Chapter NR 526

NR 526.19(1)(e)6. 6. Compliance with other rules and regulations that apply to or within the medical facility, such as occupational health and safety regulations, state and federal air management regulations, state and federal wastewater regulations and state and federal hazardous waste regulations.

NR 526.19(1)(e)7. 7. Availability of products or equipment needed to implement an alternative.

NR 526.19(1)(e)8. 8. Other considerations specific to the medical facility.

NR 526.19(2) (2) Optional provisions.

NR 526.19(2)(a) (a) The director or director’s designee may also address the waste types listed in s. NR 526.18 (2) in the medical waste reduction plan, or incorporate the medical waste reduction plan within a comprehensive waste management plan for the medical facility.

NR 526.19(2)(b) (b) The medical waste reduction plan may describe, incorporate or refer to waste reduction policies or waste minimization plans adopted prior to November 1, 1994 or to applicable waste handling and management policies or plans developed under other rules, such as s. NR 662.041, or under the requirements of other agencies such as OSHA or the joint commission on accreditation of healthcare organizations.

NR 526.19(2)(c) (c) If the medical facility manages its infectious waste with other infectious waste generators, the director or director’s designee may work together with those generators to develop a single medical waste reduction plan.

NR 526.19(2)(d) (d) The medical waste reduction plan may describe incentives which are offered to encourage staff to participate actively in implementing, evaluating and improving the plan.

NR 526.19(2)(e) (e) When setting goals in sub. (3), the director or director’s designee may recognize and maintain past accomplishments in reducing medical waste. The plan may list other goals, including other numerical goals, which encourage continuous improvement in medical waste reduction. Numerical goals may be modified over time to reflect changing conditions.

NR 526.19(3) (3) Goals and objectives. The medical waste reduction plan shall list the medical facility’s internal goals, objectives and a timetable for reducing the amount of medical waste generated by the medical facility. Goals shall include, but are not limited to, all of the following:

NR 526.19(3)(a) (a) Meeting a specific numerical goal expressed in terms of a medical waste generation rate calculated according to s. NR 526.21 (1). If a medical facility has already significantly reduced its medical waste generation rate and has implemented policies which meet all of the goals in pars. (b) to (d), the numerical goal may be to maintain the current medical waste generation rate.

NR 526.19(3)(b) (b) Preventing the mixing of non-infectious waste with infectious waste by separating waste at the source according to s. NR 526.06 and by implementing the waste management procedures developed under sub. (5).

NR 526.19(3)(c) (c) Reducing the use of disposable items when it is practical to do so, by implementing the procedures for evaluating alternatives to disposables developed under sub. (6).

NR 526.19(3)(d) (d) Maintaining an effective program for reducing medical waste through education, training, monitoring and assessment, according to subs. (7), (8) and (9).

NR 526.19(4) (4) Baseline and past practices. The medical waste reduction plan shall briefly describe the practices related to medical waste management that were in effect during the most recent waste audit and any past efforts to reduce medical waste. Descriptions of baseline practices shall include but not be limited to all of the following: the waste management practices identified during the most recent waste audit under s. NR 526.18 (5); how alternatives to disposables were being evaluated; how medical waste management costs were being estimated; where any records of total medical waste generation, on-site treatment and off-site transportation were kept, and which positions were responsible for implementing each of these activities. Descriptions of past practices shall include what the medical facility has done to reduce medical waste from November 1, 1994 until the most recent audit and may include waste reduction efforts prior to November 1, 1994.

NR 526.19(5) (5) Waste management. The director or director’s designee shall consider the priorities in sub. (1) (d) and the factors in sub. (1) (e) when evaluating alternative waste management practices and developing waste management policies or procedures. The medical waste reduction plan shall briefly describe how the director or director’s designee intends to prevent the mixing of non-infectious waste with infectious waste. The plan shall include or refer to written policies or procedures for collecting, storing, transporting and treating medical waste from the point of generation to the point of disposal, including any medical waste discharged to a publicly-owned wastewater treatment system.

NR 526.19(6) (6) Alternatives to disposable items. The medical waste reduction plan shall include or refer to written policies or procedures for evaluating alternatives to disposables when purchasing medical materials, supplies and equipment. The policies or procedures shall specify how alternative products, replacement costs, treatment costs, disposal costs, the priorities in sub. (1) (d) and the factors in sub. (1) (e) will be evaluated prior to purchasing.

NR 526.19(7) (7) Public education. The medical waste reduction plan shall include or refer to specific written policies and procedures for informing volunteers, patients and their guests about waste disposal in order to prevent non-infectious waste from being put in containers meant only for infectious waste. Education is required only in areas where volunteers, patients and their guests have access to infectious waste containers. Education may include but is not limited to any one or more of the following: labels placed on or signs near infectious waste containers indicating who may place waste in those containers or what may be placed in them, pamphlets, notices, verbal education or other means.

NR 526.19(8) (8) Staff training. The medical waste reduction plan shall provide for the training of all employees and medical personnel who work within the medical facility, as follows:

NR 526.19(8)(a) (a) Initial training. Initial training shall include, at a minimum, the waste management practices, policies and procedures for medical waste and for any other waste types generated in the source areas in the areas in which they work.

NR 526.19(8)(a)1. 1. Existing employees and medical personnel who work within the medical facility shall receive training regarding the waste management policies and practices within 6 months after the medical waste reduction policy goes into effect. If the director or director’s designee has implemented a medical waste reduction plan prior to November 1, 1994, initial training done to implement the plan will meet the intent of this subdivision.

NR 526.19(8)(a)2. 2. New employees and medical personnel who work within the medical facility shall be trained as part of their initial orientation.

NR 526.19(8)(b) (b) Annual updates. All employees and medical personnel who work within the medical facility shall receive training annually on waste handling and management policies, procedures and practices for the waste types generated in the source areas in which they work.

NR 526.19(9) (9) Monitoring and assessment. The medical waste reduction plan shall describe how the director or director’s designee will monitor and assess waste reduction efforts. The plan shall include or refer to policies or procedures, where appropriate, for doing all of the following:

NR 526.19(9)(a) (a) Keeping records of total medical waste generation, on-site treatment and off-site shipment of medical waste for at least 5 years in order to meet the requirement in par. (g).

NR 526.19(9)(b) (b) Inspecting the medical facility periodically and enforcing the medical waste reduction plan.

NR 526.19(9)(c) (c) Monitoring the medical facility annually for changes which would make it necessary for the facility to repeat the waste audit according to s. NR 526.18.

NR 526.19(9)(d) (d) Reviewing the process of plan implementation annually.

NR 526.19(9)(e) (e) Assessing progress toward goals and objectives annually.

NR 526.19(9)(f) (f) Reviewing the contents of the medical waste reduction policy every 5 years and the medical waste reduction plan annually.

NR 526.19(9)(g) (g) Updating the policy and plan as necessary or at least every 5 years.

NR 526.19(9)(h) (h) Preparing and submitting progress reports according to s. NR 526.21.

NR 526.19(10) (10) Positions. The medical waste reduction plan shall identify the employee positions that will be responsible for each of the following activities in the plan: preparing the plan, evaluating and implementing alternative waste management practices, evaluating and implementing alternatives to disposables, education and training, and the activities associated with monitoring and assessment under sub. (9).

NR 526.19 History History: Cr. Register, October, 1994, No. 466, eff. 11-1-94; correction in (2) (b) made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats., Register April 2013 No. 688; correction in (2) (b) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., Register July 2022 No. 799.

NR 526.20 NR 526.20 Implementation and assessment. Unless exempt under s. NR 526.16, a director shall implement the medical waste reduction plan and assess the plan and the results of its implementation annually. If the department determines that a reasonable effort has not been made to follow the process outlined in this subchapter or to reduce waste, the department may require the director to submit the plan for review and require changes to the plan, which may include but are not limited to changes in goals, objectives, objective waste generation rate, schedules and waste management practices.

NR 526.20(1) (1) Implementation. A director shall implement the medical waste reduction plan by the following dates:

NR 526.20(1)(a) (a) For a medical facility which generates 500 pounds or more of medical waste per month, within 12 months of November 1, 1994.

NR 526.20(1)(b) (b) For a medical facility which generates 200 pounds or more but less than 500 pounds of medical waste per month, within 24 months of November 1, 1994.

NR 526.20(1)(c) (c) For a medical facility which generates 50 pounds or more but less than 200 pounds of medical waste per month, within 36 months of November 1, 1994.

NR 526.20(2) (2) Assessment. Each director or director’s designee shall assess annually both the medical waste reduction plan and the results of implementation of the plan, unless the medical facility is exempt under s. NR 526.16 (2). After completing each annual assessment, the director shall submit a progress report to the department according to s. NR 526.21.

NR 526.20 History History: Cr. Register, October, 1994, No. 466, eff. 11-1-94.

NR 526.21 NR 526.21 Progress reports. Unless exempt under s. NR 526.16 (2), each director shall submit progress reports to certify that the director has adopted a medical waste reduction policy, prepared and implemented a medical waste reduction plan and is maintaining efforts to reduce medical waste. The director shall submit progress reports to the department using the infectious waste annual report form required in s. NR 526.15 and supplied by the department, regardless of whether or not infectious waste manifests have been used during the preceding calendar year.

NR 526.21 Note Note: Infectious waste annual report forms (DNR form 4400-177) may be obtained from the department of natural resources, bureau of waste management, 101 S. Webster Street, P.O. Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707-7921. Phone number [phone].

NR 526.21(1) (1) First progress report. The first progress report shall be submitted to the department within 4 months of the date specified in s. NR 526.20 (1) for implementation of the plan. The first progress report shall include all of the following:

NR 526.21(1)(a) (a) Selected information required on the infectious waste annual report form provided by the department.

NR 526.21(1)(b) (b) Type of medical facility.

NR 526.21(1)(c) (c) Rate of medical waste generated. For waste audits and the first progress report, the year used shall be the audited year. For annual progress reports, the year used shall be the calendar year on which the progress report is based. The medical waste generation rate shall be expressed as follows:

NR 526.21(1)(c)1. 1. For hospitals and nursing homes, in pounds per patient-day, according to the following formula, unless the department approves an alternative formula in writing:

NR 526.21(1)(c)2. 2. For clinics, except free-standing dialysis clinics, in pounds per day per treatment area, according to the following formula, unless the department approves an alternative formula in writing:

NR 526.21(1)(c)3. 3. For free-standing dialysis clinics, in pounds per dialysis treatment, according to the following formula, unless the department approves an alternative formula in writing:

NR 526.21(1)(d) (d) Dates and titles of the medical waste reduction policy and the medical waste reduction plan and of any revisions to the policy or plan.

NR 526.21(1)(e) (e) An executive summary of the medical waste reduction plan, including goals and objectives.

NR 526.21(1)(f) (f) A brief description of progress toward meeting goals and implementing objectives, including but not limited to: the impact of waste reduction efforts on waste generation weight and rates; impacts of other factors on waste generation weight and rates, such as changes in types of treatment performed or acuity level of patients; benefits and problems with implementation; and how the problems have been addressed.

NR 526.21(1)(g) (g) Certification by the director that the information on the form is true and accurate.

NR 526.21(1)(h) (h) Filing fee for an infectious waste annual report as specified in s. NR 520.04, Table 2.

NR 526.21(2) (2) Annual progress reports. After the first progress report, the director shall submit annual progress reports for each calendar year by March 1 of the following year. Annual progress reports shall:

NR 526.21(2)(a) (a) Include all of the information required in sub. (1), except sub. (1) (e).

NR 526.21(2)(b) (b) Indicate whether or not the policy and plan have been revised in the previous year, specify the dates of any revisions and briefly describe the revisions.

NR 526.21 History History: Cr. Register, October, 1994, No. 466, eff. 11-1-94; am. (1) (intro.), (h), Register, June, 1996, No. 486, eff. 7-1-96; CR 05-020: am. (1) (c) 2., cr. (1) (c) 3. Register January 2006 No. 601, eff. 2-1-06.

NR 526.22 NR 526.22 Availability. Unless exempt under s. NR 526.16 (2), each director shall make its medical waste reduction policy and medical waste reduction plan available as follows:

NR 526.22(1) (1) Each director shall submit copies of the most recent medical waste reduction policy and plan, any amendments to the policy or plan, and all progress reports to the operator of each medical waste incinerator used to burn medical waste generated by the medical facility.

NR 526.22(2) (2) Each director shall make available copies of the most recent medical waste reduction policy and plan, any amendments to the policy or plan, the results of all waste audits, and all progress reports to the department for review upon request. The department may require the director to provide a copy of this material to the department without charge to the department. Upon receipt of the plan, the department will send an invoice for the medical waste reduction plan review fee required in s. NR 520.04, Table 2.

NR 526.22(3) (3) Each director shall make available copies of the most recent medical waste reduction policy and plan, any amendments to the policy or plan, and the progress reports, to other persons for review upon request, during normal administrative business hours. Each director shall provide copies of the policy, plan, annual assessments or amendments to any person who requests these documents either in writing or in person. The director may charge the person a reasonable fee to cover the cost of copying and mailing the documents.

NR 526.22 History History: Cr. Register, October, 1994, No. 466, eff. 11-1-94; am. (2), Register, June, 1996, No. 486, eff. 7-1-96.