SECTION .1200 ‑ MEDICAL WASTE MANAGEMENT

15A NCAC 13B .1201      DEFINITIONS

For the purpose of this Section, the following definitions apply:

(1)           "Blood and body fluids" means liquid blood, serum, plasma, other blood products, emulsified human tissue, spinal fluids, and pleural and peritoneal fluids. Blood and body fluids does not include dialysates, feces, or urine if not removed during surgeries and autopsies.

(2)           "Generator" and "Generating facility" mean any business, integrated medical facility, and volunteer or non-profit healthcare services where medical waste is produced, including any medical or dental facility, mortuary, laboratory, veterinary hospital, and blood bank; but does not include households.

(3)           "Integrated medical facility" means one or more health service facilities as defined in G.S. 131E‑176(9b) that are:

(a)           located in a single county or two contiguous counties;

(b)           affiliated with a university medical school or that are under common ownership and control; and

(c)           serve a single service area.

(4)           "Medical waste" means the term defined in G.S. 130A-290(17a).

(5)           "Microbiological waste" means the term defined in Rule .0101(26) of this Subchapter.

(6)           "Non-hazardous pharmaceutical waste" is a medical waste and means a medical drug that is expired, unused, contaminated, damaged, or no longer needed or used for its prescribed purpose and that is not a hazardous waste as defined in G.S. 130A-290(a)(8).

(7)           "Nuisance" means odorous outside of the property boundary or transport vehicle; or attracting vermin or disease vectors.

(8)           "Package" means the total contents of a box, drum, or vessel containing medical waste, including labeling and markings.

(9)           "Pathological waste" means the term defined in Rule .0101(31) of this Subchapter.

(10)         "Record" means any data required to be kept on file by the operator or responsible party, or submitted to the Division in accordance with the rules of this Section. A record may be a paper copy or electronic format that is legible and in English.

(11)         "Regulated Medical Waste" means the term defined in Rule .0101(34) of this Subchapter.

(12)         "Responsible party" means the entity that is in possession of and has accepted the regulated medical waste.

(13)         "Sharps" means the term defined in G.S. 130A-309.26(a)(1).

(14)         "Trace chemotherapy waste" means medical waste containing no more than three percent by weight of a medical drug used for chemotherapy, but is not a radioactive waste. Trace chemotherapy waste includes gowns, gloves, wipes, and other handling, preparation, administration, cleaning, and decontamination items used in association with chemotherapy.

(15)         "Transfer or storage operations" means the act of, and process by which, regulated medical waste is removed from a transport vehicle and placed in another transport vehicle or in storage awaiting transport.

(16)         "Transport vehicle" means a vehicle or other conveyance type used to transport regulated medical waste to and from transfer or storage operations or to and from a treatment facility.

(17)         "Treatment" means the term as defined in G.S. 130A‑309.26(a)(2).

(18)         "Treatment facility" means a regulated medical waste treatment facility permitted by the Division in accordance with the rules of this Section.

(19)         "Solid waste" means the term defined in G.S. 130A-290(a)(35).

History Note:        Authority G.S. 130A‑309.26;

Eff. October 1, 1990;

Amended Eff. April 1, 1993;

Readopted Eff. November 1, 2019.