The Florida Department of Health works to protect health care workers, environmental health staff, biomedical waste transporters, and the general public from risks associated with potentially infectious biomedical waste.
There are approximately 50,000 facilities in Florida that generate biomedical waste, including hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, laboratories, funeral homes, dentists, veterinarians, physicians, pharmacies, body piercing and tattoo shops, transporters, and storage and treatment facilities.ย
When biomedical waste is improperly managed, it places health care workers, sanitation workers, and the general public at risk for contracting dangerous diseases.ย
Both the Florida Department of Health (DOH) andย Florida Department of Environmental Protectionย (DEP)ย have regulatory responsibilities for biomedical waste:
Biomedical Waste Inspections
View inspection reports (by county) from the Florida Department of Health for regulated biomedical waste establishments. Approximately 50,000 regulated entities are inspected annually, however some exemptions apply.ย
- DOHย has primary authority and responsibility for facilities that generate, transport, store, or treat biomedical waste through processes other than incineration.ย
- DEPย has primary responsibility for biomedical waste incineration and final disposal.
Residential Waste
Biomedical waste generated by individuals in their own homes from use of syringes or diagnostic lancets also should beย properly managed.
Many homeowners can find assistance through aย county health department sharps collection program.
When biomedical waste is produced in a home through injury or other major traumatic conditions, the guidelines forย home cleanup of biomedical wasteย provides information for proper cleanup.
Trauma scene cleanup providersย can be contacted to manage site decontamination.
Residential Sharps Disposal
To minimize risks from improper disposal of home-generated biomedical waste, county health departmentsย have implemented programs that provide residents safe disposal.
Regulation of Biomedical Waste
Regulation of facilities in Florida, includes hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, laboratories, funeral homes, dentists, veterinarians, physicians, pharmacies, body piercing and tattoo shops, transporters, storage, and treatment facilities.ย
Complaints
Complaints concerning biomedical waste is investigated byย local county health departments.ย While small amounts of improperly disposed biomedical waste are cleaned up locally, emergency situations are referred to DEP.