General marking requirements for non-bulk packaging (49 CFR 172.301) ● Ensure that the outsides of waste containers are not
appropriate disinfectant. Follow manufacturer instructions on product labels for concentration, application method, and contact time for the specific disinfectant. ● If practicable, consider autoclaving waste on-site using an appropriate autoclave before it is packaged and sent out of a facility for disposal. Porous materials may require multiple autoclave cycles to ensure sufficient penetration of heat and steam. This approach may be more effective than just using a longer cycle. Follow CDC guidelines and DOT Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR), at www.cdc.gov/vhf/ ebola/hcp/medical- waste-management.html and phmsa.dot.gov/hazmat/ transporting-infectious- substances ● N95 respirators, Powered Air Purifying Respirators (PAPRs), or other respiratory protection devices. ● OSHA’s PPE Selection Matrix is intended to help employers select appropriate PPE for protecting workers who may be exposed to Ebola virus on-the-job. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) also provides recommendations for the selection and use of protective clothing and respirators for protection against biological agents: www.cdc.gov/niosh/ docs/2009-132 ● Training, practice and observation of workers in correct donning and doffing of PPE are important infection control measures. Workers should put on PPE in a way that minimizes the risk of skin and mucous membrane contact with potentially infectious materials; and remove PPE in a way that avoids self-contamination. This includes decontaminating PPE before and between removal steps: www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/hcp/procedures-for-ppe.html. The order of PPE removal may vary depending on the type of PPE a worker uses, the nature of the work tasks being performed, and which devices or garments are contaminated, among other factors. stacked ones, within vehicles using suitable straps or tie- downs. ● Employers must take steps to protect workers from exposure to contaminated waste containers and to protect workers when they must handle waste containers that are visibly soiled or otherwise known or suspected of having Ebola-virus contamination. ● Use proper protections, including additional or more protective PPE, if handling waste containers with visible contamination from blood, body fluids, or other potentially infectious or unknown material. Employers may consider additional or more protective PPE for waste collection and transport workers if they determine another more serious hazard(s) exists. ● Follow DOT HMR, at phmsa.dot.gov/hazmat/ transporting- infectious-substances products that have already been treated, such as incinerator ash or waste that already was appropriately autoclaved at its point of origin. Waste that has been properly treated and decontaminated is no longer infectious. Again, containers of waste must be placed as low as possible on dollies, hand trucks, or carts and when stacking to prevent toppling and spillage. Secure stacked containers using suitable shelves, straps, or other equipment.
contaminated. Use a combination of administrative controls and work practices to avoid contaminating a container when placing waste into it. ● Implement protocols for effectively decontaminating the outside of bags that go into containers, and the containers themselves if they come into contact with potentially infectious waste. ● If porous containers, such as corrugated cardboard boxes, become contaminated, they should be placed into another container. ● Disinfect the outsides of waste bags with an EPA-registered disinfectant that meets Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) criteria (see page 3: “Disinfectants for Ebola virus”) by wiping or spraying the bags with an Use appropriate personal protective equipment The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) standard (29 CFR 1910.132) requires employers to assess the workplace to determine what hazards are present and then choose the appropriate PPE to protect workers. Employers must select PPE that will protect workers against Ebola virus and other hazards to which they may be exposed. Workers with different job tasks, for instance, those who load waste containers onto trucks compared to those who empty containers onto processing lines, may have very different exposures and require different PPE. Workers must wear PPE to help minimize exposure to the virus via mucous membranes and broken skin, or through inhalation of bio-aerosols. Examples of PPE that may be needed during waste handling, treatment, transport, and disposal include: ● Nitrile gloves (consider using double-gloves and/or puncture- resistant gloves for extra protection). ● Goggles or face shields. ● Fluid-resistant or impermeable gowns or coveralls, and aprons. ● Facemasks that cover the nose and mouth. ● Dedicated washable shoes with protective shoe coverings. Collecting and transporting waste ● Under the Bloodborne Pathogens standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030, and other OSHA requirements, employers already must protect workers who collect and transport waste from exposure to infectious agents, such as the hepatitis B virus and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), in the waste they handle on a daily basis. Although exposure to these other agents may be more likely, employers are also required to protect workers from exposure to the all virus including Ebola. ● Follow stringent packaging protocols, including decontaminating waste containers at the point of origin, as a way to reduce the risk of exposure to Ebola virus and other infectious agents for workers involved in collecting packaged waste. ● Place containers of waste as low as possible on dollies, hand trucks, or carts and in trucks or other transport vehicles to prevent toppling and spillage. Secure containers, especially Processing waste in a treatment/disposal facility ● Under the Bloodborne Pathogens standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030, and other OSHA requirements, employers already must protect workers who process waste in a treatment/disposal facility from exposure to all infectious agents as noted above. Workers who are exposed to waste before it is completely treated and decontaminated, including when opening containers to load waste onto processing lines or into autoclaves or incinerators, may be at higher risk for exposure to Ebola virus and other infectious agents than workers with job tasks such as handling waste
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Book Code: FFL1223
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