Section 118000.

(a) Except as otherwise exempted pursuant to Section 118030 or 118032, all medical waste transported to an offsite medical waste treatment facility shall be transported in accordance with this chapter by a registered hazardous waste transporter issued a registration certificate pursuant to Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 118025) and Article 6.5 (commencing with Section 25167.1) of Chapter 6.5 of Division 20. A hazardous waste transporter transporting medical waste shall have a copy of the transporter's valid hazardous waste transporter registration certificate in the transporter's possession while transporting medical waste. The transporter shall show the certificate, upon demand, to any enforcement agency personnel or authorized employee of the Department of the California Highway Patrol.

(b) Except for small quantity generators transporting medical waste pursuant to Section 118030 or small quantity generators or common carriers transporting pharmaceutical waste pursuant to Section 118032, medical waste shall be transported to a permitted offsite medical waste treatment facility or a permitted transfer station in leak-resistant and fully enclosed rigid secondary containers that are then loaded into an enclosed cargo body.

(c) A person shall not transport medical waste in the same vehicle with other waste unless the medical waste is separately contained in rigid containers or kept separate by barriers from other waste, or unless all of the waste is to be handled as medical waste in accordance with this part.

(d) Medical waste shall only be transported to a permitted medical waste treatment facility, or to a transfer station or another registered generator for the purpose of consolidation before treatment and disposal, pursuant to this part.

(e) Facilities for the transfer of medical waste shall be annually inspected and issued permits in accordance with the regulations adopted pursuant to this part.

(f) Any persons manually loading or unloading containers of medical waste shall be provided by their employer at the beginning of each shift with, and shall be required to wear, clean and protective gloves and coveralls, changeable lab coats, or other protective clothing. The department may require, by regulation, other protective devices appropriate to the type of medical waste being handled.

(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 689, Sec. 6. Effective January 1, 2013.)