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Content Verified on: January 24, 2003
Regulatory Environment
Identified Community-based Disposal Initiatives
Disposing of contaminated medical waste, including needles, syringes, and other “sharps,” has become an important issue in public health policy. Waste generated in the health care system is highly regulated at the state and federal level. Hospitals and other health care facilities must follow special procedures for handling, transporting, and disposing of medical waste, including used needles that may contain blood. Facilities also have instituted strict safeguards to protect health care workers, housekeeping staff, sanitation workers, and waste haulers from needlesticks because of the risk of contracting HIV, hepatitis B and C, and other bloodborne infections. Less attention has been paid to safe disposal of used syringes that come from individuals living in the community. However, as many as 3 billion syringes are used each year outside health care facilities: It is estimated that between 0.9 and 1.68 billion insulin injections and up to 1 billion illegal drug injections occur each year in the United States. After being used and discarded, most of these syringes end up in the public solid waste system. This presents a risk of needlestick injury and infection, mostly to solid waste workers. A much smaller number are discarded in public areas, such as parks, presenting a risk to the public. This section of CDC’s Community Syringe Disposal, Laws and Regulations, and the Public Health web site looks at the public health dimensions of this problem. It describes this state’s solid and infectious waste laws and regulations as they relate to syringe disposal. It provides background information on several key disposal options currently used in the U.S. and describes the impact of this state’s laws and regulations on the way that individuals may use these options. It also includes brief descriptions of some safe disposal programs in the state and provides contact information for the state’s public health and environmental management agencies. This web site is designed primarily for individuals and communities who are working to build safe syringe disposal programs and improve public understanding of this important issue. We hope that the information and tools provided here will help communities move closer to the ultimate goal of “no syringes discarded in the trash or in public locations such as parks, buildings, or the streets.”
Colorado offers guidance on disposing of household-generated syringes through two bulletins created by the state’s Department of Public Health and Environment, Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Division. These bulletins are entitled “Household Medical Waste Management” and Infectious Waste Management. The bulletins include these recommendations: Needles, syringes, lancets, and other medical sharps should be:
The bulletins also include these warnings:
1. Colorado Infectious Waste Law Summary Establishes requirements for an infectious waste management plan – The statute requires generators of infectious waste to develop and carry out an on-site infectious waste management plan appropriate for their facility. The plan must designate wastes that will be considered infectious wastes, describe how such wastes will be handled, and include a contingency plan for spills. The plan must also provide for staff training, designate a person responsible for implementing the management plan, and provide for appropriate on- and off-site treatment or disposal. Establishes penalties – The statute sets penalties for generators who knowingly dispose of untreated infectious waste, haul untreated waste, or dispose of waste at an unlawful disposal or treatment site. Law Responsible Agency 2. Colorado Infectious Waste Regulation Summary Establishes treatment requirements – Facilities must render infectious wastes noninfectious through incineration, decontamination, sterilization, autoclaving, or other approved methods. Once the infectious waste is rendered noninfectious it may be disposed of with other noninfectious waste or non-hazardous solid waste. Establishes record keeping and monitoring requirements – The code requires facilities to maintain infectious waste records about the volume, type of waste, generator name and address, type of transport, container types, treatment and disposal methods, and dates of pick-up. The code also requires facilities to maintain operating and monitoring records. Establishes the requirements for an operating plan – Facilities must establish an engineering design and operations report that includes a Facility Operating Plan. Establishes labeling requirements – All infectious waste must be labeled with a biohazard symbol or the words “infectious waste” and handled and transported in a safe manner. Establishes requirements for sharps – Contaminated sharps must be placed in puncture-resistant containers and rendered noninfectious. Sharps containers that are untreated should not be compacted. Exempts household infectious waste – Household infectious waste is exempt from the infectious waste disposal regulations. Therefore, home users of syringes are not required to comply with these regulations. Regulation
Summary Sets requirements for collection sites when employees handle the sharps containers – Operators of sharps container collection sites in which employees physically accept and handle filled sharps containers from customers are required to meet the OSHA bloodborne pathogen standards. This involves developing a written Exposure Control Plan that identifies the frequency of exposure and the tasks and procedures in which exposure may occur. The Plan also must address methods of compliance, hepatitis B vaccination, hazard communication to employees, recordkeeping, and methods to evaluate exposure incidents. Sets requirements for collection sites when employees do not handle the sharps containers – Operators of sharps container collection sites in which customers place filled sharps containers into a collection container are not subject to the bloodborne pathogen standard. In this situation, employees must not handle the sharps containers. Those involved with removing the sharps containers from the collection container must meet the standard. Law Responsible Agency
Effect of Colorado’s Laws and Regulations
Individuals may bring sharps to a pharmacy, medical facility, or non-medical facility without obtaining a Certificate of Designation if the facility accepts household-generated sharps as a community service and if it properly manages and disposes of the waste. The facility must determine whether other local requirements must be met, such as code enforcement, zoning, or standards for solid waste transfer facilities. Local authorities must also evaluate sharps collection drop boxes on a site-by-site basis to determine whether the location of the bins and the bins themselves are sufficiently secure. Controls must be in place to ensure that the bins and the waste are properly managed and disposed. Local authorities would likely evaluate the placement of household waste drop boxes. Collection site operators may also be subject to meeting bloodborne pathogen standards, depending on how the sharps containers are collected and handled.
Effect of Colorado’s Laws and Regulations
Effect of Colorado’s Laws and Regulations
The state legislature and individual communities may wish to more actively encourage individuals to safely dispose of used syringes and make it easier for them to do so. Many options for state and local action exist. They range from gathering data, to developing community collection site programs and education efforts, to creating partnerships with interested groups, to considering amending laws and regulations. All will help Colorado move toward the goal of “no syringes discarded in the trash or public locations.”
No current community syringe collection programs were identified in Colorado. However, this does not mean that no programs operate in the state.
Links below will open in a new browser window. Colorado
Department of Public Health & Environment For more information: US Occupational Safety and Health Administration Denver Area Office Englewood Area Office
Links below will open in a new browser window. 1. Colorado
Infectious Waste Law – Colorado Code of Regulations Title 25 [Health],
Article 15 [Hazardous Waste], Part 4 [Infectious Waste] 2. Colorado
Infectious Waste Regulation - Code of Colorado Regulations, 6 CCR 1007-2
Section 13 [Infectious Waste Disposal] 3. OSHA
Bloodborne Pathogen Standards 4. USPS
Domestic Mail Manual 5. Turnberg WL, Frost F. Survey
of occupational exposure of waste industry workers to infectious waste
in Washington State.
Disclaimer The materials provided on this web site are for general information purposes only. They do not constitute legal or policy advice or opinion. Access to these materials, their transmission, or receipt is not privileged and does not create any relationship with the provider. CDC has attempted to make the information in this website accurate. However, CDC makes no guarantees about the accuracy, currency, or completeness of the information provided. We are not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for results obtained from the use of the information. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a professional should be sought. This CDC Web site is no longer being reviewed or updated and thus is no longer kept current. This site remains to assist researchers or others needing historical content. |
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Privacy Policy | Accessibility
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Colorado Public Health Laws and Regulations: Impact
on the Safe Disposal of Used Syringes by Individuals in the Community
