S.C. Code Regs. § § 61-16.1806

Current through Register Vol. 48, 12, December 27, 2024

Section 61-16.1806 - Waste Management

A. The hospital shall be able to demonstrate that it has a comprehensive waste management program for identification, collection, handling, and management, of all medical waste, including nonhazardous and hazardous pharmaceutical waste.

B. The hospital shall provide for a regular review of its policies and procedures to assure compliance of its waste management practices in comparison with federal EPA and state regulatory requirements.

C. Accumulated waste, including all contaminated sharps, dressings, and/or similar infectious waste, shall be disposed of in compliance with the following standards: Bloodborne Pathogens Standard of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) of 1970; related regulations at 29 CFR 1910 ; the Department's Guidelines for Prevention and Control of Antibiotic Resistant Organisms in Health Care Settings; Regulation 61-105, and other applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations.

D. The hospital shall inform personnel involved in the handling and disposal of potentially infectious waste of health and safety hazards, and ensure that they are trained in appropriate handling and disposal methods.

E. The hospital shall have policies for the use and disposal of sharps. The hospital shall use sharps containers capable of maintaining their impermeability after waste treatment to avoid subsequent physical injuries during final disposal. Disposable syringes with needles, including sterile sharps that are being discarded, scalpel blades, and other sharp items must be placed into puncture-resistant containers located as close as practical to the point of use.

F. Regulated medical wastes awaiting treatment shall be stored in a properly ventilated area inaccessible to vermin. Waste containers that prevent development of noxious odors must be used. If treatment options are not available at the site where the medical waste is generated, the hospital must ensure transport of the regulated medical wastes in closed, impervious containers to the on- site treatment location or to another facility for treatment as appropriate. Regulated medical wastes must be treated by using a method (e.g., steam sterilization, incineration, interment, or an alternative treatment technology) in accordance with local, state and federal laws and regulations.

S.C. Code Regs. § 61-16.1806

Replaced and amended by State Register Volume 38, Issue No. 6, eff 6/27/2014; State Register Volume 48, Issue No. 06, eff. 6/28/2024.