Connecticut Biohazard Waste Regulations

Highlighted Requirements

The Connecticut state OSHA program only covers the workplace safety and health of public sector employees. Private sector employees are covered under federal OSHA regulations.

Only household generators and small quantity generators (SQG are defined as less than 50 lbs per month) may send sharps only through the mail via a mail back program.

Overview

Connecticut’s medical waste disposal regulations are managed by the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection Waste Management Division. An overview of disposal requirements are outlined in a biomedical FAQ page on the state website.

OSHA Regulations

In addition to the state medical waste environmental regulations there are some Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rules that apply to medical/infectious waste. Connecticut is one of 24 states operating an approved occupational safety and health program. However, the Connecticut program only covers the workplace safety and health of public sector employees.

Private sector employees in Connecticut are covered by Federal OSHA. OSHA state and federal rules (Occupational Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens Standards) impact various aspects of medical/infectious waste, including management of sharps, requirements for containers that hold or store medical/infectious waste, labeling of medical/infectious waste bags/containers, and employee training.