Section 1389-AA. Definitions

1. "Regulated medical waste" shall mean any
  of the following waste which is generated in the diagnosis, treatment or
  immunization of human beings or animals, in research pertaining thereto,
  or in production and testing of  biologicals,  provided,  however,  that
  "regulated   medical  waste"  shall  not  include  any  hazardous  waste
  identified or listed pursuant to section 27-0903  of  the  environmental
  conservation  law,  or  any  household  waste  as defined in regulations
  promulgated under such section.
    (a) Cultures and stocks. This waste shall include cultures and  stocks
  of  agents  infectious  to  humans, and associated biologicals, cultures
  from medical  or  pathological  laboratories,  cultures  and  stocks  of
  infectious agents from research and industrial laboratories, wastes from
  the production of biologicals, discarded live or attenuated vaccines, or
  culture dishes and devices used to transfer, inoculate or mix cultures.
    (b)  Human  pathological  wastes.  This  waste  shall  include tissue,
  organs, and body parts (except teeth and the  contiguous  structures  of
  bone  and gum), body fluids that are removed during surgery, autopsy, or
  other  medical  procedures,  or  specimens  of  body  fluids  and  their
  containers, and discarded material saturated with such body fluids other
  than   urine,  provided  that  the  commissioner,  by  duly  promulgated
  regulation, may exclude such  discarded  material  saturated  with  body
  fluids  from  this definition if the commissioner finds that it does not
  pose a significant risk to public health. This waste shall  not  include
  urine   or  fecal  materials  submitted  for  other  than  diagnosis  of
  infectious diseases.
    (c) Human blood and blood products.  This  waste  shall  include:  (i)
  discarded  waste human blood, discarded blood components (e.g. serum and
  plasma) containers with  free  flowing  blood  or  blood  components  or
  discarded  saturated  material  containing  free  flowing blood or blood
  components; and (ii) materials saturated with blood  or  blood  products
  provided  that  the  commissioner,  by  duly promulgated regulation, may
  exclude such material saturated with blood or blood products  from  this
  definition if the commissioner finds that it does not pose a significant
  risk to public health.
    (d)  Sharps.  This waste shall include but not be limited to discarded
  unused sharps and sharps used in animal or human patient  care,  medical
  research,   or  clinical  or  pharmaceutical  laboratories,  hypodermic,
  intravenous,  or  other  medical  needles,  hypodermic  or   intravenous
  syringes  to  which  a  needle or other sharp is still attached, Pasteur
  pipettes, scalpel blades, or blood vials. This waste shall include,  but
  not  be  limited  to, other types of broken or unbroken glass (including
  slides and cover slips) in contact with infectious  agents.  This  waste
  shall  not  include  those  parts  of  syringes  from  which  sharps are
  specifically designed to be easily removed and from  which  sharps  have
  actually  been  removed,  and  which are intended for recycling or other
  disposal, so long as  such  syringes  have  not  come  in  contact  with
  infectious agents.
    (e) Animal waste. This waste shall mean discarded materials, including
  carcasses,  body  parts, body fluids, blood, or bedding originating from
  animals known to be contaminated with infectious agents or from  animals
  inoculated during research, production of biologicals, or pharmaceutical
  testing with infectious agents.
    (f)  Any  other waste material containing infectious agents designated
  by the commissioner as regulated medical waste.
    2. "Storage" shall mean the containment of regulated medical waste  in
  such a manner as not to constitute disposal of such waste.

    3. "Transport" shall mean the movement of regulated medical waste from
  the  point  of  generation to any intermediate points and finally to the
  point of ultimate disposal.
    4. "Treatment" shall mean any method, technique or process designed to
  change the character or composition of any regulated medical waste so as
  to  either  neutralize such waste or to render such waste not infectious
  as approved by the commissioner pursuant  to  section  thirteen  hundred
  eighty-nine-dd of this title.
    5.  "Infectious agents" shall mean any organisms that cause disease or
  an adverse health impact to humans, except  that  the  commissioner  may
  prescribe by regulation additional infectious agents as may be necessary
  to protect human health and the environment.