---
title: "The rules that govern biohazard cleanup work"
description: "OSHA's bloodborne pathogens standard and the federal medical waste transport chain, explained for a lay reader rather than for a compliance officer."
canonical: https://biohazardcrown.shop/regulations/
language: en-US
risk_tier: R1
last_reviewed: 2026-08-18
---
# The rules that govern this work

Two federal regimes govern this work almost everywhere in the United States. Neither licenses companies — one regulates how employers protect the people doing the work, and one regulates what happens to the waste.

## The two that matter

- **[OSHA’s bloodborne pathogens standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030](https://biohazardcrown.shop/regulations/osha-bloodborne-pathogens/)** — a written exposure control plan, universal precautions, employer-paid protective equipment, hepatitis B vaccination offered free within 10 working days, and annual training. This is where “OSHA certified” comes from, and why the phrase means nothing.

- **[Medical waste transport](https://biohazardcrown.shop/regulations/medical-waste-transport/)** — trauma scene waste ships as UN 3291, Division 6.2, not UN 3373, and responsibility runs from collection to final treatment rather than ending when the truck leaves.

## What is left to the states

Almost everything else. Whether the work needs registering, who may transport waste and above what weight, and what a treatment facility must be permitted for.

The result is a patchwork: California requires registration before work begins, Florida regulates only the transport, and most states appear to rely on general medical waste rules. [What we have confirmed, state by state.](https://biohazardcrown.shop/licensing/)

Written by [Biohazard Crown editorial team](https://biohazardcrown.shop/authors/editorial-team/)

Last reviewed: 2026-08-18

## Related questions

- [What OSHA requires of employers](https://biohazardcrown.shop/regulations/osha-bloodborne-pathogens/)

- [Where the waste goes and who is responsible](https://biohazardcrown.shop/regulations/medical-waste-transport/)

- [State licensing and registration](https://biohazardcrown.shop/licensing/)

- [Certifications and what they mean](https://biohazardcrown.shop/certifications/)