§ 1389-AA — Definitions

§ 1389-aa. Definitions. 1. "Regulated medical waste" shall mean any\nof the following waste which is generated in the diagnosis, treatment or\nimmunization of human beings or animals, in research pertaining thereto,\nor in production and testing of biologicals, provided, however, that\n"regulated medical waste" shall not include any hazardous waste\nidentified or listed pursuant to section 27-0903 of the environmental\nconservation law, or any household waste as defined in regulations\npromulgated under such section.\n (a) Cultures and stocks. This waste shall include cultures and stocks\nof agents infectious to humans, and associated biologicals, cultures\nfrom medical or pathological laboratories, cultures and stocks of\ninfectious agents from research and industrial laboratories, wastes from\nthe production of biologicals, discarded live or attenuated vaccines, or\nculture dishes and devices used to transfer, inoculate or mix cultures.\n (b) Human pathological wastes. This waste shall include tissue,\norgans, and body parts (except teeth and the contiguous structures of\nbone and gum), body fluids that are removed during surgery, autopsy, or\nother medical procedures, or specimens of body fluids and their\ncontainers, and discarded material saturated with such body fluids other\nthan urine, provided that the commissioner, by duly promulgated\nregulation, may exclude such discarded material saturated with body\nfluids from this definition if the commissioner finds that it does not\npose a significant risk to public health. This waste shall not include\nurine or fecal materials submitted for other than diagnosis of\ninfectious diseases.\n (c) Human blood and blood products. This waste shall include: (i)\ndiscarded waste human blood, discarded blood components (e.g. serum and\nplasma) containers with free flowing blood or blood components or\ndiscarded saturated material containing free flowing blood or blood\ncomponents; and (ii) materials saturated with blood or blood products\nprovided that the commissioner, by duly promulgated regulation, may\nexclude such material saturated with blood or blood products from this\ndefinition if the commissioner finds that it does not pose a significant\nrisk to public health.\n (d) Sharps. This waste shall include but not be limited to discarded\nunused sharps and sharps used in animal or human patient care, medical\nresearch, or clinical or pharmaceutical laboratories, hypodermic,\nintravenous, or other medical needles, hypodermic or intravenous\nsyringes to which a needle or other sharp is still attached, Pasteur\npipettes, scalpel blades, or blood vials. This waste shall include, but\nnot be limited to, other types of broken or unbroken glass (including\nslides and cover slips) in contact with infectious agents. This waste\nshall not include those parts of syringes from which sharps are\nspecifically designed to be easily removed and from which sharps have\nactually been removed, and which are intended for recycling or other\ndisposal, so long as such syringes have not come in contact with\ninfectious agents.\n (e) Animal waste. This waste shall mean discarded materials, including\ncarcasses, body parts, body fluids, blood, or bedding originating from\nanimals known to be contaminated with infectious agents or from animals\ninoculated during research, production of biologicals, or pharmaceutical\ntesting with infectious agents.\n (f) Any other waste material containing infectious agents designated\nby the commissioner as regulated medical waste.\n 2. "Storage" shall mean the containment of regulated medical waste in\nsuch a manner as not to constitute disposal of such waste.\n 3. "Transport" shall mean the movement of regulated medical waste from\nthe point of generation to any intermediate points and finally to the\npoint of ultimate disposal.\n 4. "Treatment" shall mean any method, technique or process designed to\nchange the character or composition of any regulated medical waste so as\nto either neutralize such waste or to render such waste not infectious\nas approved by the commissioner pursuant to section thirteen hundred\neighty-nine-dd of this title.\n 5. "Infectious agents" shall mean any organisms that cause disease or\nan adverse health impact to humans, except that the commissioner may\nprescribe by regulation additional infectious agents as may be necessary\nto protect human health and the environment.\n