scope:

General

This Standard specifies requirements for the packaging, collection, handling, storage, and on-site treatment and disposal of health care waste materials.

Application

General

This Standard applies to health care and veterinary-related waste, and health care-related waste generated from traditional health care settings, public settings, and personal service settings, including structures which could be of a temporary nature.

Health care and veterinary settings

"Health care and veterinary" refers to

a) health care facilities and mobile units;

b) veterinary facilities and mobile units;

c) blood banks; and

d) blood collection centres.

Notes:

1) This Standard may also be applied to the following:

a) medical research and teaching facilities;

b) veterinary research and teaching facilities;

c) clinical and research laboratories where the waste generated is within the scope of this Standard;

d) vaccine production facilities;

e) vaccine testing facilities;

f) mortuaries and funeral homes; and

g) coroners' laboratories.

2) See Annex B for examples of health care facilities.

Public and community settings

"Public and community" refers to

a) in the home environment;

b) during emergency medical services/pre-hospital care; and

c) in municipalities, communities, public parks, public rest rooms, etc.

Personal service settings

Personal service settings include, but are not limited to, personal service facilities providing tattoo, ear/ body piercing, aesthetic, and electrolysis services.

Exclusions

This Standard does not provide technical requirements for off-site transportation or disposal of waste after removal.

Note: Such requirements are specified in federal, provincial/territorial, and municipal regulations and legislation (see the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment's Guidelines for the Management of Biomedical Waste in Canada, and the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations).

Terminology

In this Standard, "shall" is used to express a requirement, i.e., a provision that the user is obliged to satisfy in order to comply with the standard; "should" is used to express a recommendation or that which is advised but not required; and "may" is used to express an option or that which is permissible within the limits of the standard.

Notes accompanying clauses do not include requirements or alternative requirements; the purpose of a note accompanying a clause is to separate from the text explanatory or informative material.

Notes to tables and figures are considered part of the table or figure and may be written as requirements.

Annexes are designated normative (mandatory) or informative (non-mandatory) to define their application.