UD Student Health Service: Staff Bloodborne Diseases Training

Signs, Labels, and Color Coding

Warning labels need to be affixed to containers of regulated waste, refrigerators and freezers containing blood or other potentially infectious material, and other containers used to store, transport or ship blood or other potentially infectious materials. These labels are fluorescent orange, red, or orange-red, and they are available from your supervisor. Bags used to dispose of regulated waste must be red or orange red, and they, too, must have the biohazard symbol readily visible upon them. Regulated waste should be double-bagged to guard against the possibility of leakage if the first bag is punctured.

Regulated waste refers to

Any liquid or semi-liquid blood or other potentially infectious materials
Contaminated items that would release blood or other potentially infectious materials in a liquid or semi-liquid state if compressed
Items that are caked with dried blood or other potentially infectious materials and are capable of releasing these materials during handling
Contaminated sharps
Pathological and microbiological wastes containing blood or other potentially infectious materials

All regulated waste must be disposed in properly labeled containers or red biohazard bags. These must be disposed at an approved facility. Most departments or facilities which generate regulated waste will have some sort of contract with an outside disposal company that will come pick up their waste and take it to an approved incineration/disposal facility.

Custodians and housekeepers will not remove bags containing any form of blood (human or animal), vials containing blood, bloody towels, rags, biohazardous waste, etc. from laboratories unless the bag has one of these labels on it. They have been given very strict instructions not to handle any non-regulated waste unless it has been properly marked and labeled (including signature).

Custodians will not handle regulated waste.