RCRA/Hazwoper Awareness

1
Hazard Communication And Your Right - To - Know
Presented by
Francois D. Song, Ph.D.
2
Course Overview

• Its Your Right to know!
• Regulation and Policy
• Waste Management
• Spills/ Emergencies
• Pollution Prevention

3
Regulation and Policy

• What can happen if youre not
• in compliance?

• Fines
• Prosecution
• Jail Time

4
Regulation and Policy

• Georgia Southern University is committed to
  protecting the environment and health of the
  community
• Applicable Regulations
• Pollution Prevention Objectives
• Continual Improvement of Environmental Systems

• Comply with regulations
• Minimize impact to environment and community
• Continually reduce impacts through pollution
  prevention
• Educate and train on programs and procedures
• Monitor performance

5
Regulation and Policy
Enforcement

• Deficiency
• Poor housekeeping in Shops
• Notification
• Department Chair and Legal Counsel

• Warning Memo
• Research Funds in jeopardy
• Actions
• Examples
• Correction, with costs assessed to department or
  college
• Closure of Shop

6
Shop Waste Management

• THE GOALS
• Define waste
• Discuss proper management of different types of
  waste

7
Laboratory HazMat Management
What is HazMat
8
HazMat Is

• What will hurt you when something goes wrong
• Laboratory Chemicals (Acids, Bases, Alcohols,
  etc.)
• Cleaning solvents (Bleach, Sprays)
• Household Products (Hair Sprays)
• Generated hazardous waste

9
Hazardous Waste Identification

• Corrosive
• Ignitable
• Reactive
• Toxic
• or if
• Listed

Wastes are considered hazardous if they
exhibitone or moreof the following
characteristics
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How Do I Know?

• Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
• provides information on
• safe handling and disposal
• physical properties and hazards
• safe storage
• internet references
• www.hazard.com
• www.msdssearch.com
• many more on page 18 of guidebook
• Call ESS Department at 486-7161 for more
  information
• Call manufacturer or supplier of product

11
Waste Characterization

• Checklist in Guidebook (RCRA)3
• Mixed waste?
• Specific hazardous wastes?
• Radioactive Waste?
• Additional Questions?
• Call EES _at_486-7161

12
Container Management

• Containers should be
• Compatible with waste
• Clean
• Sturdy, leak proof
• Closed, tight-fitting cap
• Appropriate size
• Under control of person producing waste
• Labeled with hazardous waste label

13
Hazardous Waste Labeling

• Labels
• Identify hazardous waste
• List all components and their percentages
• Identify hazard properties
• Name, location, and phone number of person
  responsible for waste
• Remove other extraneous labels

14
Hazardous Waste Accumulation Area

• Located in Shop
• Mark area clearly
• Proper containers and labels
• Segregate incompatibles
• Secondary containment for liquid containers
• Spill kit

• Only one container of each hazardous waste
• Maximum storage
• 55 gallons
• 1 quart acutely hazardous
• Post emergency information

15
Pick-up and Disposal

• ESS is responsible for retrieval, transport and
  disposal
• When full, arrange for immediate removal
• Call the Safety Department at 486-7161

• Container must be properly labeled
• Pick-up must be supervised by a knowledgeable user

16
Chemical Clean-Out
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Chemical Clean-Out

• Inventory all unwanted chemicals
• Fill out Laboratory Clean-out Form
• Mail or call Safety
• ESS will collaborate with you
• SAFETY FIRST!

18
Biological Waste Management

• Biomedical
• biohazardous
• infectious
• pathological
• sharps
• Animal

19
Biomedical Waste Packaging

• Double-lined red biohazard bags
• In rigid containers
• Within weight limits
• Double tape bags when full

• Label with college label obtained from
  Coordinating Dept
• Close container and triple tape seams
• Notify ESS _at_ 486-7161

Good practice Autoclave infectious waste
20
Pharmaceutical Waste Management

• What is pharmaceutical waste?
• Separate from regular trash
• Label
• Call the Safety Department at 486-7161 for
  disposal

21
Chemical Spill / Emergency Response

• What would you do
• in the event of a spill?

22
Chemical Spill / Emergency Response

• Assess hazards and dangers if unknown,assume
  the worst and evacuate
• Call 9911
• Wait to Assist Public Safety and ESS Responders

• Contain or limit the spill if it is very small
• Call 486-7161for ESS personnel to clean-up spill
  and provide medical attention
• Notify Supervisor
• Complete and Accident Report

23
Pollution Prevention
EPAs Pollution Prevention Hierarchy
Disposal
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Pollution Prevention Strategy

• Reduced scale
• micro scale experiments
• Reduced toxicity/chemical substitution
• Reuse recovery of lab chemicals
• Detoxification
• lab experiments that produce a less
  toxic/hazardous substance
• Computer modeling simulations
• demo experiments vs. chemical usage

25
Where to Get Help

• To get help, or to learn more
• Call the Safety Department at 486-7161
• List of environmental resources in
• The Web

Its your responsibility!