Medical Waste Laws

Although we often think of hazardous waste as relegated to industry or the nuclear sector, medical waste is just as dangerous and as big a problem as any toxic waste. The Environmental Protection Agency regulates and enforces medical waste laws, or at the very least delegates authority to responsible states. The average person can reduce the hazards of medical with a few extra minutes out of the day.

• Band-Aids are considered medical waste.

Identification

• Just exactly what defines medical waste often causes confusion; which is why the Environmental Protection Agency properly defined medical waste under the Medical Waste tracking Act of 1988. In general, the law considers anything tested or used on an individual, or any trash from biological experiments to be medical waste. Common waste includes bacterial cultures, bloody bandages and needles.

Disposal

• Most federal medical waste disposal regulations fall under the jurisdiction of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 Subtitle C. In order to be considered hazardous medical waste, refuse must meet certain requirements, such as deadly or flammable. Medical waste that does not meet the definition of hazardous is simply regarded as normal municipal waste.

Workplace Safety

• The management of medical waste in workplaces falls under the supervision of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, according to the EPA. Businesses that produce medical waste under the RCRA may be required to train employees how to handle medical waste, identify dangers, and institute a plan to dispose of medical waste. Those who work in the transportation of medical waste also adhere to regulations through State Departments of Transportation and the EPA.

State Regulations

• Under the RCRA, the federal government authorizes states to institute tougher regulations and increase the scope of monitoring of medical waste and other hazardous materials so long as the state program exceeds federal guidelines. Because state programs authorized by the RCRA can vary from federal regulations, the EPA website suggests that people check state regulatory agencies for exact details and laws.

Prevention/Solution

• The EPA urges people to consider safely disposing medical waste at specified sites instead of throwing it in with municipal trash. Hospitals and doctor's offices usually offer to dispose of needles for free or a small charge. Some programs even offer to exchange dirty syringes for new ones; the North American Syringe Exchange Network is free and their web site is located in the resources section.