Regulated medical waste means solid wastes suspected by the health care professional in charge of being capable of producing an infectious disease in humans.

A solid waste shall be considered to be capable of producing an infectious disease if it has been or is likely to have been contaminated by an organism likely to be pathogenic to healthy humans, such organism is not routinely free and available in the community, and if such organism has a significant probability of being present in sufficient quantities and with sufficient virulence to transmit disease.

The general industry standard requires the packaging to be closable, constructed to prevent leakage, labeled with the biohazard symbol, and closed to prevent spillage during handling. Any regulated medical waste stored for more than seven days must be refrigerated, stored in ambient temperature between 35 degrees and 45 degrees Fahrenheit. No regulated medical waste shall be stored for more than fifteen days at the site of generation. The date waste is first placed in storage will be provided on any outer packaging while the waste is in storage.