UMB ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND SAFETY PROCEDURES

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1. Anatomical Material: Human or animal body parts including tissues and organs or whole animal carcasses.
2. Blood: Human or animal, whole or blood components.
3. Blood-soiled Articles: Any article that contains blood in any form as a result of contact with blood.
4. Sharps: Syringe, needle, surgical instrument or other article which has the potential to cut or puncture human skin or has come in contact with an infectious agent as defined by the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) regulations.
5. Unused cultures and stocks of infectious agents.
6. Biologically Contaminated Laboratory Materials: Any article that is contaminated with or has come in contact with a pathogenic or infectious organism such as petri dishes, glassware, etc.

All biomedical waste must be either treated and disposed of as solid waste or consigned to the Environmental Management Division / Environmental Health and Safety for incineration at the EMD/EHS facility on site.

Instructions for the disposal of biomedical waste

1. Anatomical Materials, Animal Carcasses/Tissues: Place anatomical material or animal carcasses/tissues in plastic bag. Twist the top of the plastic bag, bend the twisted portion to form a loop and tape the bag closed. Place the first bag into a second bag. Twist the top of the second bag, bend the twisted portion to form a loop and tape the second bag closed. Place the bag in a freezer and freeze until EMD/EHS can conduct a pick-up. Call EMD/ EHS at 6-7207 to request a Special Medical Waste pick-up. The plastic bag should be of sufficient integrity to contain the waste and should not be made of PVC or other halogenated materials.
2. Whole Blood or Blood Components: Whole blood or blood components shall be disposed of down the sanitary sewer drain. Blood should be treated/disinfected prior to being disposed of. An acceptable chemical disinfectant is 5% sodium hypochlorite (commercial bleach).
3. Sharps" (needles, syringes, scalpel blades, etc.): Place the sharps intact in an autoclavable puncture resistant "sharps" container. Do not recap, bend, remove or clip needles. Fill 3/4 full, snap lid closed and secure with filament tape. Overfilling or forced filling may result in puncture wounds. Sharps should be treated/disinfected prior to being disposed of. An acceptable chemical disinfectant is 5% sodium hypochlorite (commercial bleach). Call EMD/EHS at 6-7207 to request Special Medical Waste pick-up. NOTE: Please do not place free flowing liquids in sharps container.
4. Biologically Contaminated Laboratory Materials, Blood Soiled Articles, Cultures, and Stocks of Infectious Agents: Place a plastic bag in a pre-labeled, lined, biohazardous waste disposal box or "burn box"provided by EMD/EHS to waste generators. Dispose of waste into the biohazardous waste disposal box. Double bag wet waste using absorbent material in the inner bag. Twist the plastic bag(s) at the top of the bag; bend the twisted portion to form a loop and tape the bag closed. Seal bags individually when double bagging. Secure box with filament tape. Call EMD/EHS at 6-7207 to request a Biological Waste pick-up. These biomedical waste must be placed in a plastic bag with sufficient integrity to contain the waste. Boxes or bags must be combustible and should not be made of PVC or other halogenated materials. NOTE: Please do not place free flowing liquids into the burn boxes.
5. Contaminated Disposable Glassware: Decontaminate the glassware (e.g. autoclave, gas or chemical methods). Place the glassware into a sturdy closable cardboard box for disposal. Close box and secure with filament tape. Dispose as General Waste.

Special Instructions:

1. Do not place chemical or radioactive waste in biomedical waste boxes.
2. 'Non-radioactive decontaminated liquids should be flushed down the sanitary sewer drain.
3. Animal Carcasses that have been injected with regulated hazardous chemicals during the course of an experiment must be labeled with the amount of that hazardous chemical remaining in the animal carcass and disposed of as chemical waste.
4. Animal Carcasses that have been injected with radioactive materials during the course of an experiment must be labeled with the nuclide, activity remaining in the carcass, and date and disposed of as radioactive waste.
5. The inclusion of Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic in biomedical waste containers must be kept to a minimum.