Infectious Waste Program
The College is required by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) 25 PA Code Chapter 284, and by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) 49 CFR 173 Hazardous Materials Regulation (HMR) to ensure the proper handling and disposal of infectious and biohazardous wastes.
The purpose of Lafayette’s Infectious Waste Program is to ensure that infectious and biohazardous waste is segregated and disposed of safely and properly.
Infectious and biohazardous waste can be any laboratory-generated waste that has been, or may have been, contaminated with disease-causing bacteria, viruses, fungi, or other pathogen; or any item that has been used in recombinant DNA work.
Lafayette retains a licensed infectious and biohazardous waste transportation and disposal vendor to provide services for all infectious waste generators on campus. Materials should be managed according to the procedures outlined in the Plan.
Federal DOT regulations define infectious waste as a hazardous material that is subject to specific requirements for proper packaging, labeling, transportation and training. Infectious waste is classified under hazard class 6.2 of the DOT regulations because it poses a risk of disease transmission to humans or animals.
Generators must ensure that employees preparing infectious waste for shipment with a commercial transporter are trained in accordance with the DOT HMR and that the waste packaging and labeling is also compliant with the HMR.