NJDEP-Compliance & Enforcement

Compliance Assistance Resources - Solid Waste Checklists

Regulated Medical Waste - General Requirements (SW21)
Requirement Description	Compliance Status	Compliance Comments
REGULATED MEDICAL WASTE - GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
All records, reports, logs and tracking forms required to be made and/or kept in accordance with this subchapter, shall be made available for inspection by the Department. [N.J.A.C. 7:26- 3A.4(b)]
Any person who stores regulated medical waste prior to treatment or disposal on-site (for example, interment, treatment and destruction, or incineration), or transport off-site, shall comply with the following storage requirements: 1. Store the regulated medical waste in a manner and location that maintains the integrity of the packaging and provides protection from water, rain and wind; 2. Maintain the regulated medical waste in a nonputrescent state, using refrigeration when necessary; 3. Lock the outdoor storage areas containing regulated medical waste (for example, dumpsters, sheds, tractor trailers, or other storage areas) to prevent unauthorized access; 4. Limit access to on-site storage areas to authorized employees; and 5. Store the regulated medical waste in a manner that affords protection from animals and does not provide a breeding place or a food source for insects and rodents. [N.J.A.C. 7:26- 3A.12(a)]
The storage period for regulated medical waste is limited as follows: 1. Regulated medical waste shall be disposed of immediately if it becomes putrescent or emits any odors; 2. All regulated medical waste shall be disposed of within one year of the date of generation, or sooner as determined by the generator, except that: i. The storage period may exceed one year for regulated medical wastes that must be stored for longer periods to provide for the decay of radioactive materials in accordance with applicable Federal or State statutes and regulations. [N.J.A.C. 7:26- 3A.12(b)]
Any container that is being used to accumulate or store sharps shall be secured so that the contents are not accessible to any unauthorized person. [N.J.A.C. 7:26- 3A.12(c)]
Generators, transporters, intermediate handlers and destination facility owners and operators shall comply with the following requirements with respect to reusing containers: 1. All non-rigid containers and inner liners shall be managed as regulated medical waste under this subchapter and shall not be decontaminated or reused; 2. Any container used for the storage and/or transport of regulated medical waste and designated for reuse once emptied, shall be decontaminated if the container shows signs of visible contamination; 3. If any container used for the storage and/or transport of regulated medical waste is for any reason not capable of being rendered free of visible signs of contamination on its outer surface in accordance with (a)2 above, the container must be managed (labeled, marked and treated and/or disposed of) as regulated medical waste under this subchapter; and 4. Decontaminated containers shall be free of all removable contaminating material from the inner and outer surfaces. [N.J.A.C. 7:26- 3A.13(a)]
A generator, transporter, collection facility, intermediate handler or destination facility that generates a medical waste, as defined in N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.5 and who is located in New Jersey, or that stores, transfers, transports, treats, destroys or disposes of, or otherwise manages medical waste in New Jersey shall determine if that waste is a regulated medical waste. [N.J.A.C. 7:26- 3A.16(a)]
Any person offering regulated medical waste for transport shall use transporters that meet the requirements of N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.27(c), unless the transporter is a generator meeting the requirements of N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.17(a) or unless the transporter is the U.S. Postal Service and the requirements of N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.17(b) are met. [N.J.A.C. 7:26- 3A.16(d)]
Persons shall dispose of regulated medical waste only with a registered intermediate handler, at a registered destination facility, a regulated medical waste sanitary landfill permitted in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.18, a resource recovery facility authorized to accept such waste and permitted in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:26-2, or a facility in another state authorized to accept such wastes by such state. Shipments to out-of-State facilities shall be made in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.28 and 3A.46. [N.J.A.C. 7:26- 3A.16(e)]
No person shall install or use any alternative or innovative technology, or any modification thereof, for the treatment and/or destruction of regulated medical waste unless such technology or modification has been approved and authorized by the Department and DOH for such purpose pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.47. [N.J.A.C. 7:26- 3A.16(i)]
No person shall abandon regulated medical waste on any public or private property or cause regulated medical waste to be abandoned. For the purpose of this section, "abandoned" means the intentional or unintentional placement, discard or loss of regulated medical waste in any area outside of the direct control of the person generating, transporting, managing, or disposing of the waste. [N.J.A.C. 7:26- 3A.16(j)]
Regulated medical waste shall not be removed from or be transferred between vehicles by transporters or other persons unless the site of transfer is authorized as a solid waste transfer station for regulated medical waste pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A, or is registered and operating as a regulated medical waste collection facility pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.39. [N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.27(j)]
REGULATED MEDICAL WASTE - GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
Were all records, reports, logs and tracking forms required to be made and/or kept in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A, made available for inspection by the Department? [N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.4(b)]
Is regulated medical waste stored as follows: 1. Store the regulated medical waste in a manner and location that maintains the integrity of the packaging and provides protection from water, rain and wind; 2. Maintain the regulated medical waste in a nonputrescent state, using refrigeration when necessary; 3. Lock the outdoor storage areas containing regulated medical waste (for example, dumpsters, sheds, tractor trailers, or other storage areas) to prevent unauthorized access; 4. Limit access to on-site storage areas to authorized employees; and 5. Store the regulated medical waste in a manner that affords protection from animals and does not provide a breeding place or a food source for insects and rodents? [N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.12(a)]
Is regulated medical waste storage time limited as follows: 1. Regulated medical waste shall be disposed of immediately if it becomes putrescent or emits any odors; 2. All regulated medical waste shall be disposed of within one year of the date of generation, or sooner as determined by the generator, except that: i. The storage period may exceed one year for regulated medical wastes that must be stored for longer periods to provide for the decay of radioactive materials in accordance with applicable Federal or State statutes and regulations? [N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.12(b)]
Does facility ensure that any container that is being used to accumulate or store sharps is secured so that the contents are not accessible to any unauthorized person? [N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.12(c)]
When reusing containers, are the following requirements followed: 1. All non-rigid containers and inner liners shall be managed as regulated medical waste under this subchapter and shall not be decontaminated or reused; 2. Any container used for the storage and/or transport of regulated medical waste and designated for reuse once emptied, shall be decontaminated if the container shows signs of visible contamination; 3. If any container used for the storage and/or transport of regulated medical waste is for any reason not capable of being rendered free of visible signs of contamination on its outer surface in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.12(a)2, the container must be managed (labeled, marked and treated and/or disposed of) as regulated medical waste under this subchapter; and 4. Decontaminated containers shall be free of all removable contaminating material from the inner and outer surfaces? [N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.13(a)]
Does facility determine if medical waste is a regulated medical waste? [N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.16(a)]
Is regulated medical waste only offered to transporters that meet the requirements of N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.27(c), unless the transporter is a generator meeting the requirements of N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.17(a) or unless the transporter is the U.S. Postal Service and the requirements of N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.17(b) are met? [N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.16(d)]
Is regulated medical waste only offered for disposal at a registered intermediate handler, at a registered destination facility, a regulated medical waste sanitary landfill permitted in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.18, a resource recovery facility authorized to accept such waste and permitted in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:26-2, or a facility in another state authorized to accept such wastes by such state? Note: Shipments to out-of-State facilities shall be made in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.28 and 3A.46. [N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.16(e)]
Did facility not install or use any alternative or innovative technology, or any modification thereof, for the treatment and/or destruction of regulated medical waste unless such technology or modification has been approved and authorized by the Department and DOH for such purpose pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.47? [N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.16(i)]
Did facility not abandon regulated medical waste on any public or private property or cause regulated medical waste to be abandoned? Note: For the purpose of this section, "abandoned" means the intentional or unintentional placement, discard or loss of regulated medical waste in any area outside of the direct control of the person generating, transporting, managing, or disposing of the waste. [N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.16(j)]