Code of Maryland Regulations › Title 26 - DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT › Part 3 - SUBTITLES 13-18 › Subtitle 13 - DISPOSAL OF CONTROLLED HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES › Chapter 26.13.11 - Special Medical Wastes › Section 26.13.11.02 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 51, No. 14, July 12, 2024
A. The following
				  terms have the meanings indicated.
B. Terms Defined.
(1) "Anatomical material" means human or
				  animal body parts, including tissues and organs.
(2) "Blood" means human blood, human blood
				  components, and products made from human blood.
(3) "Blood-soiled article" means any article
				  that contains blood in any form as a result of contact with blood.
(3-1) "Contaminated item" means an item for which it is
					 known or reasonably anticipated that blood or other potentially infectious
					 material is present on the item.
(4) "Contaminated material" means:
(a) Microbiological laboratory
				  waste;
(b) The feces of an
				  individual diagnosed as having a disease that may be transmitted to another
				  human being through the feces;
(c)
				  An article soiled with the feces of an individual diagnosed as having a disease
				  that may be transmitted to another human being through the feces; or
(d) An article that has come into contact
				  with a known human pathogen.
(5) "Generator" means any person whose act or
				  process produces a special medical waste.
(5-1) "Infectious substance" means a material known or
					 reasonably expected to contain a pathogen.
(6) "Microbiological laboratory waste" means
				  waste from a microbiological laboratory that contains a human pathogen and
				  includes cultures and stocks of pathogens and associated biologicals.
(6-1) "Other potentially infectious material" means:
(a) The following human body fluids:
(i) Amniotic fluid;
(ii) A body fluid that is visibly
				  contaminated with blood;
(iii) A
				  body fluid that cannot be readily identified;
(iv) Cerebrospinal fluid;
(v) Pericardial fluid;
(vi) Peritoneal fluid;
(vii) Pleural fluid;
(viii) Saliva generated in the performance of
				  dental procedures;
(ix)
				  Semen;
(x) Synovial fluid;
				  and
(xi) Vaginal
				  secretions;
(b) A tissue
				  or organ from a living or dead human, not including intact skin, that has not
				  been preserved by a chemical additive or preservative;
(c) The following items relating to human
				  immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus, or hepatitis C virus:
(i) HIV-containing cell, tissue, or organ
				  cultures;
(ii) Media or other
				  solutions containing HIV, Hepatitis B, or Hepatitis C; and
(iii) Blood, organs, or other tissues,
				  including blood, organs or other tissues from experimental animals infected
				  with HIV or hepatitis B virus; and
(d) Microbiological laboratory waste.
(6-2) "Pathogen" means a microorganism, including bacteria,
					 viruses, rickettsiae, parasites, and fungi, or other agent, such as a
					 proteinaceous infectious particle, also known as a prion, that can cause
					 disease in humans or animals.
(7) "Person" means an individual, trust,
				  firm, joint stock company, federal agency, corporation (including a government
				  corporation), partnership, association, state, municipality, political
				  subdivision of a state, any interstate body, and any combination of persons
				  using a common disposal collection device.
(8) Sharp.
(a) "Sharp" means an object that:
(i) Is capable of cutting or penetrating skin
				  or a packaging material, and
(ii)
				  Either is known, suspected, or reasonably anticipated to be contaminated with a
				  human pathogen, blood, or other potentially infectious material or may become
				  contaminated with a human pathogen through handling or during
				  transportation;
(b)
				  "Sharp" includes needles, syringes with an attached needle or other sharp,
				  scalpels, surgical instruments, broken glass, broken capillary tubes, broken
				  rigid plastic, and exposed ends of dental wires.
(c) "Sharp" includes an item that is capable
				  of cutting or penetrating skin or a packaging material if the item is not in
				  its original, intact packaging unless the item:
(i) Is not commonly associated with blood,
				  other potentially infectious material or infectious substances, such as, for
				  example, broken glass from beverage containers or disposable blades used by a
				  contractor in building maintenance; and
(ii) Has not been exposed to or commingled
				  with special medical waste; and
(d) "Sharp" does not include an item in its
				  original, intact packaging.
(9) "Shipping paper" means a shipping order,
				  bill of lading, manifest, or other shipping document serving a similar purpose
				  and containing the information required by
				  49 CFR §§
												172.202,
				  172.203, and
				  172.204, which are incorporated by
				  reference in COMAR
				  26.13.12.01 s B(5) and
				  26.13.13.01 s G.
(10) "Solid waste" means any waste defined by
				  COMAR 26.13.02.02 s.
(11) "Special medical waste" means a solid
				  waste that is not excluded under Regulation .03 of this chapter and is composed
				  of:
(a) Anatomical material;
(b) Blood that is in a liquid or semiliquid
				  state;
(c) Blood-soiled articles
				  that:
(i) Would release blood in a liquid or
				  semiliquid state if compressed; or
(ii) Are caked with dried blood and are
				  capable of releasing the blood during handling of the items;
(d) A contaminated item that:
(i) Would release other potentially
				  infectious material in a liquid or semiliquid state if compressed; or
(ii) Is caked with other potentially
				  infectious material and is capable of releasing the other potentially
				  infectious material during handling of the item;
(e) Contaminated material;
(f) An infectious substance that can cause
				  disease in humans;
(g)
				  Microbiological laboratory waste;
(h) Other potentially infectious material
				  that is in a liquid or semiliquid state;
(i) Pathological and microbiological waste
				  that contains blood or other potentially infectious material; or
(j) Sharps.
(12) "Sterilize" means to use a physical or
				  chemical procedure to destroy all microbial life including highly resistant
				  bacterial endospores.