Preface 

This is the fifth edition of CSA Z317.10, Handling of health care waste materials . It supersedes the previous edition, published in 2015 under the current title and in 2009 under the title Handling of waste materials in health care facilities and veterinary health care facilities. It is one of a series of Standards related to health care facility engineering and sets forth preventive measures intended to protect patients, staff, visitors, and the public from exposure to potentially hazardous waste materials. 

This Standard specifies requirements for the packaging, collection, storage, handling, treatment, and disposal of waste materials within health care facilities and veterinary health care facilities. 

This Standard also applies to health care waste materials generated outside of traditional health care facility environments in public and community settings, including structures which might be of a temporary nature (e.g., health care in the home environment, waste generated in public spaces, waste generated or recovered during emergency response activities, etc.), and in personal care service settings (e.g., waste generated from tattoo parlours, piercing services, electrolysis, aesthetic services, etc.). 

For the first time, this Standard addresses the special precautions associated with the management of Category A waste, as defined in the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations, and includes waste contaminated with Risk Group 3 and Risk Group 4 known infectious substances or pathogens, as defined in the Human Pathogens and Toxins Act. 

This Standard is also intended to assist in the reduction of waste by providing recommended recycling practices to protect the environment and promote sustainability. 

Major changes in this fifth edition include the following: 

a) a new clause dedicated to cytotoxic waste; and 

b) special precautions associated with the management of Category A waste and waste contaminated with Risk Group 3 and Risk Group 4 known infectious substances or pathogens.

This Standard has been developed in compliance with Standards Council of Canada requirements for National Standards of Canada. It has been published as a National Standard of Canada by CSA Group. 

Scope 

1.1 General 

This Standard specifies requirements for the packaging, collection, handling, storage, and on-site treatment and disposal of health care waste materials. 

1.2 Application 

1.2.1 General 

This Standard applies to health care and veterinary-related waste, and health care-related waste generated from traditional health care settings, public settings, and personal service settings, including structures which could be of a temporary nature. 

1.2.2 Health care and veterinary settings 

Health care and veterinary refers to 

a) health care facilities and mobile units; 

b) veterinary facilities and mobile units; 

c) blood banks; and 

d) blood collection centres. 

Notes: 1) This Standard may also be applied to the following: 

a) medical research and teaching facilities; 

b) veterinary research and teaching facilities; 

c) clinical and research laboratories where the waste generated is within the scope of this Standard; 

d) vaccine production facilities; 

e) vaccine testing facilities; 

f) mortuaries and funeral homes; and 

g) coroners laboratories. 

2) See Annex B for examples of health care facilities. 

1.2.3 Public and community settings Public and community refers to 

a) in the home environment; 

b) during emergency medical services/pre-hospital care; and 

c) in municipalities, communities, public parks, public rest rooms, etc. 

1.2.4 Personal service settings Personal service settings include, but are not limited to, personal service facilities providing tattoo, ear/body piercing, aesthetic, and electrolysis services. 

1.3 Exclusions This Standard does not provide technical requirements for off-site transportation or disposal of waste after removal. 

Note: Such requirements are specified in federal, provincial/territorial, and municipal regulations and legislation (see the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environments Guidelines for the Management of Biomedical Waste in Canada, and the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations). 

1.4 Terminology In this Standard, shall is used to express a requirement, i.e., a provision that the user is obliged to satisfy in order to comply with the standard; should is used to express a recommendation or that which is advised but not required; and may is used to express an option or that which is permissible within the limits of the standard. Notes accompanying clauses do not include requirements or alternative requirements; the purpose of a note accompanying a clause is to separate from the text explanatory or informative material. Notes to tables and figures are considered part of the table or figure and may be written as requirements. Annexes are designated normative (mandatory) or informative (non-mandatory) to define their application.