What this is for: This Guidance is for safe handling of solid waste contaminated with a Category A infectious substance (henceforth, “contaminated waste”) and the proper management of inactivated Category A waste materials in the United States.* An infectious substance meets Category A criteria if it is in a form capable of causing permanent disability or life-threatening or fatal disease in otherwise healthy humans or animals upon exposure to the substance.

Information in this guidance serves several purposes. As a whole, the document offers readers an overview of Category A waste management in the United States. The main component of this guidance addresses planning for Category A waste management activities, including considerations for developing, evaluating, and revising organizational (e.g., hospital) or jurisdictional (e.g., state, territorial, or local) plans. It is presented in sections that break down waste management activities according to responsibilities as waste is moved from its point of generation to its place of disposal. Several accompanying appendices provide users with information about pathogens classified as Category A infectious substances, decision making for waste treatment and disposal activities, communicating effectively about safe waste management and associated issues, and additional related resources. The included listing of acronyms and glossary of terms applies to the entire document. Unless otherwise noted, references to a particular appendix or section refer to parts of this document (and, in the electronic version, can be clicked to navigate to that information directly).