When it comes to Hazardous Chemical Waste Storage and
Disposal on Ohio University’s campus, there’s a process that must be followed.
Generally there are two situations in which chemicals are required to be picked
up on OU’s campus. The first being hazardous laboratory chemical waste and the
other being unwanted chemicals.
Storage of
the hazardous laboratory chemical waste may sound like a lengthy process, but
in fact in only involves a small number of steps. The first step is to identify
the waste stream, which is done by determining if the chemical is hazardous or
non-hazardous as defined by the E.P.A. This can usually be determined by
looking at the MSDS or SDS for the chemical. Selecting a container for waste collection
does this and ensuring the waste does not weaken or destroy the container. The
container must also have a sealable lid. This container is then placed in a
secondary containment device, such as a tray or dish to collect spills. This
secondary container must be able to contain the volume of the primary
container. The next crucial step is to prevent the mix of hazardous and
non-hazardous wastes.
Steps 4, 5, and 6 are the steps
that require the hazardous material to be placed in the primary and secondary
containment, labeled correctly with the provided hazardous waste labels, then
correctly placed in a location for the EHS Hazardous Materials Manager or his
student workers (myself and one other) to be picked up and moved to the
Hazardous Waste Storage Area. Steps 8 and 9 are the steps taken to have the
Hazardous Materials Manager or his student workers to come and pick up the
chemical waste. During Step 8, a Chemical Waste Disposal form will have to be
filled out and sent directly to the HMM, or through the campus mail to
Hazardous Materials Manager, EHS, University Service Center. Step 9 is done to
help the Hazardous Materials Manager identify the characteristics of the waste
for proper storage and eventual pickup by a contractor for disposal. If there
were to be any problems during the steps, the person with the waste is given
the number for the Hazardous Materials Manager for assistance.
So then
what happens when the chemical is unwanted? The same process takes place.
Identify the hazards in the chemical by using the MSDS or SDS, label the
chemical correctly, fill out a Chemical Waste Disposal form and send it in, and
then finally the Hazardous Materials Manager will come and pick up the chemical.
If the chemical is a hazardous waste, it will be placed in the correct storage
area on campus and stored there until a contractor comes and picks up the chemical
to be disposed of properly. If the chemical is not a hazardous waste, it will
be disposed of based on the physical state of the chemical. Liquids will be
poured down the sink with copious amounts of water to dilute it and solids will
be thrown away in the trash and go to the landfill.
