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Biomedical Waste Program

Environmental Health

There are approximately 38,000 facilities in Florida that generate biomedical waste.  These include hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, laboratories, funeral homes, dentists, veterinarians, physicians, pharmacies that provide flu shots, body piercing salons, tattoo shops, transporters, and storage and treatment facilities. The objective of the biomedical waste program is to protect health care workers, environmental-service staff, waste haulers, and the general public from risks associated with potentially infectious biomedical waste.

Both the Department of Health and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection have responsibilities under this program.  The Department of Environmental Protection has primary responsibility for biomedical waste incineration and final disposal.  The Department of Health has primary authority and responsibility for facilities that generate, transport, store, or treat biomedical waste through processes other than incineration.

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Rules regarding Biomedical Waste: