There are an estimated 30,000 biomedical waste generators in Florida. These include hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, laboratories, funeral homes, dentists, veterinarians, and physicians. The objective of the biomedical waste program is to protect health care workers, environmental-service staff, waste haulers, and the general public from risks associated with potentially infectious biomedical waste.
The Florida Department of Health has primary authority and responsibility for facilities that generate, transport, store, or treat biomedical waste through processes other than incineration. Biomedical waste management is conducted to assure proper identification, segregation, containment, storage, and labeling of biomedical waste. The Department has established parameters for the safe handling and treatment of biomedical waste.
Permits are valid from October 1 through September 30.