7-28-511 Definitions.

   As used in Sections 7-28-511 through 7-28-519, the following terms and phrases shall be understood as having the following meanings:

   A.   “Animal waste” means waste such as body parts, carcasses and bedding of animals that were exposed to infectious agents during research, production of biologicals, or testing of pharmaceuticals.

   B.   “Biologicals” means, but is not limited to secretions, suctionings, excretions, exudates, and other body fluids which cannot be directly discarded into a municipal sewer system.

   C.   “Blood” means human or animal blood and blood products, including but not limited to plasma, serum and material containing free flowing blood and blood components.

   D.   “Board” means the Chicago Board of Health appointed by the mayor of the City of Chicago.

   E.   “Commissioner” means the commissioner of the department of health of the City of Chicago.

   F.   “Department” means the department of health of the City of Chicago.

   G.   “Facility” means any site that produces, stores, treats, transports, hauls or disposes of infectious waste.

   H.   “Infectious agent” means an organism that is capable of producing infection or infectious disease.

   I.   “Infectious waste” means waste produced in connection with human or animal patient care and materials generated as a result of patient diagnosis, treatment, immunization, or the preparation of human remains for cremation or burial, that is contaminated with or may be contaminated with an infectious agent, and includes laboratory waste, pathological waste, isolation waste, blood, regulated fluids, sharps and animal waste. “Infectious waste” shall not include general refuse, such as food products and containers, packaging materials, and materials that are not used in connection with patient care.

   J.   “Isolation waste” means all waste from the care or treatment of patients who are isolated to prevent the spread of communicable diseases except reverse protection isolation.

   K.   “Laboratory waste” means cultures and stocks of infectious agents and associated biologicals including: human and animal cultures from medical and/or pathological laboratories; cultures and stocks of infectious agents from research, commercial or industrial laboratories; waste from the production of biologicals; discarded live and attenuated vaccines; culture dishes and other devices used to transfer, inoculate and mix cultures; and specimens of regulated body fluid.

   L.   “Pathological waste” means human tissues, body parts and body organs that are removed during surgery and autopsy or other medical procedures.

   M.   “Person” means any individual, partnership, company, corporation, association, firm, organization, trust or other legal entity, including any city, county, district, state or federal department or agency, located within the corporate limits of the City of Chicago.

   N.   “Producer” means a person whose business or professional activities produce or generate infectious waste, including but not limited to medical facilities; laboratories; clinics; blood banks, whether mobile or freestanding; doctor's, dentist's or veterinarian's offices, or buildings; freestanding dialysis centers; nursing homes; extended care facilities; health maintenance organizations not located exclusively within a licensed hospital; and funeral homes and crematoriums. When more than one person (as defined in subsection M of this section) is located in the same building, each individual business entity is a separate producer under this ordinance.

   “Producer” does not include persons who produce infectious waste during self-treatment and family members, physicians or individuals associated with a visiting or home care service or organization, who administer or direct health care in a person's residence. “Producer” specifically does not include any licensed hospital facility located within the City of Chicago that is presently regulated by the Illinois Environmental Protection Act for the disposal of hospital wastes.

   O.   “Regulated body fluids” means cerebrospinal fluids, synovial fluids, pleunal fluids, peritoneal fluids, pericardial fluids and amniotic fluids.

   P.   “Sharps” means any discarded article used in animal care, patient care or medical, industrial or research laboratories, that may cause punctures or cuts. Sharps include hypodermic needles, tubings with needles attached, scalpel blades, syringes (with or without the attached needle), pasteur pipettes, blood vials, culture dishes that have been removed from their original sterile containers, and broken or unbroken glassware that has been in contact with infectious agents, such as used slides.

   Q.   “Treatment” means a method, technique or process to treat infectious waste so as to render such waste innocuous, as authorized under Sections 7-28-511 through 7-28-519 and all applicable state and federal laws.

(Added Coun. J. 9-12-90, p. 20461)