Biohazard bags
Biohazard bags are specialized containers designed for the safe disposal of blood and other potentially infectious materials (OPIM) in various laboratory and healthcare settings. They are particularly crucial in forensic, clinical, and research laboratories, as well as hospitals, dental clinics, and blood banks, where the handling of hazardous biological waste is routine. These bags are mandated by regulations from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to ensure the protection of workers who might come into contact with dangerous materials.
Typically colored red or red-orange and displaying the universal biohazard symbol, biohazard bags serve as a clear warning that the contents are potentially infectious. The bags must be made from robust materials that can withstand high temperatures and pressures, ensuring that they are leak-resistant. Before disposal, these bags are often sterilized using an autoclave, which effectively eliminates harmful pathogens. Furthermore, biohazard bags are equipped with indicators that signal when the contents have been properly decontaminated. The proper use and disposal of biohazard bags play an essential role in maintaining safety and public health by preventing exposure to infectious agents.
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Subject Terms
Biohazard bags
- DEFINITION: Containers used by laboratories for the safe disposal of blood and other potentially infectious wastes.
- SIGNIFICANCE: Forensic, clinical, and research laboratories, as well as publicly and privately owned health care establishments such as hospitals, medical clinics, long-term care facilities, dental clinics, and blood banks, are required to use safety containers known as biohazard bags when disposing of blood or other potentially infectious materials. Forensic laboratories often analyze such materials when they are obtained as evidence in various crimes.
The use of biohazard bags, as an element of hazard communication, is one of the key provisions in the Standard on Occupational Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens issued by the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on December 6, 1991. Biohazard bags are used to communicate the presence of blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM). Such bags serve to warn workers who may be exposed to potentially hazardous and infectious materials; facilities that use biohazard bags must train their workers to use universal precautions in handling the bags and their contents.
According to OSHA, OPIM include human body fluids (semen, vaginal secretions, saliva, any body fluid visibly contaminated with blood, and all body fluids that are difficult or impossible to differentiate) and any unfixed tissue or organ from a human being (dead or alive). OSHA also considers as OPIM any materials containing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or hepatitis B virus (HBV), such as blood, liquids, solutions, and cell, tissue, and organ cultures used in clinical, research, and forensic laboratories. Forensic laboratories often conduct evidence analyses on blood and OPIM.
The Bloodborne Pathogens Standard also uses the term “regulated waste,” which refers to blood, OPIM, and materials or wastes contaminated with either one. Regulated waste requires special handling, including placement in containers with biohazard warnings (that is, biohazard bags) and safe disposal in keeping with federal, state, and local regulations.
Biohazard bags are color coded red (sometimes red-orange) and generally display the universal biohazard symbol to warn individuals that the materials contained are potentially infectious. As part of the special handling of regulated waste, before disposal biohazard bags are often sterilized in an autoclave, a device that uses high pressure and high-temperature steam to eradicate bacteria, viruses, and other microbes. OSHA thus requires that biohazard bags be made of substances—such as thick blended polymers—that are resistant to leakage and can withstand high pressure and high temperature. Biohazard bags also have indicators that change color after exposure to steam and thus indicate that the materials contained inside have been subjected to sterilization or decontamination.
Bibliography
Acello, Barbara. The OSHA Handbook: Guidelines for Compliance in Health Care Facilities and Interpretive Guidelines for the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard. Clifton Park, N.Y.: Thomson/Delmar Learning, 2002.
Barker, Kathy. At the Bench: A Laboratory Navigator. Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 2004.
"Biohazard Bags: A Vital Tool for Safeguarding Healthcare Environments and Professionals." Spartech, 23 Aug. 2023, www.spartech.com/blogs/Biohazard-Bags-A-Vital-Tool-For-Safeguarding-Healthcare-Environments-And-Professionals. Accessed 13 Aug. 2024.
O’Neal, Jon T. The Bloodborne Pathogens Standard: A Pragmatic Approach. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1996.
World Health Organization. Laboratory Biosafety Manual. Geneva: Author, 2005.