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Illinois Statutes Chapter 415. Environmental Safety § 5/3.360. Potentially infectious medical waste

Current as of January 01, 2025 | Updated by Findlaw Staff

§ 3.360. Potentially infectious medical waste.

(a) “Potentially infectious medical waste” means the following types of waste generated in connection with the diagnosis, treatment (i.e., provision of medical services), or immunization of human beings or animals; research pertaining to the provision of medical services; or the production or testing of biologicals:

(1) Cultures and stocks. This waste shall include but not be limited to cultures and stocks of agents infectious to humans, and associated biologicals; cultures from medical or pathological laboratories; cultures and stocks of infectious agents from research and industrial laboratories; wastes from the production of biologicals; discarded live or attenuated vaccines; or culture dishes and devices used to transfer, inoculate, or mix cultures.

(2) Human pathological wastes. This waste shall include tissue, organs, and body parts (except teeth and the contiguous structures of bone and gum); body fluids that are removed during surgery, autopsy, or other medical procedures; or specimens of body fluids and their containers.

(3) Human blood and blood products. This waste shall include discarded human blood, blood components (e.g., serum and plasma), or saturated material containing free flowing blood or blood components.

(4) Used sharps. This waste shall include but not be limited to discarded sharps used in animal or human patient care, medical research, or clinical or pharmaceutical laboratories; hypodermic, intravenous, or other medical needles; hypodermic or intravenous syringes; Pasteur pipettes; scalpel blades; or blood vials. This waste shall also include but not be limited to other types of broken or unbroken glass (including slides and cover slips) in contact with infectious agents.

(5) Animal waste.Animal waste means discarded materials, including carcasses, body parts, body fluids, blood, or bedding originating from animals inoculated during research, production of biologicals, or pharmaceutical testing with agents infectious to humans.

(6) Isolation waste. This waste shall include discarded materials contaminated with blood, excretions, exudates, and secretions from humans that are isolated to protect others from highly communicable diseases. “Highly communicable diseases” means those diseases identified by the Board in rules adopted under subsection (e) of Section 56.2 of this Act.

(7) Unused sharps. This waste shall include but not be limited to the following unused, discarded sharps: hypodermic, intravenous, or other needles; hypodermic or intravenous syringes; or scalpel blades.

(b) Potentially infectious medical waste does not include:

(1) waste generated as general household waste;

(2) waste (except for sharps) for which the infectious potential has been eliminated by treatment;

(3) sharps that meet both of the following conditions:

(A) the infectious potential has been eliminated from the sharps by treatment; and

(B) the sharps are rendered unrecognizable by treatment; or

(4) sharps that are managed in accordance with the following requirements:

(A) the infectious potential is eliminated from the sharps by treatment at a facility that is permitted by the Agency for the treatment of potentially infectious medical waste;

(B) the sharps are certified by the treatment facility as non-special waste in accordance with Section 22.48 of this Act;

(C) the sharps are packaged at the treatment facility the same as required under Board rules for potentially infectious medical waste;

(D) the sharps are transported under the custody of the treatment facility to a landfill permitted by the Agency under Section 21 of this Act to accept municipal waste for disposal; and

(E) the activities in subparagraphs (A) through D) of this paragraph (4) are authorized in, and conducted in accordance with, a permit issued by the Agency to the treatment facility.

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Cite this article: FindLaw.com - Illinois Statutes Chapter 415. Environmental Safety § 5/3.360. Potentially infectious medical waste - last updated January 01, 2025 | https://codes.findlaw.com/il/chapter-415-environmental-safety/il-st-sect-415-5-3-360/

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