Biohazardous Waste "Frequently Asked Questions"
What is the difference between infectious waste and medical waste?
Basically, infectious wastes are wastes which can pass on infectious diseases to susceptible persons or animals, such as sharps, blood or human tissue. Medical wastes are infectious wastes plus any non-infectious wastes which may be mixed with them. The formal definitions are:
- Infectious waste means solid waste that contains pathogens with sufficient virulence and in sufficient quantity that exposure of a susceptible human or animal to the solid waste could cause the human or animal to contract an infectious disease. [s. 287.07(7)(c)1.c., Stats]
- Medical waste means infectious waste, as defined in s. 287.07(7)(c)1.c., Stats., and other waste that contains or may be mixed with infectious waste. [s. 299.51(1)(b), Stats]
Note: Medical waste does not mean all of the waste produced in a medical setting. Waste materials from a medical setting which do not meet the definition of "infectious waste" in statutes are considered to be "medical waste" only if the generator mixes them with infectious waste or manages them as though they are infectious waste. [s. NR 500.03 (143), Wis. Adm. Code]
What is the difference between biohazardous material, infectious agents, bloodborne pathogens, OPIM, and redbag waste?
A biohazard is an agent which is biological in nature and has the capability to cause harm to other biological organisms.
An infectious agent is a biohazard capable of causing a disease.
A bloodborne pathogen is a pathogenic microorganism, present in human blood that can cause disease in humans.
"Other Potentially Infectious Materials" (OPIM) means certain human body fluids: semen, vaginal secretions, cerebrospinal fluid, synovial fluid, pleural fluid, peritoneal fluid, amniotic fluid, saliva in dental procedures, and any body fluid that is visibly contaminated with blood, and all body fluids in situations where it is difficult or impossible to differentiate between body fluids. OPIM also includes any unfixed tissue or organ (other than intact skin) from a human (living or dead) and HIV-containing cell or tissue cultures, organ cultures, and HIV- or HBV-containing culture medium or other solutions; and blood, organs, or other tissues from experimental animals infected with HIV or HBV.
"Redbag Waste" is a term used for biohazardous waste, which is usually kept in bags which are predominantly red, or have red warning symbols.
What is the difference between Sterilization, Disinfection, Decontamination and Sanitization?
Sterilization, in this context, is a process which destroys all viable, or living, forms of microorganisms.
Disinfection is a process which destroys microorganisms in their vegetative state. Spores may not be killed by disinfection.
Decontamination a process of reducing the number of disease-producing microorganisms and rendering an object safe for handling.
Sanitization is a process that reduces the number of microorganisms on inanimate objects to a level considered safe by public health standards.
What are spore strips?
Strips attached to redbag waste during autoclaving which determine the efficaciousness of the autoclave run.
Why should you not autoclave waste which is contaminated with hazardous chemicals?
The hazardous chemical may volatilize and cause exposures to the operator when the autoclave is opened.
How do you make autoclaving more efficacious?
Add water to the redbag before autoclaving. Moist heat is more effective and rapid than dry in part due to the better heat transfer and penetration to all areas of the load during a sterilization cycle. Using an oven to provide dry heat to sterilize objects requires higher temperatures and much longer exposure times.
What is the real difference between the meanings of the words "effectiveness" and "efficaciousness"?
There is none.
Please refer to the Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control Plan for additional biohazardous waste management information.
Updated March 11, 2008 by SAK