diseases.
(11) Such other waste material that results from the
administration of medical care to a patient by a health care
provider and is found by the Administrator to pose a threat to
human health or the environment.
(b) Exclusions from list
The Administrator may exclude from the list under this section
any categories or items described in paragraphs (6) through (10) of
subsection (a) of this section which he determines do not pose a
substantial present or potential hazard to human health or the
environment when improperly treated, stored, transported, disposed
of, or otherwise managed.