Healthcare providers and facilities alike produce medical/
In This Article
Dispose of Facilities Waste
biohazardous
waste daily. This medical/biohazardous cannot be disposed of with your normal garbage due to many factors. This waste must be disposed of in a separate specified container/bags. Unlike your normal trash bags, these biohazard bags must be equipped to handle potentially dangerous material.
To Stay Compliant
There are many different reasons why facilities must use biohazard bags. One of the more prominent reasons is to stay compliant on state and federal levels. While there is an overseeing agency for the United States, each state is given the ability to govern regulations for medical waste disposal.
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Occupational Safety and Health Administration is the agency that gives foundation for all the requirements of all facilities. OSHA’s mission is to assure safe and healthful workplaces by setting and enforcing standards, and by providing training, outreach, education, and assistance.
Forms of Biohazard Bags
Depending on the state, biohazardous waste bags must either be red, clear or bright orange and labeled with ether the words “Biohazardous Waste”, or with a biohazard symbol and the word “Biohazard”. There are two different colors that theses bags must be, depending of certain variables. Red biohazard bags must be used for medical waste, which is regulated by the
California Department of Health Services
. Then, clear biohazard bags are used for biohazardous waste that is not regulated by the California Department of Health Services.
Specifically, there are many types of bags depending of the conditions: Medical/Biohazardous waste pickup containers, laboratory biohazardous waste containers, solid medical/biohazardous waste disposal, disinfecting biohazardous waste containers, liquid medical/biohazardous waste disposal, pharmaceuticals drug disposal bags, and medical/biohazardous waste contaminated with Radioactive or chemical materials.
Common Questions
- What is considered biohazard waste?
- Biohazard waste is any waste contaminated with blood, body fluids, or other potentially infectious materials that could transmit disease. OSHA's definition covers liquid or semi-liquid blood; items that would release blood if compressed or are caked with dried blood that could flake off; contaminated sharps; and pathological and microbiological wastes. Common examples include saturated gauze, contaminated PPE, suction canisters, cultures, needles, and surgical tissue.
- What's the difference between biohazard waste and medical waste?
- Biohazard waste is a subset of medical waste. Medical waste is the broad category that can include pharmaceuticals and chemicals; biohazard waste specifically refers to material that contains or may contain infectious agents. For the broader category, see our medical waste disposal guide.
- What color are biohazard bags and labels?
- OSHA requires biohazard labels to be fluorescent orange or orange-red, with the biohazard symbol and the word “BIOHAZARD” in a contrasting color. Red bags or red containers may be used instead of labels, which is why biohazard waste is often called “red bag” waste.
- What should I do if a biohazard bag leaks or spills?
- Put on appropriate PPE, contain the spill, and place the leaking bag or container inside a second container that is closable, leak-resistant, and labeled. Decontaminate the area with an appropriate disinfectant, and pick up any broken glass with mechanical means — a brush and dustpan, tongs, or forceps — never by hand.
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