Transport of medical waste - legal regulations.

Medical waste according to the Regulation of the Minister of Health of 5 October 2017 on the detailed method of handling medical waste can be divided into:

  • infectious medical waste,
  • hazardous waste other than infectious,
  • waste other than hazardous.

In the case of medical waste, the law indicates two types of transport:

  • internal transport,
  • external transport.


Closed trolleys or trolleys carrying closed containers are used for internal transport of waste. In the case of small quantities of medical waste, closed transport containers can be used for internal transport. Internal transport of medical waste is carried out in a way that prevents damage to the container or bag.

The means of internal transport of medical waste and reusable containers are kept clean on an ongoing basis. After each removal of medical waste, disinfection and washing of containers should be carried out.

External transport of medical waste is road transport of waste collected from the Producer, e.g. from the Hospital, and delivered for disposal in an incinerator.

Transport of infectious and hazardous medical waste is subject to strict regulations specified in the ADR agreement, i.e. the international convention concerning the transport of hazardous materials by road.

The ADR regulations specify the requirements that must be met when transporting waste:

  • the UN number corresponding to the transported load must be assigned, e.g. UN 3291,
  • the appropriate transport document must be completed, which contains information on the transported medical waste.
  • the structure of vehicles transporting waste should be closed, tight, the interior of the cargo space should not have any holes, be porous or cracked, should not cause damage to the loaded packages and should not impede surface disinfection,
  • the vehicle intended for transporting medical waste should be specially marked with a sticker on two sides and at the rear of the vehicle,
  • additionally, the vehicle should be equipped with orange, reflective plates in the shape of a rectangle placed both at the front and rear of the vehicle,
  • the vehicle must be equipped with specialist equipment,
  • the driver of the vehicle must have a current certificate of completion of ADR training entitling him to transport hazardous goods.