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BIOHAZARDOUS
WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN
 Introduction
At Michigan
State University, the term biohazardous waste is used to
describe different types of waste that might include infectious
agents. Currently, the following waste categories are considered
to be biohazardous waste and are covered by the provisions of the
MSU Biohazardous Waste Management Plan:
- Medical
Waste: Defined as any solid waste which is generated in the
diagnosis, treatment, (e.g. provision of medical services), or
immunization of human beings in research and healthcare pertaining
thereto, or in the production or testing of biologicals, as well
as categories defined by the Michigan Medical Waste Regulatory
Act (MMWRA).
According
to the MMWRA, medical waste includes:
- Cultures
and stocks of infectious agents and associated biologicals,
including laboratory waste, biological production waste, discarded
live and attenuated vaccines, culture dishes, and related devices.
- Liquid
human and animal waste, including blood and blood products and
body fluids, but not including urine or materials stained with
blood or body fluids.
- Pathological
waste: defined as human organs tissues, body parts other than
teeth, products of conception, and fluids removed by trauma
or during surgery or autopsy or other medical procedure, and
not chemically-fixed (i.e. formaldehyde).
- Sharps:
defined as needles, syringes, scalpels, and intravenous tubing
with needles attached regardless of whether they are contaminated
or not.
- Contaminated
wastes from animals that have been exposed to agents infectious
to humans, these being primarily research animals.
- Regulated
waste as defined by the Michigan Occupational Safety Health
Administration (MIOSHA) Bloodborne Infectious Diseases Standard
including:
- Liquid
or semi-liquid blood or potentially infectious materials;
- Contaminated
items that would release blood or other potentially infectious
materials in a liquid or semi-liquid state if compressed;
- Items that
are caked with dried blood or other potentially infectious materials
and are capable of releasing these materials during handling;
- Contaminated
sharps which includes any contaminated object that can penetrate
the skin;
- Pathological
and microbiological wastes containing blood or other potentially
infectious materials.
- Laboratory
waste and regulated waste as defined in the NIH Guidelines
for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules and the CDC/NIH
Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories.
In general, this category includes contaminated waste that is
potentially infectious and/or hazardous to humans, animals or
plants.
MSU requires
that all employees involved in the generation, handling and disposal
of biohazardous waste comply with the provisions of the Biohazardous
Waste Management Plan. The plan was prepared by the Office of Radiation,
Chemical and Biological Safety (ORCBS) and is used in conjunction
with the MSU Hazardous Waste Disposal Guide.
The plan encompasses
the general provisions for all MSU facilities (on or off-campus).
However, the main document addresses the types of waste and practices
used by on-campus facilities only. Specific information regarding
the types of wastes generated and practices used by off-campus facilities
may be found in the appendices or by contacting ORCBS at 355-0153.
General
Program Management
Biohazardous Waste Management Plan Table
of Contents
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