Our work environment generates different types of waste. We produce recyclables, regular garbage or hazardous wastes every day. It is important to direct waste so it can be managed effectively. You should ensure incompatible wastes are not mixed together as this may cause disposal problems.

To dispose of chemical waste you must complete a Chemical Waste Disposal Record. Once the chemicals are listed on the form contact the FHSc Safety Office at extension 24956 to arrange for an appointment to transfer the chemicals to the waste room in HSC.

If you have any questions or concerns on waste disposal contact the Safety Manager Mike McGuire at extension 24956 or by e-mail to mmcguir@mcmaster.ca.

Wastes must be DECONTAMINATED FIRST (INSIDE THE BSC if Level 2) before packaging as below.

YOU are responsible for decontamination and packaging of YOUR biohazardous waste items SAFELY for the workers involved in transport and disposal.

The following information will help you direct waste to the proper waste stream:

Waste is coming under increased legislation and disposal standards. As a result, those who are generating waste need to follow particular practices. Please ensure that a supervisor of McMaster has formally reviewed the protocols that will result in the generation of hazardous waste before you start a project.

Waste disposal staff, whether within this organization or along the route to the final disposal, need to be ensured of a safe workplace and properly packaged waste. Therefore, the following are protocols which are put into place to meet these requirements. It is expected that all employees and students will follow these general guidelines.

(1) Biomedical waste including bacteria, viruses, parasites, cell lines, research samples of human fluids/tissues/parts, vials, plates, pipettes etc. are to be packaged into a plastic bag. The closed and sealed bag is to be disposed into the waste container with the official biohazard symbol. The cardboard box system is used for research area. In some cases, the waste container may be in your work area, in most cases, it is found at a central waste station. Please ensure you know how waste is handled in your area before generating it!

Any item which may "appear" to be associated with biological agents should NOT be disposed of into regular waste. This would include anything with a biohazard symbol on it, be it empty or not. It would include unused plates, culture media, transport vials, drug vials, medical tubing, pipets or other items which could reasonably be expected to contain hazardous biological material. Although this is not legislated, in practice, this has been the area of greatest concern to waste handling staff.

Any biological material autoclaved for the purposes of general waste disposal must have a biological monitoring program and must be free of any biohazardous waste labeling. Contact Biosafety Office at 24956 for assistance in establishing this disposal stream.

(2) Sharps including syringes, needles, suture needles, scalpel blades, broken glass slides or other sharp objects, are to be placed into a disposable sharps container, which either remains at the worksite or is added to the waste container in item #1. No disposable sharps containers are to be placed in regular waste nor be removed into a non-worksite area.

(3) Animal parts. Although it may be food grade material, any animal part used at McMaster for non-food purposes should have formal approval for use and be returned to the appropriate areas within McMaster for disposal. This would include preserved animals for dissection. Contact the Safety offices at 24956 or EOHSS at 24352 for assistance in approval and identifying the appropriate disposal.

(4) Recycling varies considerably from one location to another. When recycling is in place, there will be instructions, generally in symbol form, indicating what is to be recycled. For a successful recycling program, non-recyclable waste should not be placed into a recycle container. This will result in all of the potentially recyclable material going to landfill. Do your part to make this program a success.

(5) Old equipment. Before any equipment can be disposed, a number of items need to be reviewed. Does it have a refrigerant? Previous biological use? Previous radiation use or radiation source? Previous chemical use? Hazardous gases? Is it recyclable /reusable? View the webpage or contact the FHSc Safety Office at 24956 or EOHSS at 24352 for information.

(6) Chemicals are not to be disposed of down the sink, nor discarded into general waste. This includes containers with significant residuals, compressed gas containers, paints with heavy metals, batteries etc. An all encompassing recycling and disposal system are in place. Contact FHSc safety office at 24956 or EOHSS at 24352. For offsite locations, contact your local waste disposal co-ordinator or one of the above numbers.

(7) General waste is restricted to the type of material that would be found in home disposal. All paper, metal, cardboard should be recycled where possible.

 

Weight of the waste is limited to the safe lifting weight for the waste handler. Waste containers have been created in a size that will be within safe lifting weight when filled with the intended weight. If you have extraordinarily heavy waste, please decrease the volume placed into each container. Never overstuff a waste container. Containers found to be too heavy will not be removed and will need to be repackaged by the generator.

 

Disposable Tissue Culture Plates / Flasks / Containers: Bleach added to container to minimum 10% bleach solution, sit 30 minutes INSIDE BSC, then aspirate. Place, empty decontaminated containers in waste container INSIDE BSC. (or use other decontamination solution AS PER MANUFACTURERS directions)

Pipette Tips: rinse with 10% bleach by pipetting, eject liquid into 10% bleach container, eject tip into sharps container INSIDE BSC. (or use other decontamination solution AS PER MANUFACTURERs directions)

Serological Pipettes or Plastic Transfer Pipettes: rinse with 10% bleach by pipetting, eject liquid into 10% bleach container, place pipette into waste container INSIDE BSC. (or use other decontamination solution AS PER MANUFACTURERS directions)

Pasteur Pipettes: rinse with 10% bleach by aspiration, place into sharps container INSIDE BSC. (or use other decontamination solution AS PER MANUFACTURERS directions)

Plastic wrapping and unused plasticware unfortunately must go into the biomedical waste stream, since there is no way of outside staff to know if it has come into contact with biohazards or not. Unknown = contaminated. BE FRUGAL WITH YOUR PLASTICWARE.

Reusable glass items: soak in a bin filled with 10% bleach for 30 minutes INSIDE BSC, wash, autoclave, reuse. (or use other decontamination solution AS PER MANUFACTURERS directions)

All SOLID, DECONTAMINATED, BAGGED biohazardous waste items are sprayed down with 70% ethanol INSIDE the BSC, the bag is wiped down then discarded into the biomedical waste container (bag-lined cardboard box).

Liquid Wastes: add enough bleach to make a 10% v/v bleach solution, let sit 30 minutes INSIDE BSC. Aspirate. (or use other decontamination solution AS PER MANUFACTURERS directions).

Collected Decontaminated Liquid Wastes: once decontaminated, pour down sink with copious (lots) of water. Let cold water run for minimum 5 minutes.

Contaminated Clothing or other Textiles: If you have an autoclave available for decontamination of pathogenic wastes (not common --> ASK autoclave operator first), then you may bag the item in an autoclave bag, send for autoclaving, then send for laundering. If you do not have an autoclave available (in most cases), you must soak the item in a bin of 10% bleach for 30 minutes (or other effective decontamination solution as per manufacturers directions), rinse well then air dry. (Please do not put wet items in the the laundry bags, it will mold if left to sit for a long period of time.) Send for laundering. Your last option is to discard the item into a plastic bag, seal tight then dispose into biohazardous waste.

For your own protection, do not mix decontamination solutions! Some chemical combinations produce toxic gas when mixed.