Nevada Biohazard Waste Regulations

Highlighted Requirements

None Listed

Overview

Nevada has adopted the US Dept. Of Transportation definition for regulated medical waste found in 49CFR Part 173. Other pertinent regulations are at Nevada Administrative Code 444.646 and 444.662. If medical waste has been treated by incineration, autoclaving or an alternative method approved by the solid waste management authority, it can be managed as ordinary solid waste with no special requirements. Special requirements apply to the storage, collection, labeling, transporting and disposal of regulated medical waste. Nevada regulations allow the direct disposal by landfilling of untreated medical waste. Commercial treatment facilities exist in the Reno and Las Vegas areas, but not in rural areas of the state. This exact definition is outlined on the Nevada Department of Environmental Protection website and can be found here .

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. Nevada is one of 24 states operating an approved occupational safety and health program. This program is operated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA 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.