Medical Waste Management

The regulations governing medical waste disposal are found in the Medical Waste Management Act (MWMA). Medical waste is defined as biohazardous, pathology, pharmaceutical, trace chemotherapy, or sharps waste that is generated or produced as a result of the:

• diagnosis, treatment, or immunization of human beings or animals in a health care setting
• research pertaining to the diagnosis, treatment or immunization of human beings or animals
• production or testing of microbiologicals
• research using human or animal pathogens
• the accumulation of properly contained home-generated sharps waste
• the removal of trauma-scene wastes

Disposal of Medical Waste

Check out our main campus Medical Waste Management Plan for our current procedures. (Currently under revision)

Medical Waste Management Training is available online in the UC Learning Center. All research personnel who generate medical and sharps waste must take this course as part of their BUA requirements and for access approval to the disposal locations. 

• Disposal locations - PLEASE ENSURE ALL MEDICAL WASTE BAGS ARE PLACED IN THE BINS AND NEVER ON THE FLOOR. 
  • S&E 1: Room 144 (cage in loading dock)
  • S&E 2: Main floor cage on opposite wall from the freight elevator
  • Castle: Caged area in the rear parking lot
  • SRE: Basement Room 3
• Dry Waste? Liquid Waste? Sharps?
  • View/print the medical waste disposal guidelines table HERE
  • When sealing the dry waste bag, use tape to "gooseneck" the bag (see images below)
• Waste labeling must include the name of your PI and lab location
  • Request waste labels specific to your lab by emailing biosafety@ucmerced.edu and include the PI's name, building and lab room number
  • You may also print the labels for solid medical waste here. It can be printed onto labels (2" x 4", Avery template 5163^TM
  • Tissue culture waste label template is available here. It can be printed onto labels (3 1/3'' x 4'', Avery template 94215^TM