Enlisted Advancement Program E4 to E5, BUMEDINST 6280.1A presented by HM1 (SW/AW) A. Saunders

1. MANAGEMENT OF
INFECTIOUS WASTE
BUMEDINST 6280.1A

2.  I am HM1 Saunders. The
LPO for MCI. Been in the
Navy 9 years going on 10. I
can be reached at
antoinette.saunders@med.navy.mil

3. 1. Purpose: To provide minimal standards for the management of
infectious waste at Navy medical and dental treatment
facilities
2. Background: Waste from patients diagnosis, treatment, or
immunization may be subdivided into two categories:
Infectious and noninfectious waste.

4.  Exposure to
infectious waste that
could result in
disease is more likely
to occur in
occupational settings
that generate,
transport, store,
treat, or dispose of
potentially infectious
materials.

5. Noninfectious waste:
 Items determined to be noninfectious waste can be treated as
general waste, using accepted methods of collection, storage,
transport, and disposal
 Examples are: personal hygiene products such as diapers, facial
tissue, and sanitary napkins. Absorbent materials, not including
waste from isolation rooms, containing very small amounts of
blood or other body fluids.

6.  What is the purpose
of the infectious
waste instruction?

7.  The purpose of this
instruction is to
provide minimal
standard for the
management of
Infectious waste and
Navy Medical and
Dental treatment
facilities.

8. Infectious waste:
 Infectious waste is liquid or solid waste containing pathogens in
sufficient numbers and of sufficient virulence. Examples are:
 Sharps, including hyperemic needles, syringes, scalpel blades,
suture needles, pasteur pipettes, specimen slides, cover slips, glass
petri plates, and broken glass contaminated with potentially
infectious material.
 Microbiology wastes from cultures and stocks containing microbes
that, due to their species, type, virulence, or concentration are
known to cause disease in humans.
 Liquid or semi-liquid blood or other potentially infectious body fluids
including semen, vaginal secretions, cerebrospinal fluid, pleural
fluid, amniotic fluid, and etc. Pathological wastes, including human
tissue and organs, amputated limbs or other body parts

9.  What are some
examples of
infectious waste?

10.  Some examples of
infectious waste are:
hyperemic needles,
syringes, scalpel
blades, suture needles,
pipettes, specimen
slides, cover slips, glass
plates

11. Segregation:
 Separate infectious waste from noninfectious waste at its
POINT OF ORIGIN. Infectious waste shall be placed in
containers labeled with universal biohazard symbol and
word ”BIOHARZARD” or be red in color.
 Plastic bags should be sufficient quality and thickness so that
only one bag is needed for most situations. Bags shall be
labeled or color coded (RED!!!)
 Place sharps into rigid, puncture resistant sharps containers
which are labeled or color coded. Never clip, cut, bend, or
recap needles or overfill containers. Sharps containers need
to be replaced when 75% filled

12. Packing and Handling:
 Sharps containers shall be placed in a second container
plastic bag or rigid box) which is labeled or color coded
 Minimize human exposure to infectious waste during
transport to treatment or storage areas
 Place all anatomical pathology waste into double-wall boxes
or rigid containers that are double-lined with plastic bags
 Blood, suctioned fluids, or other potentially infectious waste
may be decanted into clinical sinks (not hand washing sinks)
unless this practice is prohibited by State or local regulations
 Bulk blood and other potentially infectious liquid waste which
cannot be safely decanted (e.g., pleurovacs and hemovacs)
shall be placed into rigid containers that are double-lined
with plastic bags for transport and incineration

13.  Storage: Limit storage without refrigeration to 7
days, except in States with stricter requirements
 The universal biohazard symbol and the word
“BIOHARZARD” shall be clearly visible on the
outside of the storage area
 Transporting: Place infectious waste into rigid,
leak-proof containers before transporting off-site.
 Training: All employees with occupational exposure
to infectious waste shall receive training at the time
of initial assignment to task an annually
thereafter

14. Please contact me if you have any questions
or would like more advancement information
via email antoinette.saunders@med.navy.mil
or 757-953-4462.