Community College of Rhode Island

Information on Regulated Medical Waste Disposal

INTRODUCTION: The Community College of Rhode Island generates and disposes of Regulated Medical Wastes only in accordance with federal and state regulations. The following is a description of the types of Regulated Medical Wastes generated at CCRI, their labeling and proper methods of disposal.

CCRI follows the guidelines in Regulation DEM-DOH-MW-01-921, The Generation, Transportation, Storage, Treatment, Management and Disposal of Regulated Medical Waste in Rhode Island.

Regulated Medical Waste is defined as any waste generated in the diagnosis (including testing and laboratory analysis), treatment, (e.g., provision of medical services), or immunization of human beings or animals, in research pertaining thereto, or in the preparation of human remains for burial or cremation, or in the production or testing of biologicals, or in the development of pharmaceuticals.

The general categories of Regulated Medical Waste are:

• Cultures and Stocks
• Pathological Wastes
• Human Blood, Body Fluids and Blood Products
• Sharps
• Animal Waste
• Isolation Wastes
• Unused Sharps
• Spill/Cleanup Material
• Mixtures of Regulated Medical Waste and other solid wastes

Regulate Medical Wastes are used or produced at CCRI's three main campuses and at some satellite campuses by the Student Health Offices and the departments of Allied Health, Biology, Dental Health and Nursing.

Among the CCRI Laboratory courses that use or produce Regulated Medical Waste are:

• Bacteriology
• Clinical Microbiology
• Clinical Procedures
• Introduction to Clinical Laboratory Science
• Microbiology
• Clinical Procedures
• Hematology
• Human Physiology
• Immunohematology
• Immunology
• Introduction to Clinical Lab Science
• Phlebotomy, Specimen Collecting for Health Care Professionals
• Urinalysis
• All Dental Hygiene and Dental Assisting Clinical and Laboratory courses

• Laboratory cultures and stocks of infectious agents from clinical and teaching laboratories.
• Laboratory waste from production of bacteria viruses, spores, discarded vaccines or biologicals or devices used to transfer, inoculate or mix cultures.
• Animal parts, tissues, fluids, and carcasses from teaching laboratories, exclusive of preservative agents. (Animal organs and preserved cats used for dissection in Human Anatomy laboratories may not come under the legal definition of Animal Waste since they are not inoculated or exposed to pathogens. Nevertheless, CCRI considers them and handles them as Regulated Medical Waste to avoid possible future difficulties that could result from landfill disposal.)
• Fluid blood, fluid blood products and containers, equipment or articles with fluid blood and blood products or body fluids.
• Sharps waste including hypodermic needles, syringes, needles with attached tubing, scalpels, razor blades, knives, lancets, dental wires, disposable dental instruments and disposable surgical instruments.
• Laboratory glassware such as slides, pipets, blood tubes, vials, bottles, contaminated broken glass and contaminated unbroken glass which could break during handling and shipment.

No radioactive waste or Hazardous Waste may be labeled as Regulated Medical Waste or shipped with or included with Regulated Medical Waste. Definitions of Hazardous Waste may be found in Hazardous Waste Regulations, MRF; 49CFR, Parts 171.180. United States Department of Transportation, 1996 and in the Code of Federal Regulations, Hazardous Waste Criteria, 40 CFR 261, Subpart C and Subpart D, 40 CFR 262.11 and CFR 1200-1316. Copies of these regulations are on file in the Learning resource Centers at each CCRI campus. Click on the highlighted names to access CCRI’s Hazardous Waste Management Program and Hazardous Waste Disposal Policy online.

• All non-sharp Regulated Medical Waste must be segregated at the point of generation and placed in single or double-thickness biohazard bag. The bag must be strong enough to prevent tearing or bursting, be red in color and bear the word "BIOHAZARD" and the international biohazard symbol. The bag must then be placed in a sturdy taped cardboard box bearing the word "BIOHAZARD" and the international biohazard symbol.
• Sharps waste must be collected at the point of generation in a rigid, puncture-resistant container that is certified by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration. Certified sharps containers are marked with the word "BIOHAZARD" and the international biohazard symbol. When filled sharps containers may be sealed and placed in the same bags with non-sharp Regulated Medical Waste.
• Animal carcasses and animal parts require incineration and must be packaged separately from other wastes. Animal parts must also be collected in a double or single red biohazard bag bearing the word "BIOHAZARD" and the international biohazard symbol. They must also be labeled "INCINERATE ONLY". No preservative agents such as formaldehyde, phenol or glycol solutions may be included with animal wastes. They must be poured off, collected and disposed of as Hazardous Waste.

Disposal is arranged on a demand basis by the departments that generate the waste.

Transport of the boxes from laboratory to basement storage or loading dock may be arranged by calling the Physical Plant office at each campus at 333-7047 (Flanagan Campus), 825-2478 (Knight Campus), 455-6044 (Liston Campus) or 851-1606 (Newport Campus). Prior to pickup by a licensed Regulated Medical Waste handler, waste is stored in stored in a non-putrescent state in designated rooms that are restricted to authorized personnel and are known to be rodent and insect free.

CCRI pays a yearly fee to the state of Rhode Island for a Regulated Medical Waste generator permit.

Click on  http://www.dem.ri.gov/pubs/regs/regs/waste/medwaste.pdf to  read or download [Regulation DEM-DOH-MW-01-921] THE GENERATION, TRANSPORTATION, STORAGE, TREATMENT, MANAGEMENT AND DISPOSAL OF REGULATED MEDICAL WASTE IN RHODE ISLAND. 

For other information on the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, visit the website at  http://www.dem.ri.gov/. 

For advice on handling, labeling and disposing of Regulated Medical Waste within the College, call the Chemical Safety Coordinator, Emanuel G. Terezakis at 401-333-7140.  In the event of any spill or emergency involving Regulated Medical Waste, immediately call the Department of Security and Safety and Campus Police for assistance. Security can be reached by dialing extensions 333-7035 at the Flanagan Campus, 825-2109 at the Knight Campus, 851-1620 at the Newport Campus or 455-6050 at the Liston Campus.

Note:  The above information applies only to the disposal of college-generated Regulated Medical Waste. If you have questions about the disposal of home-generated waste, you can access the Rhode Island Department of Health and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management guidelines for the disposal of Sharps and Home Medical Waste at http://www.health.ri.gov/topics/medicalwaste.php.