1. Autoclavable Solid Infectious Waste Disposal Procedure
1. Containers will be lined with a prominently, preferably clear, autoclavable plastic bag.
2. When bag is 3/4 full, it will be sealed and taken immediately to the autoclave room for decontamination.
3. Infectious waste bags will not be handled in such a manner, which might cause them to break open, spill, or contaminate the handler.
4. Waste will be autoclaved for at least 60-minute cycles at 121C
5. Autoclaved waste bags will be drained from any residual liquid in the autoclave room sink.
6. Drained autoclaved bags will then be placed in the provided normal solid waste container located in the autoclave room, and disposed of as normal waste.


2. Non-Autoclavable Solid Infectious Waste Disposal Procedure
1. All infectious wastes that cannot be decontaminated or autoclaved will be placed immediately in red infectious waste bags. When the bag is 3/4 full, or at the end of experiment or procedure, depending on the infectious agent. The bag will be sealed, placed in a disposal container and stored in freezers, refrigerators, or cold rooms until shipment to outside disposal facility.
2. All UMD generated infectious waste that is not decontaminated on site including sharps will be shipped to the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis campus, and added to their infectious waste stream destined for terminal destruction (autoclaving and grinding or incineration). The waste will be shipped in approved leak, burst, and puncture proof, prominently labeled HDPE drums. The drums will be sealed tightly and transported by the University of Minnesota hazardous waste truck.


3. Liquid infectious waste disposal procedure
1. Liquid infectious waste such as blood and regulated body fluids will be discarded/flushed directly down the sanitary sewer with copious amounts of water at the point of generation.
2. If liquid infectious wastes are in leak proof containers (e.g. blood transfusion bags) that cannot be emptied and flushed down the sanitary sewer, the container will be placed directly into an infectious waste collection bag regardless of its infectious nature, and sent for autoclaving or disposal as infectious non-autoclavable waste.

1. Procedure:
1. Sharps receptacles will be placed in a location convenient to the activity generating the waste (e.g. laboratory workbench, patient room, or surgical room) to ensure proper segregation and packaging of the waste, and to minimize risk of injury to laboratory and housekeeping personnel.
2. Used disposable needles and syringes will be placed, intact, directly into waste receptacle without recapping.
3. Sharps containers will not be overfilled, but removed and replaced when 3/4 full.
4. Sharps will not be forced into sharps receptacle, but should fit easily into the container being used.
5. Sharps will not be left unattended where they injure others.
6. Filled sharps containers will be closed tightly and sealed by laboratory personnel generating the waste, to avoid spillage during transportation by laboratory and housekeeping personnel.
7. Sharps will not be disposed of in broken glass containers or normal trash.
8. Sharps receptacles use will be restricted to the collection and management of sharps. No other uses will be allowed.
9. Sharps containers for needles, syringes, blades, etc., will never be placed in the normal waste container even if autoclaved.


2. On-Site Decontamination of Infectious Waste


1. All laboratories involved with the use of virulent infectious agents must decontaminate all cultures, stocks and materials used in the manipulation of infectious agents before disposal into the normal waste stream or general refuse.
2. Infected animal carcasses and body parts will not be decontaminated on-site but shipped for off-site incineration.
3. Subsequent to decontamination, all autoclaved waste will be handled as normal waste and discarded in the normal waste stream.


3. Exceptions:


1. Radioactive Sharps:

Sharps contaminated with radioactive material will be segregated from other sharps and managed separately.
Radioactive sharps will be packaged according to above outline, and University of Minnesota regulations regarding the management of radioactive waste.
In general, radioactive sharps will be packaged into leak and puncture-resistant sharps containers, as outlined above.  Radioactive sharps containers will be prominently labeled with the word "Sharps" and bearing the radioactive symbol as well as the isotope name and activity.  Consult the Radiation Protection Manual for more information on radioactive waste management procedure, or call Environmental Health and Safety Office at 726-7273.




2. Sharps Contaminated With Extremely Hazardous Substances:
Sharps contaminated with toxic or extremely toxic or bio-accumulative chemical substances such as PCB's, mercury, heavy metals, etc., will be segregated from other sharps at the generation point and managed as hazardous chemical waste sharps according to their hazard category. The procedure outlined above for the management of sharps will hold. Containers of sharps contaminated with hazardous chemicals will be labeled as sharps and bear the name of the hazardous contaminant.
As is the case for the disposal of hazardous chemical waste, manifesting for the disposal of sharps contaminated with chemical waste is required. For more information on the management and disposal of hazardous chemical waste, consult the University of Minnesota Hazardous Chemical Waste Management Guidebook 5th Edition, or call the Environmental Health and Safety Office at 726-7273.

1. All non-contaminated broken glass items will be placed in sturdy containers such as a designated cardboard box. Containers will be labeled "Broken Glass" so that custodial workers know they are handling glass.
2. Glassware that has been contaminated with blood or any infectious agents must be disinfected before disposal in the broken glass container. Otherwise, it will be disposed in appropriate sharps container as infectious waste.
3. Broken glass contaminated with hazardous material will be disposed of as hazardous waste.
4. Broken thermometers are considered hazardous waste and should be disposed of as such.
5. Broken glass contaminated with radioactive materials will be disposed of as radioactive waste.
6. Discarded non-broken glass that is not intended for recycling must be residue-free and then disposed of in a broken glass container.
7. Non-broken glass that is intended for recycling will be decontaminated, rinsed from any remaining residue first, and then recycled.

1. General Animal Waste Disposal Method

1. All animal carcasses and body parts will be segregated and placed immediately in impervious (heavy duty), prominently labeled, leak and tear-resistant waste bags depending on animal waste classification (red infectious waste bags for infectious animal waste) at the point of generation.
2. All sharp objects such as needles, capillary tubes, and razor blades will be removed from animals before placing them in collection bags.
3. Bags must be labeled according to hazard class (e.g. non- infectious, infectious, radioactive, or hazardous waste) and stored accordingly.
4. Bags will be sealed and placed in a disposal container and stored in appropriate/ approved freezers, refrigerators, or cold rooms to prevent putrefaction, and minimize odors while awaiting shipment to an outside facility or ultimate disposal.
5. Body fluid (urine) waste from large infected animals under observation will be flushed into the sanitary sewer with copious amounts of water.
6. Bedding from animals intentionally infected with virulent agents known to be infectious to humans will be disposed of in an infectious waste bag, and decontaminated by autoclaving.
7. Bedding from non-infected animals is not considered infectious and will be collected in normal waste bags and disposed of in the regular/ normal waste or refuse.

2. Special Animal Waste Disposal Method

1. Preserved and non-infectious animal waste from the biology department, medical school and animal services will be packaged, stored and disposed of according to the above outline and agreement with WLLSD and delivered by UMD trained personnel to the Rice Lake Industrial and Solid Waste Disposal Facility.
2. All research animal waste disposed of at the Rice Lake Industrial and Solid Waste Disposal Facility will satisfy the following: (1) not contained and heavy metals, (2) not contain any zero discharge chemicals (see appendix 1 for list of zero discharge chemicals), (3) not contain any toxic or extremely toxic chemicals at concentrations of oral rat LD50 x dilution rate < 500ppm, (4) not have been in contact with any radioactive materials.
3. All infectious animal wastes (carcasses and body parts) will be packaged according to the above guidelines in prominently labeled tear and leak-resistant red biohazard waste bags bearing the words "infectious waste" and/or the biohazard symbol. Sealed immediately and placed in an approved freezer until shipment as infectious waste. The UMD Environmental Health and Safety Office must be contacted at 726-7273 to arrange for disposal.

Note: Radioactive animal waste and animal waste contaminated with hazardous or highly toxic chemicals are not discussed here. For information on radioactive animal waste disposal procedure, consult the University of Minnesota Radiation Protection Manual. For more information on the disposal of animal waste contaminated with toxic chemicals consult the University of Minnesota Chemical Waste Management Guidebook 5th edition of call the UMD Environmental Health and Safety Office at (218) 726-7273.

Pathological Waste Handling and Disposal

Human pathological waste must be managed and disposed of according to sanitary standards established by state, federal laws and regulations governing the use and disposal of such waste.

1. General Disposal Procedure
1. All human pathological wastes generated outside of the Anatomy and Cell Biology Department, that has been used in research and/or scientific investigations will be placed into impervious, tear and burst resistant plastic bags, which will be placed in rigid containers that are labeled "Pathological" or "Infectious Waste". Containers will be then stored in appropriate freezers or coolers at the generating department. Arrangements must be made with Environmental Health and Safety Office for disposal of such waste.
2. All human pathological waste generated outside the Department of Anatomy will be transported to the crematory in 1-156 Jackson Hall (UM-TC campus).
3. Staff at the crematory will be responsible for placing the pathological waste bags into the hearth of the crematory and completing cremation of this waste.
4. Pathological materials from the Body Bequest Program of the Medical School will be handled by the Anatomy Department. When studies are completed, pathological material will be placed in sealed containers according to the above outline, and then shipped to the Twin Cities Campus to be cremation.