MIL-HDBK-1191
Appendix 18.1 - Off-site/Contractor Disposal
Biomedical waste disposal contractors provide a variety of services depending
upon the needs of the facility. These services include:
Inspection services: On-site inspections to ensure the facility that
they are following all applicable federal, state, and local
administrative codes. Typically service providers notify the client
when any changes occur in administrative codes.
Waste Plan: Facilities are provided with a Biomedical Waste Plan
customized for each facility that is served and usually provided as part
of the service.
Training: Facilities are typically provided with a Biomedical Waste
Training Manual tailored to the facility served. Providers generally
conduct training sessions as part of the service.
Consulting services: Most service companies have specialists trained by
OSHA to conduct inspections to help facilities comply with OSHA's
Occupational Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens (29 CFR 1910.030). These
services are usually provided at an additional cost to the facility.
Emergency services: Service providers are generally equipped to handle
biohazardous spills that may occur that facility staff are not equipped
or trained to handle. These services are usually provided at additional
cost to the facility.
Supplies: Service providers always carry a full line of biohazardous
waste containers, sharps containers, sterilization solutions, paper
products, cleaning products, and certain types of medical supplies.
Biomedical waste disposal contractors are usually licensed by the state in
which they operate and all have to comply with applicable Department of
Transportation regulations concerned with the transport of hazardous or
biohazardous waste.
Costs vary according to locale, licensing requirements and distance to the
disposal site. Typical costs are:
Sharps containers (reusable): .00 150.00 per year depending upon volume
(including pick-up, disposal and return)
Medical waste disposal: $.18 - .25 per pound
Disposable containers:
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.00 1.25 (container only)
Disposable containers: .00 20.00 (including disposal)
Off-site/contractor disposal is an attractive option in that contractors
provide all the necessary paperwork to track regulated medical waste "from
cradle to grave." Also, contractors can provide valuable and reliable
training, information, inspection and emergency services.
Appendix 18.2 - Federal/State Guidelines
CFR40 Part 60: Protection of Environment
On August 15, 1997, the EPA Administrator signed the final standards and
guidelines to reduce air pollution from incinerators that are used to burn
hospital waste and/or medical/infectious waste (MWI). These final standards
apply to "existing MWI's" built before June 20, 1996 and "new MWI's" built
after June 20, 1996. These standards are expected to reduce air emissions
from MWI's by 75 to 98 percent from levels existing at that time. These final
standards supply to "existing MWI's" built before June 20, 1996 and "new
MWI's" built after June 20, 1996.. Additionally, these final guidelines are
for use by States in developing plans to reduce air pollution from new and
existing MWI's and are only minimum standards. These revised guidelines mean
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