EXPERT – LABORATORY HAZARDOUS WASTE

Question:

How do you handle hazardous waste?

Answer:

Get a handle on hazardous waste

Hazardous wastes are substances that you may have used or produced at your facility and no longer need or want. They can cause serious problems if not properly handled and disposed of, and they have the potential to cause injury, death, or damage or pollute land, air, or water.
Hazardous waste types
Your waste is considered hazardous if it appears on one of four lists in EPA regulation, 40 CFR Part 261, or it demonstrates one or more of the characteristics below:

- Ignitable — It catches fire under certain conditions, i.e., paints, varnish removers, paint brush cleaners, epoxy resins, adhesives, and certain degreasers and solvents.
- Corrosive — It corrodes metals or has a very high or low pH, i.e., rust removers; acid or alkaline cleaning, degreasing, or plumbing fluids; and acid from batteries.
- Reactive — It is unstable and explodes or produces toxic fumes, gases, and vapors when mixed with water or under other conditions such as heat or pressure. Cyanides or sulfide-bearing wastes are examples.
- Toxic — It is harmful or fatal when ingested or absorbed, or it leaches toxic chemicals into the soil or groundwater when disposed of on land, i.e., wastes containing cadmium, lead, or mercury, such as adhesives, paints, coatings, polishes, varnishes, thinners, and treated woods.
- Accumulation and storage
Hazardous waste generators can only accumulate or store waste onsite for less than 90 days without a permit. The 90-day limit starts the moment a drop of waste is placed into the container. However, there are exceptions to this limit if your facility is a small quantity generator. Check with your supervisor if you are unsure of your company’s classification.

Also, if your employees are not properly trained, they should not respond to a leak or spill. Instead, they should follow your company’s emergency plan for reporting leaks and spills and evacuate.
Labeling
You must be able to demonstrate that your company has not exceeded the time limit for accumulation. So the regulations require that you clearly mark on the container the date that accumulation began. You must also clearly mark all containers holding hazardous waste with the words, “HAZARDOUS WASTE.” While not required, it may be a smart move to include information about the contents (e.g., toxic, reactive, incompatible, etc.).
Whatever the label contents, employees should be sure to follow your company’s labeling methods to label all containers and know what the markings mean.
Shipping
If your company ships the waste offsite, you’ll have to comply with all Department of Transportation (DOT) labeling requirements, including the name, characteristics, and handling information.
It’s also a good idea to apply DOT labels to the container when waste is first placed in the container, even if the container will not ship for awhile. That’s because the label will be in place for shipment and provides information about the waste to drum handlers.
Additionally, a Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifest form, required by DOT and EPA, must be prepared if you ship hazardous waste. When completed, it contains:

- Information on the type and quantity of the waste being transported,
- Instructions for handling the waste, and
- Signature lines for all parties involved in the disposal process.