Medical Waste Disposal in West Virginia
MedPro Disposal provides regulated medical waste, sharps and pharmaceutical waste pickup and disposal for healthcare facilities everywhere in West Virginia — from the Northern Panhandle to the southern coalfields — on a schedule that keeps you inside the state’s 30-day storage limit.
How is medical waste disposal regulated in West Virginia?
West Virginia regulates medical waste as “infectious medical waste” under the Medical Waste Act (W. Va. Code Ch. 20, Art. 5J) and the Infectious Medical Waste rule, 64CSR56, administered by the Department of Health’s Office of Environmental Health Services. Every generator needs an infectious medical waste management plan, and facilities generating more than 50 pounds a month need a permit and must file an annual report. Packaged infectious medical waste other than sharps may be stored no more than 30 days before transport, even if refrigerated, and no more than 45 days in total including transport. Waste leaving your site must go with a state-permitted transporter on a manifest, kept for three years.
- State term
- Infectious medical waste
- Rules
- 64CSR56
- Enforced by
- WV Department of Health
- Storage limit
- 30 days (45 with transport)
Key takeaways
- West Virginia regulates medical waste as “infectious medical waste” under the Medical Waste Act, W. Va. Code Ch. 20, Art. 5J, and the Infectious Medical Waste rule, 64CSR56.
- West Virginia facilities generating more than 50 pounds of infectious medical waste a month need a permit from the Department of Health; small quantity generators treating patients in their own office don’t, but must keep a management plan on file.
- In West Virginia, packaged infectious medical waste other than sharps may not be stored more than 30 days before transport, even if refrigerated, and no more than 45 days in total including transport.
- Every West Virginia infectious medical waste hauler needs a transport permit from the Department of Health, and generators must start a manifest for waste shipped off site and report to the state if the completed manifest isn’t back within 50 days.
- West Virginia requires infectious medical waste manifests, logs and other required records to be kept for at least three years.
West Virginia Medical Waste Rules
Medical waste is regulated mainly by each state, with a few federal rules on top. In West Virginia it’s governed by the Medical Waste Act, W. Va. Code Chapter 20, Article 5J, and the Infectious Medical Waste rule, 64CSR56, which the Department of Health administers through its Office of Environmental Health Services. Here’s what they require of a practice, clinic or other healthcare facility.
What West Virginia regulates
Infectious Medical Waste
Medical waste which is capable of producing an infectious disease. Medical waste is considered capable of producing an infectious disease if it has been, or is likely to have been, contaminated by an organism likely to be pathogenic to healthy humans, if such organism is not routinely and freely available in the community, and has a significant probability of being present in sufficient quantities and with sufficient virulence to transmit disease. Excluded: used personal hygiene products such as diapers and sanitary napkins; gauze and dressings with small amounts of blood and no free-flowing or unabsorbed liquid; hair, nails and extracted teeth; most veterinary waste; and certified uncontaminated tubing and devices. Households are exempt, except that sharps must go in a highly puncture-resistant container.
- Cultures and stocks of microorganisms and biologicals
- Blood and blood products (liquid, free-flowing or unabsorbed)
- Pathological wastes (human tissues, organs, body parts and containers of body fluids)
- Sharps
- Animal carcasses, body parts, bedding and related wastes
- Isolation wastes
- Spill cleanup residue, including contaminated soil, water or debris
- Waste contaminated by or mixed with infectious medical waste
Who regulates medical waste in West Virginia
WV Department of Health — Office of Environmental Health Services
The Bureau for Public Health’s Office of Environmental Health Services runs the state’s Infectious Medical Waste program (Public Health Sanitation Division). It issues large quantity generator, treatment facility and transport vehicle permits, approves alternative treatment technologies and receives annual and quarterly reports.
Federal OSHA — Charleston Area Office
West Virginia has no OSHA State Plan, so federal OSHA enforces the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard for private employers in all 55 counties.
Key West Virginia requirements
| Topic | Requirement | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Permits and management plan | Every infectious medical waste management facility must develop a management plan covering projected monthly weight, handling and storage, treatment and transport methods, manifests, training, a responsible contact and spill procedures. Facilities generating more than 50 lb a month need a Department of Health permit, renewed annually. Small quantity generators (50 lb or less a month) who generate the waste providing health care in their own office don’t need a permit, but must keep their plan on file and give the state a copy on request. | 64CSR56, §§3.23, 4.1, 4.12, 4.17, 5.1–5.2 |
| Packaging and labeling | Infectious medical waste must be sealed in leak-proof plastic bags meeting 49 CFR 173.197; free liquids go in break-resistant, tightly stoppered containers. Waste shipped off site goes in red bags printed with the biohazard symbol and “infectious medical waste”, “biomedical waste”, “biohazard” or “regulated medical waste”, inside a lined double-wall corrugated box or rigid container. Sharps go in rigid, leak-proof, puncture-resistant containers, never completely filled. Before storage or transport, each package needs a label with the generator’s and every transporter’s name, address and phone number and the date it was packaged. The generator stays responsible even if a contractor packages the waste. | 64CSR56, §§6.1–6.3 |
| Storage | Once packaged (sealed) for transport, infectious medical waste other than sharps may not be stored more than 30 days before it’s transported to a treatment facility, even if refrigerated, and the total storage time including transport may not exceed 45 days. Storage areas must be at or near the pickup point, protected from water, rain, wind and pests, uncarpeted and easy to clean, limited to designated staff and posted with the biohazard symbol and warning signs. Compacting waste and using chutes are prohibited. | 64CSR56, §§8.1–8.10 |
| Spill kits | Generators must keep a spill containment and cleanup kit near any area where infectious medical waste is managed. A small quantity generator’s kit needs at least two red bags, moisture-proof gloves, a face mask, eye protection, absorbent for half a gallon of liquid, a disinfectant effective against tuberculosis and a disposable dust pan and broom for sharps. | 64CSR56, §§7.2–7.3 |
| Transport | No one may transport infectious medical waste in West Virginia for another without a Department of Health permit and, if applicable, Public Service Commission authority. Vehicles must show the biohazard symbol, the words “infectious medical waste” (or an approved equivalent) and the permit number, carry a spill kit, and deliver only to a permitted facility. A small quantity generator may haul its own waste to a permitted facility within 45 days of generation. | 64CSR56, §§9.2, 9.5–9.9; W. Va. Code § 20-5J-10 |
| Manifests | Generators shipping infectious medical waste off site must start a multi-part manifest (available from or approved by the state) and keep their copy once the transporter accepts it; with an electronic manifest, the transporter gives you a printed service receipt. If the completed manifest or electronic receipt isn’t available within 50 days of pickup, report it to the state. Small quantity generators who haul their own waste don’t need a manifest. | 64CSR56, §§12.1–12.2, 12.10 |
| Treatment and disposal | Infectious medical waste must be treated by incineration, steam treatment, discharge of liquids to a sanitary sewer, or a method the state approves in writing. Disposal of untreated infectious medical waste in West Virginia is prohibited, and commercial treatment facilities may not use incineration. | 64CSR56, §§5.6, 10.1, 11.2 |
| Records and annual report | Manifests, logs and all other records required by the rule must be kept for at least three years (longer during an unresolved enforcement action) and made available for inspection. All generators except small quantity generators must file an annual report covering the preceding calendar year by January 20; a late fee applies. | 64CSR56, §§12.12, 13.1–13.4 |
- W. Va. Code Ch. 20, Art. 5J
Medical Waste Act
Defines infectious medical waste, names the Secretary of the Department of Health as the state’s infectious medical waste agency, requires a permit to store, treat or dispose of infectious medical waste unless exempted by rule (§ 20-5J-5), and authorizes the rules. Collectors and haulers operating as common carriers are also regulated by the Public Service Commission (§ 20-5J-10).
- 64CSR56
Infectious Medical Waste
Definitions, permits and management plans, packaging and labeling, spill kits, storage limits, transport permits, treatment methods, manifests, recordkeeping and annual reports.
Federal rules that also apply
| Topic | Requirement | Source |
|---|---|---|
| OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens | Sharps containers must be closable, puncture-resistant, leakproof on the sides and bottom, labeled or color-coded, and kept upright and within easy reach. Other regulated-waste containers must be closable, leak-proof and labeled with the biohazard symbol (or red). West Virginia has no OSHA State Plan: federal OSHA covers private employers, and state and local government workers aren’t covered by federal OSHA. | 29 CFR 1910.1030(d)(4)(iii), (g)(1) |
| DOT shipping | Regulated medical waste ships as Division 6.2, UN3291, in rigid packaging that meets UN Packing Group II standards, with puncture-resistant containers for sharps. West Virginia’s rule requires bags meeting 49 CFR 173.197 for all infectious medical waste, and federal DOT placards on transport vehicles where applicable. | 49 CFR 173.134, 173.197; 64CSR56, §§6.2.b, 9.6.d |
Reviewed September 2026. This is a plain-language summary to help you plan, not legal advice — rules change, so confirm details with the agencies above. MedPro handles transport, treatment and manifests for you and can help you understand what applies to your facility.
West Virginia infectious medical waste compliance checklist
Use this to check your facility against West Virginia’s Infectious Medical Waste rule (64CSR56) and the federal OSHA standard. MedPro handles the pickup, transport and treatment — the rest happens in your facility.
Get Compliant Pickup- 1
You have a written infectious medical waste management plan
It covers your projected monthly weight, handling and storage, treatment and transport methods, manifests, training, a responsible contact and spill procedures. Small quantity generators keep it on file for the state on request.
- 2
You have a permit if you generate more than 50 lb a month
Large quantity generators need a Department of Health permit, renewed annually. Small quantity generators (50 lb or less a month) treating patients in their own office don’t.
- 3
Waste goes into red biohazard bags, then a box
Leak-proof red bags printed with the biohazard symbol and “infectious medical waste”, “biomedical waste”, “biohazard” or “regulated medical waste”, inside a lined double-wall corrugated box or rigid container for off-site shipment.
- 4
Sharps containers are never completely filled
Rigid, leak-proof, puncture-resistant and marked as infectious medical waste at the point of generation, sealed before handling, then bagged for off-site transport.
- 5
Every package is labeled before storage
Your name, address and phone number, your transporter’s, and the date the waste was packaged — in permanent ink, at least 3×5 inches if handwritten.
- 6
Nothing waits more than 30 days
Non-sharps infectious medical waste may be stored no more than 30 days after packaging for transport, even if refrigerated, and 45 days in total including transport.
- 7
Your storage area is secured, signed and stocked
Limited to designated staff, posted with the biohazard symbol and warning signs, easy to clean and uncarpeted — with a spill containment and cleanup kit nearby.
- 8
Manifests and records are kept for three years
Keep your manifest copies, report a completed manifest that isn’t back within 50 days, and file the annual report by January 20 if you generate more than 50 lb a month.
West Virginia Medical Waste Savings
Projected annual savings from quotes we’ve prepared for West Virginia practices. Every practice is different — we charge only for the services you need.
See What You Could Save| Practice Type | ZIP Code | Annual SavingsProjected Annual Savings |
|---|---|---|
| Health Center | 26801 | $8,160 |
| Oncologist | 25801 | $31,200 |
| Ambulance Service | 25801 | $18,180 |
| Nursing Home | 26134 | $6,912 |
| Family Practice | 26208 | $8,115 |
| Police Department | 25301 | $5,250 |
It’s Easy to Get Started With MedPro Disposal
- 01
Contact Us
Contact MedPro Disposal for a fast, free medical waste removal quote. We’ll get to know you, discuss your needs, and settle on a number.
- 02
Waste Pickup Date
Work with MedPro Disposal to determine your first pickup date. We’ll confirm your office hours and provide convenient options for medical waste and sharps pickup.
- 03
Compliance Survey
After we get to know your requirements, we’ll send you a survey to identify any areas that need to be brought up to OSHA standards. All three steps occur at no additional cost to your practice.
We service all of West Virginia
MedPro Disposal provides regulated medical waste pickup and disposal to healthcare facilities in every part of West Virginia — wherever your practice is. Local service pages include:
Near the state line? We serve the neighboring states too.
West Virginia Medical Waste FAQs
What counts as medical waste in West Virginia?
West Virginia calls it infectious medical waste: medical waste capable of producing an infectious disease. It includes cultures and stocks, liquid blood and blood products, pathological waste, sharps, contaminated animal carcasses and bedding, isolation wastes, spill cleanup residue and anything mixed with infectious medical waste. Diapers and other hygiene products, lightly soiled gauze and dressings with no free-flowing liquid, hair, nails and extracted teeth are excluded (64CSR56, §3.10).
Who regulates medical waste disposal in West Virginia?
The West Virginia Department of Health. Its Secretary is the state’s infectious medical waste agency under W. Va. Code § 20-5J-5, and the program is run by the Bureau for Public Health’s Office of Environmental Health Services. Federal OSHA enforces the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard for private employers, and U.S. DOT rules govern shipping.
Does my West Virginia practice need a medical waste permit?
Only if you generate more than 50 pounds of infectious medical waste a month — that makes you a large quantity generator, which needs a Department of Health permit renewed each year. Small quantity generators (50 lb or less a month) providing care in their own office don’t need a permit, but every generator needs an infectious medical waste management plan, and small quantity generators must keep theirs on file for the state (64CSR56, §§4.17, 5.1).
How long can a medical practice store medical waste in West Virginia?
Once it’s packaged for transport, infectious medical waste other than sharps may be stored no more than 30 days before it’s transported to a treatment facility — refrigeration doesn’t extend that — and no more than 45 days in total including transport (64CSR56, §§8.1–8.2). Sharps aren’t subject to the 30-day limit. MedPro sets your pickup schedule so you stay well inside these limits.
What does West Virginia require of medical waste haulers?
Anyone transporting infectious medical waste in West Virginia for someone else needs a Department of Health transport permit for each vehicle and, if applicable, Public Service Commission authority. Vehicles must display the biohazard symbol, the words “infectious medical waste” (or an approved equivalent) and the permit number, carry a spill kit, and deliver only to a permitted facility; spills of 50 pounds or more must be reported to the state (64CSR56, §§9.6–9.9). The state publishes a list of permitted hauling companies.
How long do I need to keep medical waste records in West Virginia?
At least three years. Manifests, logs and all other records the rule requires must be kept for three years, longer during any unresolved enforcement action, and made available to the state on request (64CSR56, §§12.12, 13.1). If you generate more than 50 lb a month, you also file an annual report with the Department of Health by January 20 each year.
Where in West Virginia does MedPro Disposal provide service?
Everywhere in West Virginia — we service facilities statewide, in all 55 counties. We also have local service pages for Beckley, Charleston, Huntington, Hurricane, Morgantown, Parkersburg, South Charleston, Weirton and Wheeling.
How much does medical waste disposal cost in West Virginia?
It depends on how much waste you generate and how often it’s picked up — we charge only for the services you need. MedPro quotes in West Virginia have projected annual savings of $31,200 for an oncologist and $18,180 for an ambulance service in ZIP 25801. Request a free, no-obligation quote for your facility.
Our services in West Virginia
Industries we serve
Sources
- 64CSR56 — Infectious Medical Waste (rule detail and filed documents) — West Virginia Secretary of State, Code of State Rules
- 64CSR56 — Infectious Medical Waste, final filed text (effective July 1, 2016) — West Virginia Secretary of State, Code of State Rules
- Medical Waste Act, W. Va. Code Ch. 20, Art. 5J — West Virginia Legislature
- W. Va. Code § 20-5J-5 — State infectious medical waste agency; permits — West Virginia Legislature
- W. Va. Code § 20-5J-10 — Regulation of collectors and haulers by the Public Service Commission — West Virginia Legislature
- Infectious Medical Waste & Disease Control program — WV Office of Environmental Health Services
- Infectious Medical Waste FAQs — WV Office of Environmental Health Services
- Infectious Medical Waste applications and forms — WV Office of Environmental Health Services
- Infectious waste hauling companies permitted to operate in West Virginia — WV Office of Environmental Health Services
- Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030 — U.S. OSHA
- State Plans (West Virginia is under federal OSHA) — U.S. OSHA
- West Virginia OSHA Area Office — U.S. OSHA
- Infectious substances, 49 CFR 173.134 — eCFR
- Regulated medical waste, 49 CFR 173.197 — eCFR
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