North Dakota Administrative Code › Title 33.1 - Department of Environmental Quality › Article 33.1-20 - SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT AND LAND PROTECTION › Chapter 33.1-20-12 - REGULATED INFECTIOUS WASTE › Section 33.1-20-12-01 - Definitions

Current through Supplement No. 393, July, 2024
1. As used in this article, "regulated
				infectious waste" means an infectious waste which is listed in subdivisions a
				through g of this subsection. Ash from incineration and residues from
				disinfection processes are not infectious waste once the incineration or the
				disinfection has been completed.
a. Cultures
				and stocks. Cultures and stocks of infectious agents and associated
				biologicals, including cultures from medical and pathological laboratories;
				cultures and stocks of infectious agents from research and industrial
				laboratories; wastes from the production of biologicals; discarded live and
				attenuated vaccines; and culture dishes and devices used to transfer,
				inoculate, and mix cultures.
b.
				Pathological waste. Human pathological waste, including tissues, organs, and
				body parts and body fluids that are removed during surgery or autopsy, or other
				medical procedures, and specimens of body fluids and their containers.
Human body fluids include: semen, vaginal secretions,
				  cerebrospinal fluid, synovial fluid, pleural fluid, pericardial fluid,
				  peritoneal fluid, amniotic fluid, any body fluid that is visibly contaminated
				  with blood, and all body fluids in situations where it is difficult or
				  impossible to differentiate between body fluids.
c. Human blood and blood products. Liquid
				waste human blood; products of blood; items saturated or dripping with human
				blood; or items that were saturated or dripping with human blood that are now
				caked with dried human blood (including serum, plasma, and other blood
				components, and their containers) and are capable of releasing these materials
				during handling.
d. Sharps. Any
				contaminated object that has been used in animal or human patient care or
				treatment or in medical, research, or industrial laboratories, that can cut or
				penetrate the skin. This includes hypodermic needles, syringes (with or without
				the attached needle), pasteur pipettes, scalpel blades, blood vials, needles
				with attached tubing, culture dishes (regardless of presence of infectious
				agents), and exposed ends of dental wires. Also included are other types of
				broken or unbroken glassware that were in contact with infectious agents, such
				as used slides and cover slips.
e.
				Animal waste. Contaminated animal carcasses, body parts, and bedding of animals
				that were known to have been exposed to infectious agents during research
				(including research in veterinary hospitals), production of biological, or
				testing of pharmaceuticals.
f.
				Isolation waste. Biological waste and discarded materials contaminated with
				blood, excretion, exudates, or secretions from humans who are isolated to
				protect others from highly communicable diseases, or isolated animals known to
				be infected with highly communicable diseases.
"Highly communicable diseases" means diseases, such as those
				  caused by organisms classified by the federal centers for disease control and
				  prevention as biosafety level IV organisms, that, in the opinion of the
				  infection control staff, the department, local health officer, attending
				  physician and surgeon, or attending veterinarian, merit special precautions to
				  protect staff, patients, and other persons from infection. "Highly communicable
				  diseases" does not include diseases such as the common cold, influenza, or
				  other diseases not representing a significant danger to nonimmunocompromised
				  persons.
g. Unused sharps.
				This waste includes the following unused, discarded sharps: hypodermic needles,
				intravenous or other needles, hypodermic or intravenous syringes, suture
				needles, or scalpel blades.