 Illinois
Regulated Medical Waste
Waste Categories
Managing Potentially Infectious Waste
OSHA Regulations
Statutes, Regulations and Guidelines
Contacts
Waste Categories
Illinois classifies solid wastes into
two main categories: nonspecial waste and special waste. Special
wastes are further divided into four subcategories. Below is a summary
of the categorization scheme.
Nonspecial Waste. Nonspecial
wastes are generally not as harmful to people or the environment,
so they are not regulated as special waste. Nonspecial wastes include
garbage and commercial waste. These types of wastes are generally
associated with offices, homes and restaurants, but also include
clean packaging, landscape waste, clean machinery components and
construction or demolition debris.
Special Waste. Special waste
includes potentially infectious medical waste (PIMW), industrial
process waste, pollution control waste and hazardous waste. Because
the mismanagement of these wastes may cause serious health or environmental
problems, special waste may be regulated under one or more sets of
regulations in addition to the regulations for nonspecial waste.
Special permitting requirements may also apply.
- Potentially infectious medical
waste (PIMW) - includes most medical waste generated by health
care professionals or medical research that may be infectious
to humans. It does not include medical waste generated at a
household.
- Industrial process waste -
includes waste generated by industry or commercial services such
as gas stations or painting contractors. Industrial process waste
does not include clean packaging materials, office or food waste.
- Pollution control waste -
is generated by the treatment or cleanup of other wastes. Treatment
residues from wastewater treatment, air scrubbing and spill cleanups
are all pollution control waste.
- Hazardous
waste - is the most highly regulated category of waste. Some
wastes are hazardous because of their ignitable, corrosive, reactive
or toxic properties. These are called characteristically hazardous
wastes. In other instances, U.S.EPA has decided that the waste
produced by certain industrial activities will always be a hazardous
waste. These are called listed hazardous wastes.
Definition of Potentially Infectious Medical
Waste (PIMW)
Potentially Infectious Medical Waste
(PIMW) is waste generated in connection with the diagnosis, treatment
(i.e., provision of medical services), or immunization of human beings
or animals; research pertaining to the provision of medical services;
or the provision or testing of biologicals.
Managing Potentially
Infectious Medical Waste
Segregation. Generators must
segregate potentially infectious medical waste (PIMW) as follows:
- Sharps,
- Oversized PIMW, and
- All other PIMW.
PIMW mixed with other waste is regulated
as PIMW.
Packaging. PIMW, except for
oversized PIMW, must be placed in a container, or a combination of
containers. Such containers must be:
- rigid
- leak-resistant
- impervious to moisture
- of a strength sufficient to prevent
tearing or bursting under normal conditions of use and handling
- sealed to prevent leakage during
transport
Sharps, unless rendered unrecognizable,
must be packaged in a container, or a combination of containers,
that is puncture-resistant.
Oversized PIMW must be covered or
packaged in a manner that minimizes contact with transport workers
and the public. Sharps must not be packaged with oversized PIMW
in the same container.
If the outside of a container is contaminated
by PIMW, a person must place the container inside another container,
or clean and disinfect the container.
Once a reusable container has been
cleaned and disinfected, it can be used for only waste. If a reusable
container is not or cannot be cleaned and disinfected, it must be
regulated as PIMW pursuant to this Subtitle.
PIMW packages must not be compacted
or subjected to stress that compromises the integrity of the container.
Labeling. The following rules
apply to healthcare facilities who package PIMW for off-site transportation.
The generator must mark the exterior
of the outer package as follows prior to shipment:
- Mark on two opposite sides
of the outer package in lettering that is readable at a minimum
distance of five (5) feet:
- The International Biohazard
Symbol as shown in Illustration A of this Part and the
word "Biohazard"; and
- The word "sharps",
if the package contains sharps.
- Mark with indelible ink in lettering
that is legible on a water-resistant label or tag securely attached
to or marked on the outer package:
- The generator's name,
- The generator's address, and
- The generator's phone number
(a 24-hour phone number, if available).
The transporter shall mark with indelible
ink in lettering that is legible on a water-resistant label or tag
securely attached to or marked on the outer package:
- The transporter's name,
- The transporter's permit number,
- The transporter's address,
- The transporter's phone number
(a 24-hour phone number, if available), and
- For each PIMW package, the shipment
date when PIMW initially left the generator's site; or for each
shipment, a unique identification number which directly corresponds
to the initial date of shipment.
If a sharps container is packaged
within an outer container, the inner sharps container must be marked
with indelible ink in lettering that is legible as follows:
- The International Biohazard Symbol
as shown in Illustration A of this Part and the word "biohazard";
and
- The word "sharps".
Containers which are not the inner
or outer containers are exempt from the labeling requirements. Packages
may be placed in a transparent container provided that all required
markings are legible through the transparent container. A non-rigid
transparent container cannot be used as an outer container.
For oversized PIMW, the following
requirements must be met prior to shipment.
- The generator must mark on one
side of the outer package in lettering that is readable at a minimum
distance of five (5) feet the International Biohazard Symbol as
shown in Illustration A of this Part and the word "biohazard".
- The generator must mark with indelible
ink in lettering that is legible on a water-resistant label or
tag securely attached to or marked on the outer package:
- The generator's name,
- The generator's address, and
- The generator's phone number
(a 24-hour phone number, if available).
The transporter must mark with indelible
ink in lettering that is legible on a water-resistant label or tag
securely attached to or marked on the outer package:
- The transporter's name,
- The transporter's permit number,
- The transporter's address,
- The transporter's phone number (a
24-hour phone number, if available), and
- For each PIMW package, the shipment
date when PIMW initially left the generator's site; or for each
shipment, a unique identification number which directly corresponds
to the initial date of shipment.
Storage. The following rules
are applicable to on-site storage of PIMW at healthcare facilities. The
storage requirements include:
- Store the PIMW in a manner and
location that maintains the integrity of the packaging and provides
protection from water, rain, and wind.
- Maintain the PIMW in a nonputrescent
state, using refrigeration when necessary.
- Limit access to on-site storage
areas to authorized employees.
- Store the PIMW in a manner that
affords protection from animals and does not provide a breeding
place or food source for vectors.
- Multiple generators in the same
building may store their PIMW packages in a common storage area.
- Reusable PIMW containers or facility
equipment (e.g., carts, squeegees or shovels) which are visually
contaminated with PIMW must be cleaned in a designated area.
Transportation. PIMW can only
be transported by a licensed PIMW hauler to a permitted transfer,
storage, or treatment facility. Once the PIMW has been treated and
the sharps have been packaged properly, it can be placed in a landfill.
A special manifest must accompany
all PIMW shipments coming into Illinois, within Illinois, and from
Illinois to states not providing their own manifests. The cost is
$4.00 per manifest and must be paid by check, cashier's check, or
money order made payable to Treasurer, State of Illinois. Any questions
should be directed to 217/782-9293 or 217/785-8604. A manifest request
form can be found below under "More information". Allow 2 weeks
for processing.
Treatment
Treatment facilities are those facilities designed
and operated to treat PIMW to eliminate its infectious potential.
Hospitals which treat only their own PIMW or that of their medical
staff are not required to be permitted by the Illinois EPA. Treatment
of PIMW must be conducted in a manner that:
- Eliminates the infectious
potential of the waste. A treatment process eliminates the infectious
potential of PIMW if the manufacturer/owner/operator demonstrates
that an Initial Efficacy Test (IET) and Periodic Verification Test
(PVT) have been completed successfully. Refer to Sections 1422.124
and 1422.125 of the Act or the Fact Sheet on Testing Requirements
for details on these tests.
- Prevents compaction and
rupture of containers during handling operations, except when this
is an integral part of the treatment process;
- Disposes of treatment residuals
in accordance with all applicable regulations;
- Provides for quality assurance
programs that must include a written plan;
- Provides for periodic testing
using biological testing;
- Provides for assurances
that clearly demonstrate that PIMW has been properly treated; and
is in compliance with all Federal and State laws and regulations
pertaining to environmental protection.
Disposal
Untreated medical waste cannot be disposed of into
any landfill. Untreated PIMW is banned from all landfills in Illinois.
Once PIMW has been properly treated to eliminate its infectious potential,
it is no longer PIMW (except in the case of sharps) and may be disposed
of into any landfill permitted by the Illinois EPA to accept municipal
waste. For sharps, both the infectious nature must be eliminated and
the sharps must either be rendered unrecognizable or packaged in accordance
with the regulations prior to disposal.
OSHA
Regulations
In addition to the state medical waste
environmental regulations there are some Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA) rules that apply to medical/infectious
waste. Illinois is one of 26 states covered entirely by the federal
OSHA program. This program is operated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA
rules (Occupational Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens Standards) impact
various aspects of medical/infectious waste, including management
of sharps, requirements for containers that hold or store medical/infectious
waste, labeling of medical/infectious waste bags/containers, and
employee training. These requirements can be found in the VetCA section
entitled OSHA Standards for Regulated Waste.
Statutes,
Regulations and Guidelines
Title
35, Part 1420 - Potentially Infectious Medical Waste - General Provisions
Title
35, Part 1421 - Potentially Infectious Medical
Waste - Activity Standards
Title
35, Part 1422 - Potentially Infectious Medical Waste - Design
and Operation of Facilities
Contacts
For additional information, contact Beverly Albarracin at 217/524-3289.
More Information
PIMW
Fact Sheet
PIMW
Fact Sheet: General Requirements
PIMW
Fact Sheet: Hospitals
PIMW
Fact Sheet: Landfills
PIMW
Fact Sheet: Livestock
PIMW
Fact Sheet: Storage
PIMW
Fact Sheet: Testing
PIMW
Fact Sheet: Transporters
PIMW
Fact Sheet: Treatment Facilities
PIMW:
Manifest Request Form
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