Bill Text


Add To My Favorites | print page

SB-419 Medical waste: containment.(2003-2004)

SHARE THIS: share this bill in Facebook share this bill in Twitter
SB419:v92#DOCUMENT

Senate Bill No. 419
CHAPTER 477

An act to amend Section 118275 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to medical waste.

[ Filed with Secretary of State  September 10, 2004. Approved by Governor  September 10, 2004. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 419, Scott. Medical waste: containment.
Existing law, the Medical Waste Management Act, administered by the State Department of Health Services, regulates the management and handling of medical waste. Existing law establishes the requirements for containing or storing medical waste.
This bill would allow the consolidation of medical waste into a common container provided that the waste is treated by an approved extreme high heat technology and the container is labeled as required by the bill.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 118275 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:

118275.
 To containerize or store medical waste, a person shall do all of the following:
(a) Medical waste shall be contained separately from other waste at the point of origin in the producing facility. Sharps containers may be placed in biohazard bags or in containers with biohazard bags.
(b) Biohazardous waste, except biohazardous waste as defined in subdivision (g) of Section 117635, shall be placed in a red biohazard bag conspicuously labeled with the words “Biohazardous Waste” or with the international biohazard symbol and the word “BIOHAZARD.”
(c) Sharps waste shall be contained in a sharps container pursuant to Section 118285.
(d) (1) Biohazardous waste, which meets the conditions of subdivision (f) of Section 117635 because it is contaminated through contact with, or having previously contained, chemotherapeutic agents, shall be segregated for storage, and, when placed in a secondary container, that container shall be labeled with the words “Chemotherapy Waste,” “CHEMO,” or other label approved by the department on the lid and on the sides, so as to be visible from any lateral direction, to ensure treatment of the biohazardous waste pursuant to Section 118222.
(2) Biohazardous waste, which meets the conditions of subdivision (f) of Section 117635 because it is comprised of human surgery specimens or tissues which have been fixed in formaldehyde or other fixatives, shall be segregated for storage and, when placed in a secondary container, that container shall be labeled with the words “Pathology Waste,” “PATH,” or other label approved by the department on the lid and on the sides, so as to be visible from any lateral direction, to ensure treatment of the biohazardous waste pursuant to Section 118222.
(e) Sharps waste, which meets the conditions of subdivision (f) of Section 117635, shall be placed in sharps containers labeled in accordance with the industry standard with the words “Chemotherapy Waste,” “Chemo,” or other label approved by the department, and segregated to ensure treatment of the sharps waste pursuant to Section 118222.
(f) Biohazardous waste, which are recognizable human anatomical parts, as specified in Section 118220, shall be segregated for storage and, when placed in a secondary container for treatment as pathology waste, that container shall be labeled with the words “Pathology Waste,” “PATH,” or other label approved by the department on the lid and on the sides, so as to be visible from any lateral direction, to ensure treatment of the biohazardous waste pursuant to Section 118222.
(g) Biohazardous waste, which meets the conditions specified in subdivision (g) of Section 117635, shall be segregated for storage and, when placed in a container or secondary container, that container shall be labeled with the words “INCINERATION ONLY” or other label approved by the department on the lid and on the sides, so as to be visible from any lateral direction, to ensure treatment of the biohazardous waste pursuant to Section 118222.
(h) A person may consolidate into a common container all of the wastes in this section provided that the consolidated waste is treated by an extremely high heat technology approved pursuant to subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 118215. The container shall be labeled with the biohazardous waste symbol and the words “HIGH HEAT ONLY” or other label approved by the department on the lid and on the sides, so as to be visible from any lateral direction, to ensure treatment of the biohazardous waste pursuant to this subdivision.