Waste Disposal Requirements revAug2014

Waste disposal procedures are required by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA). We must follow these disposal procedures to remain in compliance. All students are expected to know and follow the following waste disposal procedures.

Animal Tissues All animal tissues will be placed in clear plastic bags. Whenever possible keep the different samples separate. (E.g. cow eyes in one bag, pig kidneys in another. )

Broken Glass Lab Glass waste will go into the blue hard plastic buckets for recycling. Any glass that is contaminated with bacteria must go into the sharps containers. Chemical contamination will be dealt with on a case by case basis. (If unsure, bag or box glass separately to be dealt with later.)

Biohazard Waste This waste stream is unchanged except for the barring of animal tissues. REMINDER: these red bags are for non “sharp” biologically contaminated wastes: plates, gloves, soft transfer pipets. Nothing that would poke through the red bags.

Biohazard Waste These hard plastic sealable buckets are for SHARP biological wastes that would poke through the plastic bags. Sharp objects such as scalpel blades, needles, broken glass or pipette tips contaminated with bacteria, etc.

Animal Tissues YES: -Dissected materials (preserved) -String used to tie down dissection specimen No: -Dissection tools -Paper towels from clean up, as these can go in the regular trash.

Broken Glass YES: -Broken glass. -Used Slides (no bacteria). No: -Glass Tubes with microbiology media inside. -Glass that is contaminated with microbes or with hazardous chemicals.

Biohazard Waste YES: -Microbiology plates (plastic) -Plastic loops, micro centrifuge tubes. No: -Glass of any kind -Objects that would likely poke through the bags -Preserved specimens from dissections.

Biohazard Waste YES: -Metal and glass objects -Pipet tips used with bacterial cultures No: -Paper towels, gloves or other bulky soft items.