Biomedical Waste

The purpose of the biomedical waste program is to protect health care workers, custodial staff, waste haulers, and the general public from risks associated with biomedical waste.

Disposal of biomedical waste is regulated by two agencies in Florida. The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) regulates medical waste incinerators and final disposal of treated medical wastes. The Department of Health regulates treatment methods, other than incineration, and commercial facilities that produce, transport, or store biomedical waste under the authority of Chapter 64E-16 (pdf) of the Florida Administrative Code. This program is administered by area biomedical waste coordinators located in County Health Departments. Orange, Seminole, Osceola and Brevard county health departments have their own biomedical waste coordinator. To find the coordinator for other areas of the state, see the list of biomedical waste coordinators.

Generators

A generator is any facility or person who produces biomedical waste as described in Chapter 64E-16 of the Florida Administrative Code. All commercial facilities that produce sharps or other biomedical waste are required to obtain an annual permit from the county health department of jurisdiction. After 12 months of operation, any facility that has produced less than 25 pounds of biomedical waste each month may apply for exemption from the permit fee at the next permit renewal period. Weight records must be submitted with the application for exemption.

Annual permit fees are $135.00 per year. The permit year runs from October 1 through September of the following year. Call us or your local Health Department for specifics about applying for a permit. An exempt generator is not required to pay the $135.00 annual permit fee but must comply with all other requirements of 64E-16 FAC. Download a Biomedical Waste generator permit application.

Permitted facilities are inspected annually and exempt facilities are inspected once every three years. Biomedical waste handling procedures are reviewed to assure proper identification, segregation, containment, storage, labeling, and disposal of biomedical waste. All facilities must have a Biomedical Waste Plan and provide documentation of annual training in the biomedical waste rule and your plan. Records of disposal must be kept for 3 years and be available for review during inspection.

Storage Facilities

All facilities that transport and/or store or collect biomedical waste, other than what they produce themselves, must obtain an annual storage permit. Transporters, who hold biomedical waste on their truck no more than 72 hours, are exempt from a storage permit.

Permits for onsite storage facilities are issued by the County Health Department having jurisdiction for the area where storage facility is located. We issue permits for those facilities located in Seminole County. Annual permit fees are $135.00 and the annual permit year runs from October 1 through September 30 of the following year. Storage facilities are inspected annually. Download a storage permit application.

Transporters

Anyone, who transports as much as 25 pounds of biomedical waste at one time over a public roadway, must have a transporter registration from the Department of Health. Applications for transporter registration should be sent to the local County Health Department of jurisdiction. Annual permit fees are $135.00 (one vehicle). Each additional vehicle is $10.00. The annual permit year runs from October 1 to September 30 of the following year. Transporters are inspected annually and permits are issued by the area biomedical waste coordinators. Transporters must obtain a permit from each county where they have a truck depot. A list of transporters is maintained by the Department of Health in Tallahassee. Transporters must submit an annual report of the waste transported along with their renewal for permit each year.

Treatment

All biomedical waste treatment facilities and processes, other than incinerators, must be approved by the State Department of Health in Tallahassee. After the process has been approved, an initial inspection is performed and the permit is issued by the County Health Department having jurisdiction for the location of the treatment facility. For more information concerning this issue, call the phone number listed below.

Contact Information

The Florida Department of Health, Biomedical Waste Program
HSEC
4052 Capital Circle SE, BIN A08
Tallahassee, Florida, 32399-1710
850-245-4277

Medical Waste Incinerators are permitted by the Department of Environmental Protection. For local questions you may call 407-665-3613