HHS issues guidance on managing highly infectious waste

The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Secretary for Preparedness and Response and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have released updated guidance to help U.S. health care providers and other stakeholders safely manage solid waste contaminated with infectious substances classified by the Department of Transportation as Category A waste, including waste contaminated with Ebola virus. The guidance was produced by a federal interagency group with input from stakeholders, including the AHA’s Association for the Health Care Environment.