Medical Waste
The Kentucky Division of Waste Management does not have regulations specific to the transportation, storage, collection, or landfill disposal of medical waste with the exception of a requirement relating to transfer stations. (See Siting of a Solid Waste Management Facility.)
There are several requirements under the jurisdiction of other government agencies. (See Medical Waste Regulations on this page.)
Safe Disposal Tips
Medical waste is considered municipal solid waste and is subject to the same requirements as household garbage and may be disposed of in a permitted contained landfill.
To safely dispose of sharps (syringes and lancets) used by individuals, a commercially available disposal system can be purchased through your local pharmacy. A cheaper alternative is a hard plastic container such as an empty laundry detergent bottle.
For the safety of your garbage collector, label the container to indicate that it contains sharps and communicate with your garbage collector that you will be setting out sharps containers on a regular basis.
NOTE: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently placed "New Information About Disposing of Medical Sharps" on its main Medical Waste page at http://www.epa.gov/wastes/nonhaz/industrial/medical/. The Coalition for Safe Community Needle Disposal is working with EPA to evaluate and promote alternative disposal methods for used needles and other medical sharps.
Medical Waste Regulations
AIR QUALITY -- The Kentucky Division for Air Quality requires that all medical waste incinerators obtain a special permit prior to conducting medical waste incineration.
HEALTH CARE FACILITIES -- Hospital and the nursing facility regulations require sharps to be incinerated or rendered nonhazardous:
- Hospital Operations and Services Regulation 902 KAR 20:016 Section 3(10) (g) 3 “A sharp waste container shall be incinerated on or off site, or shall be rendered nonhazardous.”
- Nursing Facility Operations and Services Regulation 902 KAR 20:300 Section 6 (7) (b) 4 c. “The containers of sharp wastes shall either be incinerated on or off site, or be rendered nonhazardous by a technology of equal or superior efficacy, which is approved by both the Cabinet for Human Resources and the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet.”
For more information about medical waste treatment technologies in Kentucky, contact the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Division of Health Care Services, 502-564-7963.
Transportation
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet requires anyone who transports solid waste to a landfill, other than from a private residence, to register with the Transportation Cabinet pursuant to KRS 174.450. You can contact the Transportation Cabinet at 502-564-4127 to get information on getting a solid waste license.
Haulers of municipal solid waste, which includes medical waste haulers, are required to register with and report annually to any county in which they do business (http://lrc.ky.gov/KRS/224-43/315.PDF). Contact your county solid waste coordinator to obtain the registration and reporting form or download form DEP5033 from this link.
Worker Safety
Occupational safety and health standards require procedures to protect healthcare and medical workers. Inquiries about these regulations should be made to the Kentucky Labor Cabinet at 502-564-3070. Note: Labor's Division of Education and Training offers cost-free assistance including technical training, consultation, publications and information on injury/illness recordkeeping requirements.