In these rules, unless the context otherwise requires, -
(a) "Act" means the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (29 of 1986);
(b) "animal house" means a place where animals are reared or kept for the purpose of experiments or testing;
(c) "authorisation" means permission granted by the prescribed authority for the generation, collection, reception, storage, transportation, treatment, processing, disposal or any other form of handling of bio-medical waste in accordance with these rules and guidelines issued by the Central Government or Central Pollution Control Board as the case may be;
(d) "authorised person" means an occupier or operator authorised by the prescribed authority to generate, collect, receive, store, transport, treat, process, dispose or handle bio-medical waste in accordance with these rules and the guidelines issued by the Central Government or the Central Pollution Control Board, as the case may be;
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(e) "biological" means any preparation made from organisms or micro-organisms or product of metabolism and biochemical reactions intended for use in the diagnosis, immunisation or the treatment of human beings or animals or in research activities pertaining thereto;
(f) "bio-medical waste" means any waste, which is generated during the diagnosis, treatment or immunisation of human beings or animals or research activities pertaining thereto or in the production or testing of biological or in health camps, including the categories mentioned in Schedule I appended to these rules;
(g) "bio-medical waste treatment and disposal facility" means any facility wherein treatment, disposal of bio-medical waste or processes incidental to such treatment and disposal is carried out, and includes common bio-medical waste treatment facilities;
(h) “Form” means the Form appended to these rules;
(i) “handling” in relation to bio-medical waste includes the generation, sorting, segregation, collection, use, storage, packaging, loading, transportation, unloading, processing, treatment, destruction, conversion, or offering for sale, transfer, disposal of such waste;
(j) “health care facility” means a place where diagnosis, treatment or immunisation of human beings or animals is provided irrespective of type and size of health treatment system, and research activity pertaining thereto;
(k) “major accident” means accident occurring while handling of bio-medical waste having potential to affect large masses of public and includes toppling of the truck carrying bio-medical waste, accidental release of bio-medical waste in any water body but exclude accidents like needle prick injuries, mercury spills;
(l) “management” includes all steps required to ensure that bio- medical waste is managed in such a manner as to protect health and environment against any adverse effects due to handling of such waste;
(m) "occupier" means a person having administrative control over the institution and the premises generating bio-medical waste, which includes a hospital, nursing home, clinic, dispensary, veterinary institution, animal house, pathological laboratory, blood bank, health care facility and clinical establishment, irrespective of their system of medicine and by whatever name they are called;
(n) "operator of a common bio-medical waste treatment facility" means a person who owns or controls a Common Bio-medical Waste Treatment Facility (CBMWTF) for the collection, reception, storage, transport, treatment, disposal or any other form of handling of bio-medical waste;
(o) “prescribed authority” means the State Pollution Control Board in respect of a State and Pollution Control Committees in respect of an Union territory;
(p) "Schedule" means the Schedule appended to these rules.
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