The first step in eliminating hazardous waste is to follow Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines to ensure all chemical and hazardous materials. Improperly managed hazardous waste poses a safety hazard to campus, students, and employees; creates a physical hazard to pipes and buildings; and creates an environmental hazard in the event of releases to air, soil, or water. This policy provides guidelines for safely handling, storing, and disposing of chemical and hazardous waste. Chemical or hazardous waste should be disposed of as soon as possible in accordance with the EPA and the expectations described in this policy.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the federal and state Department of Transportation regulate the management and disposal of hazardous waste. Employee training should highlight how to use and handle materials, how and where to store them, and what protective coveralls and other garments are used when working with each material. If bottles are used again, completely eliminate the old chemical name and hazards and indicate the type of chemical residue on the container without abbreviations. Decontamination protects workers from hazardous substances that can contaminate and eventually impregnate protective clothing, respiratory equipment, tools, vehicles, and other equipment used on site; protects all site personnel by minimizing the transfer of harmful materials to clean areas; helps prevent the mixing of incompatible chemicals; and protects the community by preventing the uncontrolled transportation of contaminants from the site.
Hazardous human waste is classified as infectious or biohazardous and includes blood, certain body fluids, and infected tissues. Surface contaminants can be easy to detect and remove; however, contaminants that have penetrated a material are difficult or impossible to detect and remove. As a business owner, it's your responsibility to ensure that your business meets all EPA and other government requirements for the use, storage, and handling of hazardous waste materials. Decontamination, the process of eliminating or neutralizing contaminants that have accumulated on personnel and equipment, is critical to health and safety at hazardous waste sites.
Deans must supervise and appoint staff to act as the official safety liaison for the management and disposal of chemical or hazardous waste and to ensure compliance with safety regulations. When the decontamination line is no longer required, contaminated washing and rinsing solutions and contaminated items must be contained and disposed of as hazardous waste in accordance with state and federal regulations. There are waste management companies that collect waste materials from companies and dispose of them, following all government and regulatory agency standards. In addition, some types of chemicals and materials require a chain of custody, showing the amount of a particular substance stored at the site and who currently has possession of that substance.
In some cases, controlled temperatures and other environmental conditions must remain constant for certain chemicals and materials to remain stable.
