Biohazard Label

[Albina Hickel]

Pursuantto OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard (29 CFR 1910.1030), warning biohazard labels must be affixed to containers of regulated waste and other containers used to store, transport, or ship blood or other potentially infectious materials. The standard requires that the biohazard symbol and legend be in a contrasting color to a fluorescent orange or orange-red background.

The Biohazard Warning Sign restricts laboratory access during work with biohazards, communicates with the agents in use, and specifies entry and exit requirements. It is the responsibility of the principal investigator (PI) or supervisor to properly identify and restrict access to the laboratory and to notify emergency and support personnel of any hazards in the laboratory.

In our latest installment of Ask the Expert, brought to you by the team of industry experts at EHS Hero, we look at a recent question from a subscriber asking about the OSHA standards of biohazard labeling in facilities where biohazardous samples are kept. See what the experts had to say.

Q: We store biohazardous samples in an ultra-low temperature freezer and label the freezer as such. Do the doors into the area need the biohazard label on them to let employees know that they are entering into an area that has biohazardous material in it?

However, employers are only required to post signs at the entrances to work areas at research laboratories and production facilities engaged in the culture, production, concentration, experimentation, and manipulation of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the hepatitis B virus (HBV). This includes signs at all access doors when OPIM or infected animals are present in the work area or containment module. This requirement does not apply to clinical or diagnostic laboratories engaged solely in the analysis of blood, tissues, or organs.

A biological hazard, or biohazard, is a biological substance that poses a threat (or is a hazard) to the health of living organisms, primarily humans. This could include a sample of a microorganism, virus or toxin that can adversely affect human health. A biohazard could also be a substance harmful to other living beings.[a]

Biohazardous safety issues are identified with specified labels,[b] signs and paragraphs established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Today, ANSI Z535 standards for biohazards are used worldwide and should always be used appropriately within ANSI Z535 Hazardous Communications (HazCom) signage, labeling and paragraphs. The goal is to help workers rapidly identify the severity of a biohazard from a distance and through colour and design standardization.[citation needed]

DANGER is used to identify a biohazard that will cause death. WARNING is used to identify a biohazard that may cause death. CAUTION is used to identify a biohazard that will cause injury, but not death. NOTICE is used to identify a non-injury biohazard message (e.g. hygiene, cleanup or general lab policies).

OSHA requires the use of proper ANSI HazCom where applicable in American workplaces. States and local governments also use these standards as codes and laws within their own jurisdictions. Proper use of ANSI Z535 signs, labels and paragraphs are written into many of OSHA's standards for HazCom and crafted to integrate with ISO symbols.

Sizes

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Affix labels to containers containing blood or other potentially infectious materials. Great for use on refrigerators, waste bags, containers and doors. Our biohazard and medical labels meet OSHA requirements for the proper handling of biohazardous materials.

The labels are printed on gloss paper with a superior smooth finish that is scratch and scuff resistant. They are backed with an cold temperature, permanent adhesive which bonds to a wide variety of substrates.

Biohazard dot labels are laminated plastic tube labels for identifying vials, tubes, and other containers with a biohazard symbol. These round biohazard labels are ideal for prolonged storage inside freezers (-80C), and dry ice, as well as for transportation of hazardous biological samples and other hazardous materials in dry ice containers, and portable freezers. These warning labels can withstand multiple freeze-thaw cycles, boiling water, dry ice, and other cryogenic and harsh lab environments. The radioactive symbol and the colored background are protected against water, alcohols, xylene, toluene, acetone, DMSO, MEK, industrial thinners, oil, grease, acids, bases, brake fluid, detergents, and other chemicals and solvents, as well as mechanical friction, rubbing, under the hood use and physical damage. Wear and tear proof.

Yes, warning labels can be customized with standard warning symbols, text, graphics, and logos on various color backgrounds. Please contact our technical support team for additional sizing, color, and design options.

Biohazardous waste (e.g., biomedical, infectious, sharps, clinical medical waste, etc.) may be contaminated by blood, body fluids or other potentially infectious materials thus posing a significant risk of transmitting infection to humans or harming the environment. Please follow the guidelines for each category when disposing of biohazardous waste.

For chemical disinfection of liquid biohazardous waste, the only university-wide approved disinfectant for UC San Diego is bleach. If your laboratory wishes to inquire about the use of alternative disinfectants to inactivate liquid biohazardous waste, please send an email with the following information:

Sharps are devices that have acute rigid corners, edges, or protuberances capable of cutting or piercing. Common sharps use include hypodermic needles, needles with syringes or tubing, blades, Pasteur pipettes, blood vials, items capable of cutting or piercing, and all glassware if contaminated with infectious, potentially infectious, or genetically modified materials.

Sharps in contact with biological or infectious materials are disposed of as biohazard sharps. Do not dispose of sharps in contact with chemicals or radioactive materials in a biohazard sharps container. Sharps connected to other equipment can be disposed of in sharps containers. For example, a needle connected to syringes or tubing. Non-sharps items should not be disposed of in a biohazard sharps container. Gloves, kimwipes, wrappers, and other lab debris should not be disposed of within sharps containers.

Shop our line of evidence labels and seals. For biohazard, weapons, dna, evidence, specimen, security arson and chain of custody. Labels available in a variety of sizes. Custom evidence labels available upon request.

Infectious waste is defined by the Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) rules (410 IAC 1-3-10) and Indiana code IC 16-41-16-4 as waste capable of transmitting a dangerous communicable disease. Infectious waste includes pathological wastes, such as tissue, organs and body parts, contaminated sharps, biological cultures, blood and blood products in liquid or semiliquid form, laboratory animal carcasses, body parts, bedding, infectious agent stock, and other waste.

According to IC 16-41-16 and 410 IAC 1-3-22, generators and those who provide services to generators are responsible for proper containment, labeling, effective treatment, transport, and disposal of infectious wastes. IDEM regulates offsite management of infectious wastes by businesses. Infectious waste must be treated or incinerated before it can be disposed of in a Municipal Solid Waste Landfill (MSWLF).

Treated and untreated infectious waste will need to comply with labeling and shipping requirements specified in 410 IAC 1-3. All persons and facilities subject to the Infectious Waste rule who are transporting infectious waste off-site, whether effectively treated or not, must:

A transfer station must not accept infectious waste, except as provided in the Indiana State of Health rule 410 IAC 1-3-26 and 329 IAC 11-13.5-15. A transfer station must have approval to receive treated and/or untreated infectious waste. Any untreated infectious waste accidently received a transfer station needs to be stored and transported off-site as described in 410 IAC 1-3-25 (storage) and 410 IAC 1-3-28 (label and manifest), and shipped in outer packaging with a biohazard symbol label.

If treated infectious waste will be managed at this facility, it must be stored in a secure location separate from the general waste stream until loaded in a transfer trailer. The trailer must be marked with a biohazard symbol label.

Medical or infectious waste treatment facility must have processing facility permit regulated by 329 IAC 11. IDEM permits treatment of infectious waste like autoclaving, microwaving, ozonation or incineration. A treatment is effective if it reduces the pathogenic qualities of infectious waste designed for specific infectious waste involved and is carried out in a manner consistent with 410 IAC 1.3.

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