Tennessee Biohazard Waste Regulations

Highlighted Requirements

None Listed

Overview

Tennessee’s medical waste disposal regulations are managed by the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation Division of Solid and Hazardous Waste Management. The complete detailed disposal requirements are outlined in Rules of Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Division of Solid Waste Management (pdf)

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. Tennessee is one of 21 states operating an approved occupational safety and health program. This program is operated by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. 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.