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Health Sciences Services

Sterilization Services

Health Sciences Lab Services Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)*

Materials can be delivered between 9:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m. to T-276.

Sterilization and Disposal of Biohazardous Waste

HS Laboratory Services (HSLS) has one large steam sterilizer dedicated to the sterilization of biohazardous waste with a 60-minute cycle at 121° C. The last load is run at 3:15 p.m. If it is important that your waste run same-day, please bring it to HSLS as early as possible.

Packing Procedures

Review the following packing procedures to ensure that deliveries to HSLS meet criteria prior to drop-off.

Solid biohazardous waste must be packaged in an autoclavable biohazard bag

  • no larger than 19-inches x 23-inches
  • attach autoclave tape
  • clearly label with the Principal Investigator’s name and the room number
  • transport in a leak-proof secondary container
  • place in secondary bin upon arrival at HSLS

Sharps waste and broken glassware must be packaged in red sharps containers

  • no larger than 11-inches x 13-inches x 16-inches
  • no more than two-thirds full**
  • marked with biohazardous symbol
  • attach autoclave tape
  • clearly label with the Principal Investigator’s name and the room number
  • place in secondary bin upon arrival at HSLS

Environmental Health & Safety Resources

Liquid waste must be packaged in a leak-proof, rigid container

  • no taller than 11.5-inches
  • no more than two-thirds full**
  • clearly label with the Principal Investigator’s name and the room number
  • transport in a leak-proof secondary container

Laboratory glass and plastic waste contaminated with biohazardous material should be packaged in a container that is easily autoclaved that does not allow the tips to puncture it (one possible solution is to use a pipette box) and:

  • no larger than 11-inches x 15-inches x 21-inches
  • attach autoclave tape
  • clearly label with the Principal Investigator’s name and the room number
  • transport in a leak-proof secondary container

Not all plastic materials are safe for autoclaving. Polypropylene (PP) and polypropylene copolymer (PPCO) containers can be autoclaved many times. Fluoropolymer products, such as Teflon PFA, FEP, or ETFE, can also be autoclaved. However, Polycarbonate (PC) containers may withstand only 30 – 50 autoclaving cycles or less. The following resins cannot be autoclaved – HDPE, LDPE, PET, PETG. To maximize the longevity of reusable plastic containers suitable for the autoclave, HSLS recommends purchasing containers made from PP and PPCO material.

Only Pyrex® or Type I borosilicate glass can be autoclaved.

Most metals are designed for extreme conditions and are intended to be sterilized. Make sure to remove any plastics, liners and other items that may melt or combust

Due to a variance in the lifecycle of materials, HSLS will not replace containers damaged during the autoclaving process.

Drop-Off Procedures

The following drop-off procedures must be followed to ensure the timely processing of biohazardous waste.

In order to receive services, customers are required to fill out the on-site sign-in sheet at the time of each drop-off. Customers are asked to provide the following information:

  • Date of Service
  • Laboratory Name
  • Room Number of Laboratory
  • Phone Number
  • Budget Number
  • Department
  • Building Code

Please drop off waste in T-276 by loading materials into plastic trays on the processing cart, filling up the lower shelves of the cart first. Each filled plastic tray is considered one load. We can process 9 loads of biohazardous waste at a time. The Magnuson Health Sciences Center Biohazardous Waste Flow Chart (pdf) summarizes the proper packaging, treatment and disposal of biological and biomedical waste for locations within Magnuson Health Sciences, W.H. Foege Genome Sciences, and W.H. Foege Bioengineering.

Sterilization of Lab Supplies

Drop-Off & Pick-Up Procedures

The following drop-off/pick-up procedures must be followed to ensure the sterilization of lab supplies.

In order to receive services, customers are required to fill out the on-site sign-in sheet at the time of each drop-off. Customers are asked to provide the following information:

  • Date of Service
  • Laboratory Name
  • Room Number of Laboratory
  • Phone Number
  • Budget Number
  • Department
  • Building Code

Reagents and Laboratory Supplies

HSLS has two autoclaves dedicated to the steam sterilization of reagents and laboratory supplies, such as pipette tips, caps, mixed glassware, and instruments. Please drop off supplies in T-276, loading your supplies onto a small autoclave cart. Do not overfill, item on carts may only be one layer. Special exposure times and temperatures can be requested. Once autoclaved these can be picked up from T-286.

Cell Culture Work

For those laboratories doing cell culture work, HSLS has an oven available to do high-heat dry sterilization. Please drop off materials in T-276 to be processed for 3 hours at 195 C. These loads are run at the end of the day and are then available to be picked up the next day from T-286.

Items that Do Not Meet SOP

*To ensure the safety of the Biowaste team, HS Laboratory Services (HSLS) cannot accept items that do not meet SOP. Items not meeting HSLS standards will be refused or sent back. If this occurs, the following can be completed to ensure proper disposal of Biowaste.

  • Repackage the item, ensuring that packaging does not exceed HSLS size requirements. For example, if a sharps container is brought to the HSLS facility too full, it can be placed directly into a larger sharps container and processed. Do not attempt to remove items from a sharps container.
  • If an item cannot be repackaged according to HSLS size requirements, it will need to be shipped to ensure proper disposal. To ship biohazardous waste, labs must: