If biological waste is being autoclaved at your facility, be sure to maintain compliance with the MA State Sanitary Code. 105 CMR 480.150 requires that quarterly qualitative biological challenge testing be conducted when autoclaves are used to treat biological waste.
All of the disinfection procedures used to treat biological waste need to be reviewed and approved by your company’s Institutional Biosafety Committee. If one of the approved disinfection procedures involves autoclaving biological waste, there are specific requirements for conducting quarterly challenge testing stipulated in the Sanitary Code.
Also remember that there are labeling requirements stipulated in the Sanitary Code for waste that is treated on-site prior to removal for landfill disposal. The MA Department of Public Health, Bureau of Environmental Health, Community Sanitation Program also recommends that a placard be inserted into each bag or container of waste to assure solid waste handlers that the waste has in fact been treated.