Virginia Law

A. The operation of regulated medical waste transfer stations or treatment facilities shall be governed by the standards as set forth in this section.

B. The regulated medical waste transfer station or treatment facility shall maintain and operate in accordance with a regulated medical waste management plan that meets all requirements of 9VAC20-121-330. This plan shall be reviewed and recertified annually, within one year from the date of the last certification, to ensure consistency with current operations and regulatory requirements, and shall be made available for review by the department upon request. If the applicable standards of this chapter and the facility's operations plan conflict, this chapter shall take precedence.

C. The facility must operate to comply with the general handling requirements of 9VAC20-121-100.

D. All regulated medical waste shall be packaged, labeled in accordance with 9VAC20-121-110 and managed in accordance with the storage conditions and timeframes required by 9VAC20-121-120. The facility shall employ methods to track and document specific incoming waste throughout the duration of storage, treatment or transfer, and shipment offsite.

E. All facilities that manage reusable carts or containers for regulated medical waste shall comply with the requirements of 9VAC20-121-130 and maintain onsite an adequate water supply and sufficient quantity of detergent and EPA-registered disinfectant or other approved materials, as applicable.

F. Except for reusable containers authorized by the department to be opened, regulated medical waste containers must not be opened or unpackaged unless approved as part of the consolidation or treatment process.

G. The facility shall immediately address all spills of regulated medical waste, incidents or emergencies, maintenance events, and nonconformances that could have an impact on the management of regulated medical waste. Spill containment and cleanup kits shall be maintained as required by 9VAC20-121-140 B, and immediately following a spill of regulated medical waste or its discovery, the procedures specified in 9VAC20-121-140 C shall be implemented.

H. Damaged or leaking packages of regulated medical waste shall either be properly repackaged prior to storage and subsequent shipment offsite or contained and treated onsite within 24 hours if the facility is permitted for treatment operations.

I. Transportation of regulated medical waste is subject to the requirements of 9VAC20-121-150.

J. Waste must not be accepted unless it is allowed in accordance with the permit-by-rule issued and the regulated medical waste management plan and there is sufficient storage, transfer, or treatment capacity. The amount of regulated medical waste received and stored at the facility shall not exceed the permit process rate and designed storage capacity.

K. Regulated medical waste transfer stations and treatment facilities regulated under this part shall implement an unauthorized waste control program in accordance with their written plan as required by 9VAC20-121-330 and the following provisions:

1. Prior to managing regulated medical waste or using process equipment, and at least annually, within one year from the date of the last training, the facility shall provide training to staff to recognize, segregate, properly manage, document, and report receipt of waste not authorized to be managed by the facility's permit.

2. If unauthorized waste is observed in the waste delivered to the facility prior to unloading, the owner or operator must refuse to accept the waste.

3. If the unauthorized waste is observed in the waste at the facility or delivered to the facility, the owner or operator shall segregate it, notify the generator (if applicable), document the incident in the operating record, make necessary arrangements to have the material managed in accordance with applicable federal and state laws, and notify the department of the incident to include the means of proper handling, in accordance with the reporting procedures of 9VAC20-121-340.

4. Any unauthorized waste accepted by the owner or operator shall be managed in accordance with applicable federal or state laws and regulations. The facility must carefully store the waste in a designated storage area within the facility separate from untreated regulated medical waste and treated regulated medical waste. Unauthorized waste that has been segregated and stored shall be adequately secured and contained to prevent leakage or contamination to the environment. The facility shall have the unauthorized waste removed or properly managed no later than 10 calendar days after discovery unless an alternate timeframe up to 30 days is approved by the department . Handling and management of the unauthorized waste, including segregation, removal, and transportation, shall be by a person authorized to manage such waste and shall be transferred, treated, or disposed of at a permitted waste management facility approved to receive it.

5. The facility must maintain a record of all unauthorized waste accepted at the facility, the date accepted, the type of waste, date of transfer, treatment, or disposal, management method, and the name, address, and telephone number of the final treatment or disposal facility.

L. Radiation detection equipment shall be operated and maintained in a manner that ensures all incoming waste is screened and the measurements are meaningful and fulfill the objectives for detecting radiologically contaminated waste. If fixed radiation detectors become inoperable, repairs shall be made as soon as practicable, and appropriate portable equipment shall be used to screen incoming waste loads until the equipment is repaired.

M. Untreated waste, radioactive waste, hazardous waste, and any unauthorized waste must be segregated and stored in clearly identified containers. Category A waste shall be managed in accordance with the requirements of 9VAC20-121-160.

N. The facility shall be operated to maintain the design and construction standards as required by 9VAC20-121-220.

O. All areas used to transfer or treat regulated medical waste shall have prominent signage or markings displayed on the door or access point to indicate that the space is used to manage regulated medical waste, and those areas shall be secured to prevent unauthorized access.

P. Floors and areas used for the handling, tipping, storage, transfer, or treatment of regulated medical waste and reusable container cleaning must be kept clean, in an orderly condition, and free of standing liquid and debris.

Q. Effluent, wash water, and other runoff from facility floors, storage and processing areas, treatment equipment, waste compactors, and reusable container cleaning and disinfection areas shall be contained and discharged directly to an approved sanitary sewer system. Effluent, wash water, and other runoff from the facility shall not be permitted to drain or discharge into surface waters except when authorized under a VPDES permit issued pursuant to 9VAC25-31.

R. All infrastructure and equipment shall be properly maintained and operated as designed and approved in the facility's permit. Facility maintenance must include annual calibrations of parametric controls, including recording devices and temperature and pressure gauges; overall cleaning (the facility, vehicles, and processing systems); servicing of exhaust lines and drains; ensuring the proper functioning of pressure and safety valves, and water, steam, disinfectant and electrical lines; replacing gaskets as needed to ensure a complete seal at all times; ensuring floor drains are maintained such that liquid is free-draining at all times; and maintaining proper functioning of mechanical waste handling systems, conveyors and shredders, HEPA, and other ventilation and filtration devices, and radiation monitoring devices, as applicable.

S. Adequate numbers and types of properly maintained equipment shall be available for operation. Provision shall be made for substitute equipment to be available, except for treatment units which must be approved by the department, or the emergency contingency plan implemented to achieve compliance with this chapter, as applicable, within 24 hours should the former become inoperable or unavailable. Operators with training appropriate to the tasks they are expected to perform and in sufficient numbers for the complexity of the site shall be on the site whenever it is in operation.

T. Safety hazards to operating personnel shall be controlled through an active safety program consistent with the requirements of 29 CFR Part 1910, as amended.

U. Each facility shall conduct monthly inspections of all major aspects of facility operations necessary to ensure compliance with the requirements of this chapter. Records of these inspections must be maintained in the operating record and available for review in accordance with 9VAC20-121-340. If a deficiency or release is identified during an inspection, the owner or operator must document it on the self-inspection checklist, provide a remedy for the issue as soon as feasible, and document repairs and remedial actions, including the date implemented. The following aspects of the facility shall be inspected on a monthly basis whenever the facility is in operation:

1. Each component of the processing equipment, treatment system, and infrastructure;

2. Spill containment and cleanup kit and any other decontamination materials;

3. Safety and emergency equipment, including radiation detection equipment, fire alarm and protection systems, fire extinguishers, eyewash stations, or other equipment;

4. Waste storage areas and loading and unloading areas;

5. All floors and floor drains and any areas and inventory for managing, cleaning, and disinfecting reusable carts or containers;

6. Proper use of personal protective equipment by all employees;

7. Monitoring for pests and vermin, litter, blowing debris, odor, dust, breached containers, and spills; and

8. Any areas in which significant adverse environmental or health consequences may result if breakdown occurs.

V. Prior to managing regulated medical waste or using process equipment, and at least annually, within one year from the date of the last training, the facility shall provide all operators with training on the procedures for managing regulated medical waste specific to the transfer or treatment process used, including:

1. General handling of regulated medical waste and use of personal protective equipment;

2. Packaging, labeling, and storage of regulated medical waste;

3. Cleaning and disinfection of reusable containers;

4. Facility housekeeping and management of spills;

5. Overall process and mechanical operation of any equipment used ;

6. Emergency contingency plan procedures, in case of system failure or other emergency ; and

7. In addition to the requirements of subdivisions 1 through 6 of this subsection, treatment facility operators shall be trained on the operation of any treatment units and procedures for conducting periodic challenge testing.

W. The facility shall retain records in accordance with 9VAC20-121-340. Records shall be retained for three years and available for review as requested by the department.