| The following instructions are for generators of Regulated Medical Waste (RMW). These instructions are summarized from "The Policy for the Disposal of Regulated Medical Waste." All generators of RMW must attend a RMW Orientation session provided by Rutgers Environmental Health and Safety (REHS). |
| The NJ Regulated Medical Waste Act of 1989 defines RMW as solid waste generated from one of the processes listed below, which also fits the description of any of the seven classes of waste listed below. | ||
| RMW is any solid waste generated: | ||
| Overclassified RMW is material which resembles RMW, which does not meet the strict definition of RMW. To avoid confusion and to prevent problems of misconception, many of these materials are collected for disposal by our RMW contractor as "overclassified RMW". Overclassified RMW can be materials that look like RMW, that are generated from activities that do not meet the process definition of RMW. Examples of these materials include: | ||
| There are also many activities which DO meet the process definition, which generate waste that does not fit into one of the seven specific classes. An example of this material includes: | ||
| During the generation period, RMW must be segregated, to the extent practicable, into the following three categories: | ||
| Collect the above RMW categories in separate inner containers prior to depositing them into the outer cardboard container (i.e. needles, culture dishes, glass cover slips, scalpel blades and syringes must be collected in a sharps container; culture transfer devices, blood-soaked items and other paper or cloth related items must be collected in the clear autoclave bags). | ||
| Do not chop, bend, break or otherwise destroy hypodermic needles or syringes before discarding them into the sharps container. | ||
| Classes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, either must be autoclaved or disinfected prior to removal by the RMW transporter (Refer to "The Policy for the Disposal of Regulated Medical Waste" to review the classes of RMW). RMW that has not been processed according to the procedures set forth in the Policy will not be removed by the outside waste transporter. (Class 7 RMW need not be treated, because it is UNUSED material.) | ||
| Please advise REHS if you generate Class 6 waste. Appropriate disposal procedures will be arranged on a case-by-case basis. If you have any questions about Class 6 waste, call REHS or Division of Epidemiology and Disease Control, NJ DOH (609) 558-7500. | ||
| NOTE: Certain items cannot be safely sterilized by autoclaving. Such items include cellulose nitrate centrifuge tubes which explode on being exposed to elevated temperatures. They are not to be autoclaved and must be sterilized by other means. Additionally, certain substances, including ammonia and primary amines reat dangerously with sodium hypochlorite (bleach). Consult REHS if you have any questions about the material to be disinfected. | ||
| RMW which has been processed in accordance with the disinfection procedures, although non-infectious, continues to be cassified as RMW by legal definition and cannot be disposed of in the regular trash. This is because it has not been rendered "unrecognizable" through shielding, crushing, melting, etc. |
| Outer containers must be stored in a secure area protected from the elements, vandalism, insects, and rodents. Both the general public and other unauthorized personnel must be denied access to this designated storage area. When storing containers make sure that their labels face outward so that they can be easily seen. Containers must also be sealed securely to prevent spillage or the leaking of vapors. Liquid (e.g. blood) must be put into containers that are packaged with a sufficient amount of surrounding absorbent material to prevent leakage. | ||
| Packaging | ||
| All RMW must be packaged by the generator before it can be removed by the medical waste hauler. The medical waste hauler will not package your waste. All needles, syringes, scalpels or any sharp objects must be packaged in the appropriate puncture-resistant containers. Unbroken as well as broken glass must never be discarded by simply being put in a biohazard bag or any other plastic bag. All other items may be packaged in appropriate medical waste containers (e.g. autoclave bags). These items must then be packaged in a n outer cardboard box before removal. Boxes used for the first shipment of RMW (18" x 18" x 24" seamless boxes) can be obtained by contacting REHS at (732) 445-2550. Replacement boxes for use in future disposals of RMW will be available from the waste hauler upon arrival for subsequent pick-ups. Only the containers and box tape supplied by either REHS or the hauler may be used to package RMW. | ||
| Labeling and Marking | ||
| Generators shall mark each package of RMW according to the following labeling and marking requirements before it is transported off-site by the RMW hauler: | ||
| Note that all containers, both inner and outer containers, must be marked with the required information. Labels can be obtained by calling REHS at (732) 445-2550. | ||
| Daily logs must be kept by all generators of RMW (this inncludes logging overclassified RMW). Each set of these logs must be kept in the location in which the corresponding RMW is generated. Sets of daily logs must be retained for a period of at least 3 years from the date the waste was generated. Note that RMW also includes unused as well as used sharps and unbroken glassware that has been in contact with human pathogens, or are covered with human blood. The logs must be kept on a special Logging Form. This Form and the corresponding instructions may be obtained from REHS at (732) 445-2550. | ||
| A Rutgers Generator's Annual RMW Summation Form (a summation of the data in the preceding daily logs for a 365-day period) must be completed by the generator to cover the generation, treatment and disposal of all RMW from a given generation point during the period of June 22 of one year through June 21 of the next year. A copy of this completed form must be received by REHS, 24 Street 1603, Bldg. 4127, Livingston Campus, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8036, no later than June 30, of the year in which the reporting period ends. Forms and instructions necessary for preparing this Annual Summation may be obtained from REHS at (732) 445-2550. | ||
| Generators must keep copies of all Annual Summations on-site for three years from the dates they were submitted. | ||
| The NJ Medical Waste Tracking Form is used to ensure proper transportation of RMW to an appropriate disposal site. (A copy of the Tracking Form is attached). | ||
| Rutgers University has arranged with the RMW hauler to supply the four-copy RMW TRACKING FORM. The Tracking Form will be filled out by the RMW transporter. The generator must check over Items 1 through 14 on the Tracking Form, for purposes of verifying its accuracy. After a thorough review of Items 1 through 14, the generator must then sign the Tracking Form in Item 15. After the RMW trans porter has also signed-off in Item 16, a Copy 4 of the Tracking Form will be given to the generator. | ||
| After the RMW is received by the disposal facility a disposal facility representative will sign off in Item 22. Copy 1 will be mailed back to the generator. Both Copies 1 and 4 of the Tracking Form must be kept by the generator at the generation site for at least three years from the date the waste was accepted by the RMW transporter. | ||
| Call REHS to schedule a pick-up of RMW. Allow at least 5 to 7 days for the RMW transporter to remove the waste. It is important that all requirements be completed prior to a pick-up (i.e. labeling of the outer container and the sealing and weighing of the box). |
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