Illinois Administrative Code › Title 77 - PUBLIC HEALTH › Part 250 - HOSPITAL LICENSING REQUIREMENTS › Subpart N - HOUSEKEEPING AND LAUNDRY SERVICES › Section 250.1720 - Garbage, Refuse and Solid Waste Handling and Disposal

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 28, July 12, 2024
a) All garbage and refuse shall be collected,
				stored, and disposed of in a manner that will not permit the transmission of a
				contagious disease, create a nuisance or fire hazard, or provide a breeding
				place for vermin or rodents.
b)
				Solid waste shall be handled in a safe and sanitary manner within the facility.
				Garbage and refuse receptacles within the facility shall be made of metal or
				other appropriate material provided with disposable liners or shall be cleaned
				and disinfected after each emptying. Receptacles in areas where wet or
				hazardous wastes are generated shall have tight fitting lids and shall be kept
				closed except during use. Carts used for transport shall be of easily cleanable
				construction, and shall be kept in a sanitary condition. Trash chutes shall
				comply with Subpart T or Subpart U, and shall be kept clean and sanitary.
				Pulping-transport systems, if installed, shall be operated and maintained in a
				safe and sanitary manner. All refuse shall be in impervious bags during
				transport within the facility. Potentially infectious material shall be
				identified and bagged in durable bags resistant to puncture and tears. Waste
				may be single-bagged if it can be put in the bag without contaminating the
				outside, otherwise double-bagging is required. Wastes capable of producing
				injury, such as needles and scalpel blades, shall be stored and transported in
				rigid containers. Blood specimens shall be disposed of pursuant to
				29 CFR
				1910.1030. For handling of radioactive
				wastes, see Subpart F.
c) Collected
				garbage and refuse shall be stored in stable, durable, watertight, vermin and
				rodent proof containers, with tight fitting lids. Lids shall be kept closed
				except during use. Containers shall be emptied at frequent intervals, and shall
				be kept clean and sanitary. Garbage storage areas shall be kept in a clean and
				nuisance-free condition.
d) Final
				disposal of general hospital solid waste may be by incineration (see Subpart T
				or Subpart U), grinding and flushing to the municipal sewerage system, or
				removal to a sanitary landfill. Incinerators shall be approved by the Illinois
				Environmental Protection Agency, for the types of wastes being generated.
				Sanitary landfills shall be approved by the Illinois Environmental Protection
				Agency. Surgical, obstetrical, and other tissue wastes shall be disposed of by
				grinding and flushing, incineration, or burial. Other potentially infectious
				wastes shall be rendered safe by grinding and flushing, incineration or steam
				autoclaving.
e) Alternative systems
				will be permitted when approved in writing by the Department.
f) Any potentially infectious medical waste
				such as blood, blood components, organs, semen, or other human tissue, and any
				other materials or paraphernalia exposed to, or contaminated by, blood, blood
				components, organs, semen, or other human tissue shall be completely
				incinerated, sterilized, or sealed in order to render the materials innocuous
				before disposal or removal from the premises.
1) The incineration of materials shall be
				done in accordance with the requirements of the Pollution Control Board
				concerning the operation of an incinerator (35 Ill. Adm. Code 724).
2) The sterilization of materials shall be
				done by autoclaving the materials in accordance with the recommendations of the
				manufacturer of the autoclave. The effectiveness of the autoclave shall be
				verified and documented at least weekly with a biological spore assay
				containing B. stearothermophilus.
3) Incinerated or sterilized materials shall
				be disposed of through routine waste disposal methods without precautions
				against possible contamination.
4)
				Materials that have not been incinerated or sterilized shall be disposed of by
				a waste hauler with a permit from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
				under the rules of the Pollution Control Board (35 Ill. Adm. Code 809). These
				materials shall be sealed, transported, and stored in biohazard containers.
				These containers shall be marked "Biohazard," shall bear the universal
				biohazard symbol, and shall be orange, orange and black, or red. The containers
				shall be rigid and puncture-resistant, such as a secondary metal or plastic can
				with a lid that can be opened by a step-on pedal. These containers shall be
				lined with one or two high density polyethylene or polypropylene plastic bags
				with a total thickness of at least 2.5 mil. or equivalent material. The
				containers that are marked "Biohazard" shall be sealed before being removed
				from the hospital.