New Jersey Administrative Code
Title 7 - ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
Chapter 26 - SOLID WASTE
Subchapter 3A - REGULATED MEDICAL WASTE
Section 7:26-3A.6 - Definition of regulated medical waste
Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 6, March 18, 2024
(a) A regulated medical waste is any solid waste, generated in the diagnosis, treatment (for example, provision of medical services), or immunization of human beings or animals, in research pertaining thereto, or in the production or testing of biologicals, that is not excluded or exempted under (b) below, and that is listed or meets any waste characteristic classification criteria described in the following table:
TABLE
REGULATED MEDICAL WASTE
Waste Class | Description | |
1. | Cultures and Stocks | Cultures and stocks of infectious agents |
and associated biologicals, including: | ||
cultures from medical and pathological | ||
laboratories; cultures and stocks of | ||
infectious agents from research and industrial | ||
laboratories; wastes from the production of | ||
biologicals; discarded live and attenuated | ||
vaccines; and culture dishes and devices used | ||
to transfer, inoculate, and mix cultures. | ||
2. | Pathological Wastes | Human pathological wastes, including |
tissues, organs, and body parts and body | ||
fluids that are removed during surgery or | ||
autopsy, or other medical procedures, and | ||
specimens of body fluids and their containers. | ||
3. | Human Blood and Blood Products | Liquid waste human blood; blood; items |
saturated and/or dripping with human blood; or | ||
items that or items that were saturated and/or | ||
dripping with human blood that are now caked | ||
with dried human blood; including serum, | ||
plasma, and other blood components, and their | ||
containers, which were used or intended for | ||
use in either patient care, testing and | ||
laboratory analysis or the development of | ||
pharmaceuticals. Intravenous bags (only if | ||
they have come into contact with blood or | ||
other regulated body fluid), soft plastic | ||
pipettes and plastic blood vials are also included in this category. | ||
4. | Sharps | Sharps that were used in animal or human |
patient care or treatment or in medical | ||
research, or industrial laboratories, | ||
including sharp, or potentially sharp if | ||
broken, items such as, but not limited to, | ||
hypodermic needles, all syringes to which a | ||
needle can be attached (with or without the | ||
attached needle) and their components, | ||
including those from manufacturing research, | ||
manufacturing and marketing, pasteur pipettes, | ||
scalpel blades, blood vials, carpules, needles | ||
with attached tubing, acupuncture needles and | ||
culture dishes (regardless of presence of | ||
infectious agents). Also included are other | ||
types of broken or unbroken glassware that | ||
were in contact with infectious agents, such | ||
as used slides and cover slips. | ||
5. | Animal Waste | Contaminated animal carcasses, body parts, |
and bedding of animals that were known to have | ||
been exposed to infectious agents during | ||
research (including research in veterinary | ||
hospitals), production of biologicals, or | ||
testing of pharmaceuticals. Carcasses that are | ||
not known to have been exposed to agents | ||
infectious to humans are considered Waste Type | ||
ID 25, and, therefore, are not included in this class. | ||
6. | Isolation Wastes | Biological waste and discarded materials |
contaminated with blood, excretion, exudates, | ||
or secretions from humans who are isolated to | ||
protect others from certain highly | ||
communicable diseases, or isolated animals | ||
known to be infected with highly communicable diseases. | ||
7. | Unused Sharps | The following unused, discarded sharps, |
that were intended to be used: hypodermic | ||
needles, suture needles, syringes, and scalpel blades. |
(b) The following are excluded from the definition of regulated medical waste:
(c) The following are exempted from the definition of regulated medical waste:
(d) In accordance with NJDOH rules (N.J.A.C. 8:27), body art establishments shall comply with the provisions of 13:1E-48.1 et seq., the Comprehensive Regulated Medical Waste Management Act, and all rules promulgated pursuant to the aforementioned Act.
(e) Acupuncturists shall comply with the provisions of 13:1E-48.1 et seq., the Comprehensive Regulated Medical Waste Act, and all rules promulgated pursuant to the aforementioned Act.