Virginia Administrative Code › Title 9 - ENVIRONMENT › Agency 20 - VIRGINIA WASTE MANAGEMENT BOARD › Chapter 121 - REGULATED MEDICAL WASTE MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS › Part III - Standards for Management of All Regulated Medical Waste › Section 9VAC20-121-100 - General handling and generator requirements

Current through Register Vol. 40, No. 24, July 15, 2024
A. Any person
				  or facility handling, generating, storing, transporting, transferring,
				  treating, or disposing of regulated medical waste shall comply with the general
				  management requirements of this section.
B. All generators must identify and segregate
				  regulated medical waste from other waste, including radioactive waste,
				  hazardous waste, and other solid waste, at the point of origin or as soon as
				  practicable after generation. When practical, the generator shall segregate
				  regulated medical waste based on the anticipated treatment method.
C. All generators must comply with the
				  packaging, labeling, storage, reusable container, spill cleanup,
				  transportation, and Category A waste management requirements for regulated
				  medical waste outlined in Part III (9VAC20-121-100 et seq.) of this
				  chapter, as applicable.
D. Anyone
				  handling or packaging regulated medical waste and loading, unloading, or
				  handling containers of regulated medical waste shall wear appropriate personal
				  protective equipment in accordance with the standards for occupational exposure
				  to bloodborne pathogens in the general industry standard in
				  16VAC25-90-1910.1030
				  (29 CFR
				  1910.1030).
E. All regulated medical waste shall be
				  handled in a manner that maintains the integrity of the packaging at all times,
				  prevents damage, leakage, and spills and provides protection from the elements,
				  vectors, and trespassers.
F. Trash
				  chutes shall not be used to manage regulated medical waste. If slides, cart
				  tippers, conveyors, or similar equipment are used to move regulated medical
				  waste from the point of generation to storage areas, between containers, or to
				  vehicles or treatment devices, the movement and impact shall be controlled to
				  maintain the integrity of the regulated medical waste packaging and prevent
				  damage, leaks, and spills. Waste shall not be thrown, dumped, walked upon, or
				  handled in any other manner that could result in spills or releases of
				  regulated medical waste or damage to the packaging.
G. Except in accordance with
				  9VAC20-121-240 B, regulated medical
				  waste shall not be manually or mechanically compacted, compressed, or subjected
				  to violent mechanical stress prior to treatment; however, after regulated
				  medical waste is fully treated and is no longer regulated medical waste, it may
				  be compacted in a closed container in a safe and sanitary manner.
H. All regulated medical waste generated
				  shall either be treated onsite in accordance with Part IV (9VAC20-121-200 et seq.) of this
				  chapter or packaged, labeled, and transported offsite to a facility permitted
				  to receive the waste for transfer, treatment, or disposal.
I. Generators of regulated medical waste are
				  subject to the following recordkeeping requirements:
a. The generator shall maintain all records
				  of onsite treatment or shipment offsite for a minimum of three years following
				  treatment or shipment. All records shall be available for review by the
				  department upon request.
b.
				  Generators treating regulated medical waste onsite, regulated medical waste
				  transfer stations, and all other regulated medical waste treatment or disposal
				  facilities shall maintain records in accordance with applicable provisions of
				  Part V (9VAC20-121-300 et seq.) of this
				  chapter.
c. Generators shipping
				  regulated medical waste offsite for transfer, treatment, or disposal shall
				  maintain records, including copies of all shipping papers, specifying the date
				  of shipment, amount of waste removed from the site, and the names, addresses,
				  and telephone numbers of the transporter and the destination facility receiving
				  the shipment for treatment or disposal.
d. If regulated medical waste is received
				  from offsite, records shall be maintained for three years following receipt of
				  the waste and shall include the date of receipt, name of each offsite generator
				  (except for generators of household sharps using sharps drop boxes), amount of
				  waste received, and dates of subsequent treatment or shipment
				  offsite.