Mississippi Medical Waste Requirements
A look at Mississippi medical waste requirements.
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) regulates the management of medical waste, which includes on-site storage and disposal. Many states have very detailed protocols for the disposal and storage of medical waste, however Mississippi has issued a medical waste fact sheet, which only covers the bare basics.
For example, there is a clear definition of what’s considered infectious and medical waste, but the information seems to lack on how to dispose of certain items, such as sharps.
Infectious waste per the state of Mississippi includes patient care waste, cultures and stocks, blood and blood products, pathological waste including tissue and body parts, and discarded sharps. Medical waste is slightly different; as all waste generated in direct patient care or in diagnostic or research areas that is “non-infectious but aesthetically repugnant if found in the environment” is considered medical, but not infectious waste.
The MDEQ also manages the off-site disposal and storage of medical waste, however for transporters there are no special licenses or permits to acquire. It is assumed that once a generator passes waste to a transporter, the contents become the responsibility of the transporter. The only stipulation is that the transporter “is then required by State regulations to manage the wastes in a manner that is protective of public health and the environment.”
Beyond this information, Mississippi has very little on its medical waste management, which is a stark contrast to states which have pages-long definitions, protocols, laws, and permit requirements on how to deal with, dispose of, and handle medical waste.
Mississippi is, however, one of many states that is covered entirely by the federal OSHA program, therefore OSHA rules apply to all medical waste disposal and treatment.
How does your state regulate medical waste? Are there several pages of requirements available to the public or a simple fact sheet?
Learn how other states handles medical waste requirements.
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