Code of Maryland Regulations › Title 15 - MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE › Subtitle 14 - BOARD OF VETERINARY MEDICAL EXAMINERS › Chapter 15.14.03 - Licensing and Minimum Sanitary Requirements for Veterinary Facilities › Section 15.14.03.02 - Sanitation Practices

Current through Register Vol. 51, No. 14, July 12, 2024
A. The
				animal facility shall be kept clean. A regular schedule of sanitary maintenance
				is necessary, including the elimination of wastes.
B. Animal rooms, corridors, storage areas,
				and other parts of the animal facility shall be washed, scrubbed, vacuumed,
				mopped, or swept as often as necessary, using appropriate detergents and
				disinfectants to keep them free of dirt, debris, and harmful contamination. A
				continuing objective shall be to keep these areas neat and
				uncluttered.
C. If litter or
				bedding such as paper is used in animal cages or pens, it shall be changed as
				often as necessary to keep the animals dry and clean and to minimize offensive
				odors.
D. Cages or pens from which
				animal waste is removed by hosing or flushing shall be cleaned and suitably
				disinfected one or more times daily. This system requires removal of the
				animals from cages during servicing in order to keep them dry.
E. Animal cages, racks, and accessory
				equipment, such as feeders and water utensils, shall be washed and sanitized as
				often as necessary to keep them physically clean and free from contamination.
				In addition, cages should always be sanitized before new animals are placed in
				them. Sanitizing may be accomplished either by washing all soiled surfaces with
				a cleaning agent having an effective bactericidal action or with live steam or
				the equivalent thereof.
F. Waste
				containers and implements shall be maintained in sanitary condition.
G. A veterinarian shall handle, treat, and
				dispose of medical wastes (including, but not limited to, carcasses, anatomical
				body parts, excretions, blood-soiled articles, bedding, and sharps) that are
				generated from an animal that the veterinarian knows, or has reason to know,
				has a disease that is capable of being transmitted to humans, in accordance
				with COMAR 26.13.11 and COMAR 10.06.06.
H. A veterinarian shall handle waste
				materials that are generated from an animal that does not have a disease
				transmissible to humans as provided under this section:
(1) Sharps, including but not limited to
				syringes, needles, and surgical instruments, shall be placed in a rigid,
				tightly lidded container that is impervious to puncture. Before disposing of
				this container, it shall be placed in a leak-proof plastic sack or
				plastic-lined paper bag.
(2) Animal
				tissues, including blood if it is in liquid form, shall be disposed of as
				provided under §H(3) or placed in one of the following:
(a) Sanitary sewer if allowed under any local
				ordinance or regulation and the Environment Article, Annotated Code of
				Maryland.
(b) Leak-proof disposable
				container, such as a plastic sack or a plastic-lined paper bag. Before
				disposing of this container, it shall be placed in a rigid, opaque
				container.
(3) Animal
				Carcasses.
(a) Except as provided under
				§H(3)(b), an animal carcass shall be disposed of promptly by one of the
				following methods:
(i) Release to the
				owner;
(ii) Burial;
(iii) Cremation;
(iv) Incineration;
(v) Disposal through the rendering process;
				or
(vi) If permitted by local
				ordinance, placed in a public landfill.
(b) If prompt disposal of an animal carcass
				is not possible, it shall be contained in a freezer or stored in a sanitary,
				nonoffensive manner until such time as it can be disposed of as provided under
				§H(3)(a).
(4)
				Litter, bedding, and animal excretions from:
(a) Companion animals shall be placed either
				in a:
(i) Sanitary sewer if allowed under any
				local ordinance or regulation and the Environment Article, Annotated Code of
				Maryland, or
(ii) Leak-proof
				disposable container, such as a plastic sack or a plastic-lined bag, when
				disposing of them by other available means;
(b) Livestock shall be:
(i) Handled as provided under §H(4)(a),
				or
(ii) Disposed of by any
				acceptable agricultural method.
(5) Before disposing of blood-soiled
				articles, they shall be placed in a leak-proof disposable container such as a
				plastic sack or a plastic-lined bag.