VCOM Institutional Policy and Procedure Manual

VCOM Policy and Procedure

Policy #R012

5.8. Examples of Infectious Waste Agar : All agar plates with any microbial growth should be autoclaved, allowed to cool and resolidify , prior to disposal. Liquids : All tissue culture media and broth cultures should be autoclaved and poured down the drain when cool. Alternatively, sodium hypochlorite (household bleach) may be used. A sufficient amount of bleach should be added to bring the final concentration to 10% of the total volume (i.e., 10 mls bleach to 100 mls aqueous waste). The mixture is then incubated at room temperature for 1 hour and then may be poured down the drain. Solids : Other laboratory waste such as plastic and glass pipettes, petri dishes (both plastic and glass), multiwell plates, tissue culture flasks, cuvettes, gloves and pipette tips should be collected in a biohazard bag, autoclaved, and placed into the infectious waste containers. All infectious waste must be placed in leak proof, unbreakable containers prior to the biohazard bag. Sharps : ALL sharps (i.e., hypodermic needles, syringes, razor and scalpel blades) should be disposed of in a puncture-resistant sharps container. In addition to these items, all pasteur pipettes, broken glass and microscope slides which have been in contact with viable infectious materials should be disposed of in a sharps container, which should be autoclaved before disposal. Gels : Polyacrylamide and agarose gels, including those stained with ethidium bromide should be placed into biohazard bags and put directly into the infectious waste barrel. They need not be autoclaved. 5.9. Non-Infectious Waste All plastic labware, pipettes, pipette tips and gloves that have been used to transfer salt solutions, buffers and other non-infectious materials should be placed into normal laboratory trash recepticals. Glass labware and pipettes should be placed in “Disposable Lab Glass” or “Broken Glass” cans. These items are not to be placed into biohazard bags. These cans are merely an alternative method for janitorial personnel to transport materials to the dumpster. D URATION OF P OLICY The Policies & Procedures Governing Environmental Health & Safety established by the Research Office is effective as of the date above and shall remain effective until amended or terminated by the President and the Provost, Dean and Executive Vice President and Executive Vice President. 6.

VCOM Policies and Procedures Governing Environmental Health & Safety

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