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  • Bio-Safety Training
  • Disposal

    Bio-hazardous material can be delivered to the Environmental Safety Facility (ESF) located on the first floor of Earth Sciences and Chemistry Building (ESC) and is open from 11:00 am to noon Monday to Friday. Bio-hazardous waste is picked up from various buildings on campus every Tuesday afternoon or a pickup may be scheduled by calling Ext. 35755.   Check hazardous waste web page at: http://www.safetyoffice.uwaterloo.ca../environmental/hmhf.html

    for times and locations

     

    Packaging

    Infectious Materials ( Medical Waste, infectious materials, cultures etc.)

    1. All material must be packed in biohazard boxes and liners supplied by the ESF.
    2. Bags inside boxes must be sealed and boxed taped shut.
    3. Box must not be over packed (14 Kg max).

     

    Sharps (Syringes, blades etc. contaminated with bio hazardous materials)

    1. All material must be packed in sharps containers supplied by the ESF.(1 Litres Plastic Jugs)

     

    Animals Frozen

    1. All animals are to be kept frozen by researcher.
    2. Pick up must be arranged one week in advance. (Call Ext. 35755)
    3. All material must be packed in biohazard boxes and liners supplied by the ESF.
    4. Bags inside boxes must be sealed and boxed taped shut.
    5. Box must not be over packed (14 Kg max).

     

    Animal Preserved

    1. All formalin must be drained off.
    2. All material must be packed in biohazard boxes and liners supplied by the ESF.
    3. Bags inside boxes must be sealed and boxed taped shut.
    4. Box must not be over packed (14 Kg max).

    Autoclaves for Disposal

    The us of Autoclaves for rendering Bio-Waste safe for landfill is regulated by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Procedures are outlined in

    Guideline C-4: The Management of Biomedical Waste in Ontario

    If you wish to use autoclaves to dispose of Risk Group 1 and 2 organisms, you must have in place the following quality control measures. All quality control results must be documented and available for inspection.

    1. For each load of Bio-Waste disposed of a log of mechanical parameters must be maintained. Please use Bio-Waste Autoclave Disposal Log
    2. Autoclave tape, strips or pellets are to be run with each load of Bio-Waste
    3. Biological indicators spore-laden strips or vials are to be run every week you use the autoclave for waste disposal. Records are to be kept on Biological Test Results Log
    4. The material may then be placed in a regular garbage bag and placed in the buildings dumpster

    A Guide for the safe use of autoclaves is available at the University of Ottawa at:

    http://www.uottawa.ca/services/ehss/docs/autoclave.pdf