What does OSHA mean by the term “regulated waste?”

The Bloodborne Pathogens Standard uses the term “regulated waste” to refer to the following categories of waste which require special handling:

1. Liquid or semi-liquid blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM),
2. Items contaminated with blood or OPIM and which would release these substances in a liquid or semi-liquid state if compressed,
3. Items that are caked with dried blood or OPIM and are capable of releasing these materials during handling,
4. Contaminated sharps, and
5. Pathological and microbiological wastes containing blood or OPIM.

Do not base a regulated-waste determination on the actual volume of blood, since 10 milliliters of blood on a disposable bed sheet would appear as a spot (not regulated waste), while the same amount on a cotton ball would likely cause saturation and dripping (regulated waste).