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*Suction canisters containing blood, other body fluids, or other infectious materials must be carefully emptied, or contents may be sealed and placed in rigid reusable biohazardous waste containers with absorbent material. Personnel must wear appropriate protective equipment to minimize exposure to potential pathogens if contents are emptied. The contents may be solidified and discarded using approved methods if emptying the contents is not practical. The empty suction canisters must be handled and discarded as biohazardous waste. | *Suction canisters containing blood, other body fluids, or other infectious materials must be carefully emptied, or contents may be sealed and placed in rigid reusable biohazardous waste containers with absorbent material. Personnel must wear appropriate protective equipment to minimize exposure to potential pathogens if contents are emptied. The contents may be solidified and discarded using approved methods if emptying the contents is not practical. The empty suction canisters must be handled and discarded as biohazardous waste. | ||
*Non-disposable or reusable items such as equipment, glassware, or linens that are contaminated with biohazardous material must be handled and decontaminated in accordance with the guidelines established in UNMC Policy No. 2004, [[Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure]]. Items are decontaminated as appropriate for the specific biohazardous material and personnel will refer questions to managers or leads to determine if an item must be discarded due to contamination. | *Non-disposable or reusable items such as equipment, glassware, or linens that are contaminated with biohazardous material must be handled and decontaminated in accordance with the guidelines established in UNMC Policy No. 2004, [[Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure]]. Items are decontaminated as appropriate for the specific biohazardous material and personnel will refer questions to managers or leads to determine if an item must be discarded due to contamination. | ||
*Biohazardous waste that is decontaminated on-site via steam sterilization (i.e., autoclave) before disposal must undergo a process that includes quality assurance testing to verify that the decontamination process is adequate. Please see the IBC Autoclave Operation and Safety policy for additional information. | |||
*Biohazardous waste that has been mixed with a radioactive material or a regulated chemical (mixed waste) requires additional guidelines for disposal. Contact EHS prior to generating these types of waste. | |||
======Extracted Teeth====== | |||
Extracted Teeth at the College of Dentistry are handled as follows: | |||
*Virgin teeth are placed into a sharps container and disposed of as biohazardous waste. | |||
*Teeth with gold restoration are placed into a sharps container and eventually sent to a gold recovery company. | |||
*Teeth with amalgam restoration are placed into a sharps container and eventually picked up and handled as hazardous waste by UNL Environmental Health and Safety due to the mercury content. | |||
*Extracted teeth stored at the College of Dentistry for use by students in pre-clinic laboratory are stored in dilute hypochlorite solution (generally a 1:10 dilution). This leaches the mercury from the restorations and the solution is picked up by UNL Environmental Health and Safety when the teeth are disposed of at the end of the year. | |||
=====Shipping Biohazardous Waste===== | |||
Prior to transport off campus, all biohazardous waste will be placed in covered, leak-proof containers designated for biohazardous waste. These containers will be clearly marked and labeled in accordance with DOT and OSHA regulatory requirements. Only trained and certified individuals shall sign Regulated Medical Waste (biohazardous) transport shipping papers. <br /> | |||
These individuals are signing for the organization and as such are not held financially responsible for any penalties or fines that may be imposed by regulatory agencies (i.e., OSHA, DOT, etc.) so long as they are acting in a reasonable manner, consistent with their training. For information on training, please contact EHS at (402) 559-6356.<br /> | |||
Biohazardous waste is disposed of through a licensed biohazardous waste contractor. Final disposal of biohazardous waste is in accordance with all applicable local, state and federal regulations and applies a process which renders the biohazardous waste non-infectious. For further questions, please contact EHS. | |||
====Chemical Waste==== | |||
Chemical waste is any chemical or chemical material that is used or no longer needed and destined for disposal. Chemicals and chemical materials, are disposed of in accordance with the EPA regulations. UNMC is also required by EPA to have a [https://www.unmc.edu/ehs/references/UNMCWasteMinimizationPlan10_2018.pdf Waste Minimization Plan] for hazardous waste. Use the [https://www.unmc.edu/ehs/FactSheets/ChemicalDisposal.pdf Chemical Disposal Fact Sheet] for guidance on disposing chemicals. For information on some specific chemical waste streams, please see the [https://www.unmc.edu/ehs/chemical-safety/hazardous-materials-fact-sheets.html Hazardous Material Fact Sheets]. Nebraska Public Service Laboratory waste will be handled per internal guidelines and chain-of-custody requirements. For additional information on chemical disposal, please contact EHS at (402-559-6356). | |||
=====Liquid Chemical Waste===== | |||
Certain non-hazardous liquid chemicals can be disposed to the sanitary sewer. Please see the Hazardous Material Fact Sheet [https://www.unmc.edu/ehs/FactSheets/SanitarySewerDisposal.pdf Sanitary Sewer Disposal] for a list of these chemicals. All other liquid chemicals and chemical waste must be tagged and given to EHS for proper disposal. | |||
=====Solid Chemical Waste===== | |||
Solid chemicals and chemical waste must be tagged and given to EHS for proper disposal. Chemical waste cannot be disposed in the trash. | |||
=====Empty Chemical Containers===== | |||
Empty containers must be properly handled to ensure the safety of laboratory and EVS staff. Please see the Hazardous Materials Fact Sheet [https://www.unmc.edu/ehs/FactSheets/EmptyChemicalContainerDisposal.pdf Empty Chemical Container Disposal]. | |||
=====Universal Wastes===== | |||
Universal wastes are any of the following hazardous wastes subject to the State of Nebraska universal waste requirements. | |||
#Batteries - Nickel-cadmium (rechargeable), button (calculator, watch) or lithium batteries | |||
#Mercury containing lamps - light-emitting bulbs containing mercury, including fluorescent, high-pressure sodium, mercury vapor and metal halide lamps | |||
#Mercury containing items (thermostats, switches, manometers, sphygmomanometers, etc.) | |||
#Electronic items (circuit boards, computer monitors) | |||
#Pesticides | |||
Additional information can be found online in the Hazardous Material Fact Sheet, [https://www.unmc.edu/ehs/FactSheets/UniversalWasteStorage_Disposal.pdf Universal Waste]. Questions concerning disposal of universal waste can be addressed by contacting EHS at (402-559-6356). | |||
====Radioactive Waste==== | |||
Radioactive waste is any material with detectable radioactivity above background levels. These materials are handled in accordance with Radioactive Materials and Waste policies and procedures. Contact EHS/Radiation Safety at (402-559-6356) for disposal guidelines or see Section B-8 of the [https://www.unmc.edu/ehs/Manuals/RSM2014updated.pdf Radiation Safety Manual]. | |||
=====Mixed Waste ===== | |||
Mixed waste (radioactive, biohazardous, and/ or chemical) must be disposed of in accordance with the state regulations as outlined in the Hazardous Materials Fact Sheet, [https://www.unmc.edu/ehs/FactSheets/MixedRadioactiveChemicalWasteDisposal.pdf Mixed Waste Disposal]. | |||
====Construction Waste=== | |||
=====Asbestos ===== | |||
Asbestos must be disposed of in accordance with all applicable state, federal and local guidelines. Contact Facilities Management to arrange for disposal of items containing asbestos. A Construction Risk Assessment is required for asbestos removal in hospital areas. | |||
======Construction/Demolition Waste===== | |||
Construction/demolition waste must be disposed of in accordance with State regulations. Facilities Management and Planning will manage the disposal of non-hazardous construction waste and will communicate all requirements to any contractors. | |||
====General Waste==== | |||
General waste is anything which does not fit into other waste categories outlined within this plan. General waste is transported and disposed of via a contracted service using normal waste handling methods. | |||
It is the responsibility of EVS to empty all trash and recycling receptacles as scheduled based on customers’ needs. Timing of trash removal is generally on a predetermined schedule but can be upon request, based on customer needs. | |||
In order to avoid mistakenly disposing of items of value, anything which is to be considered ‘trash’ and taken to a dumpster, must be: | |||
*Placed directly in a trash can. | |||
*Verbally indicated by the customer, to EVS management or staff, that the item(s) is trash and may be disposedof. | |||
*The following will not be disposed of by Environmental Services: | |||
:*Items placed next to or near a trash can without contacting EVS office. | |||
:*Items marked with a sign as “Trash”, unless request has been submitted to the EVS office. | |||
:*Broken uncontaminated glass which is not placed in rigid containers, sealed shut, and labeled as “Broken glass”. | |||
==Additional Information== | ==Additional Information== | ||
*Contact [mailto: | *Contact [mailto:unmcehs@unmc.edu UNMC Environmental Health & Safety Department], 402-559-6356 | ||
*UNMC Policy No. 2004, [[Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure]] | *UNMC Policy No. 2004, [[Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure]] | ||
*UNMC Policy No. 3000, [[General Accounting]] | |||
*UNMC Policy No. 6056, [http://wiki.unmc.edu/index.php?title=Confidential_Information Retention and Destruction/Disposal of Private and Confidential Information] | *UNMC Policy No. 6056, [http://wiki.unmc.edu/index.php?title=Confidential_Information Retention and Destruction/Disposal of Private and Confidential Information] | ||
*[https://livegreennebraska.com/recycling/ LiveGreen Recycling]. | *[https://livegreennebraska.com/recycling/ LiveGreen Recycling]. | ||
This policy maintained by [mailto:dpanowic@unmc.edu dkp]. | This policy maintained by [mailto:dpanowic@unmc.edu dkp]. | ||