Policy document and additional guidance for the disposal of hazardous waste in the Department of Physical Sciences (University of Hull)

Transcription

1 Policy document and additional guidance for the disposal of hazardous waste in the Department of Physical Sciences (University of Hull) (Updated September 2012) The PHYSICAL SCIENCES DEPARTMENT accepts the following types of waste: Solvents Oils Chemicals Pasteur pipettes (but not if biohazard) Syringes and needles (but not if biohazard) Photographic waste chemicals Batteries Printer cartridges Waste disposal via discharge to drain Some waste can be classified as low hazard and can be disposed of to drain. Typical examples of such waste include dilute aqueous solution of non toxic compounds, most mineral acids and bases (excluding hydrofluoric acid), hydrogen peroxide and ethanol. It is vital that in all cases, the chemicals are sufficiently dilute to cause no harm to the drains or to persons working on the drainage network. The chemicals suitable for this disposal route must be listed on the risk assessment form under the disposal of waste section. Waste disposal by chemical reaction In some cases, chemicals can be destroyed by reaction to a relatively harmless substance. Such materials include sodium or sodium/lead drying agents* and unwanted reactive reagents. Before any attempt is made to do this, a written risk assessment must be prepared (use the standard risk assessment (COSHH) form) but in ALL cases it MUST be signed by the project supervisor (member of academic staff) and the Departmental Safety Officer. It is mandatory that such reactions are carried out in fume cupboards with the sash down as far as possible and suitable protective clothing worn. Also, it is vital that such a disposal route does not contravene the Department s discharge to drain regulations. * Sodium or sodium/lead drying agents must be treated by chemical reaction prior to solvents being booked into the waste store. Emptying of bins from laboratories (both general waste and glass bins) We have an agreement with our waste contractor regarding sensitive but none hazardous waste from research and teaching laboratories. (Sensitive waste is waste that non scientific people may perceive as being hazardous, especially staff at waste disposal sites or waste transfer stations.) Items that fall into this category include (this is not a comprehensive list) plastic pipette tips, microscope slides, disposable gloves, filter paper and blue roll, and broken laboratory glassware. To prevent problems, the porters will empty such waste into the lockable and lidded 6.1 cu metre skip marked landfill waste and located at the corner of the Hardy Building car park and Chemistry square. It is important not to fill laboratory bins with non-sensitive waste, such as paper, catalogues, polystyrene or cardboard (which can be taken outside to the skips).

2 The information below relates to specific types of waste not accepted by the Department but that you might encounter and need to arrange disposal. Bottles and other containers All bottles and containers must have their lids removed and be washed out prior to disposal. It is vital to consider chemical compatibility when deciding how to wash them out (can water be used straight away or should another chemical (i.e. isopropanol) be required first). It is also vital to remember the departmental rules on waste being disposed to drain. The labels must also be removed prior to disposal (an alternative often used is to clear the text totally from the label by wiping it with acetone to leave a clear white surface). All reagent containers must be disposed of in the laboratory bins (glass bottles must go into the appropriate glass bin (not the recyclable ones in the corridors), however, Winchesters can either be returned to stores to be used for residues or placed in the outside recycling skips marked Glass. To reiterate, do NOT put any laboratory bottles into the internal glass recycling bins. Other waste types Biohazards - Including Pasteur pipettes, syringes and needles these need to be taken to the Biology Department. Put the Pasteur pipettes or syringes and needles (do not mix the two) into plastic cinbins. When the cinbins are full, take them to the Department of Biology Store, they will explain how to dispose of the cinbins. Radioactive waste In the first instance, ring Tim Coldwell on He works in the University Health and Safety Office; he is the Radiation Protection Officer. Asbestos Should you find any material that you suspect might be asbestos, do not disturb it in any way (or attempt to move it). Immediately contact John Clannachan (5410) or Tom McCreedy (6407) and they will call in the asbestos expert from the Facilities Directorate to examine it. Should it prove to be asbestos then they will arrange for its removal. Broken glass (apart from Pasteur pipettes and syringes) all broken glass should be put into a cardboard glass box (available free of charge from stores). No glass should protrude from the top or through the sides and only glass should be put into the box. When filled, the porters will empty the boxes appropriately. It is permissible to put unbroken glass into these boxes, but they must be clean, free of chemical contamination and any tops and labels removed (this is particularly important for sample vials and chemical reagent bottles). Do NOT overfill the containers. Unknown chemicals these are chemicals whose identity is unclear or unknown. For many reagents and solvent type waste, it is often possible to extract a small sample and identify it via chemical analysis e.g. NMR. Before any attempt is made to do this, a written risk assessment must be prepared (use the standard risk assessment (COSHH) form) but in ALL cases it MUST be signed by the project supervisor (member of academic staff) and the Departmental Safety Officer. It is mandatory that such processes are carried out in fume cupboards with the sash down as far as possible and suitable protective clothing worn. It may also be possible to dispose of these through the Physical Sciences Department Store, but you MUST discuss the matter with the store keepers, who will advise you whether this route is feasible and/or possible.

3 Should you have (or find) any other types of waste, please talk to the store keepers because they can provide information to help with disposal at least they can give guidance on who you need to talk to. Storing waste in the labs It is usual that a slight build up of waste will occur before it is taken to the waste store for disposal. All chemical waste in laboratories must be stored safely; flammable waste must be stored in a suitable solvent cabinet specifically for waste. All waste containers must be properly labelled (with the appropriate Physical Sciences Department label from the moment the first waste is put in). In addition, glass containers must be fitted with vented caps in order to prevent a dangerous pressure build-up during storage. It is not acceptable to store chemical waste in a fume cupboard unless there is a specific and valid reason (e.g. allowing potential gases to escape or if the material is particularly noxious or odorous). Duty of Care The University pays contractors to remove the waste from the campus and to dispose of it safely. It may be a number of years before the entire process is completed and the University remains partially responsible for the waste until then. The contractors have to follow various regulations and are monitored by the local authority and the Environment Agency. Our packaging and labelling procedures are designed to meet the requirements of the waste contractors as well as the law, however; our contractors are not obliged to take waste they think is too dangerous or badly packaged. Please ensure that your waste is packaged carefully so that it presents no hazard to other people handling it. Ensure that bottles are not leaking and tops are screwed on tightly. There should be no contamination of the outside of the bottle or package. Boxes should be taped up so that the bottom will not fall out and that materials will not fall out and they should not be too heavy. In particular make sure Pasteur pipettes do not poke out of their boxes, that all packages are labelled properly and that the information is not confusing. Use hazard warning tape to warn others of hazards. Include other helpful information if necessary - e.g. "this way up" or "load is off-centre". The Waste Store The Waste Store is situated at the northern end of the Ferens Building, accessible from the car park at the rear of the Chemistry Department. It normally accepts waste from to a.m. and from 3.00 to 3.30 p.m. Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays and other days when the Department is closed). You are only able to access the waste store when accompanied by authorised person. The only persons authorised to open the waste and solvent stores are the chemical stores manager, the trained stores personnel, and in exceptional circumstances the building superintendent (without one of the authorised persons above being present in the outside solvent/waste store, the area cannot be entered (except under emergency situations where serious harm or environmental damage could otherwise occur). This ensures that all waste disposal and solvent dispensing complies with the terms of our various licences. Since the area contains highly flammable material, matches, lighters and mobile telephones are not permitted inside the waste or solvent stores.

4 Additional guidance Transporting Waste to the waste store In order to prevent accidents and spillages, you must use a high-sided (ideally at least 15 cm high) trolley or Winchester carriers for loose Winchesters. You must never carry more than two Winchesters at a time and you need to have a hand free to steady yourself (this is to avoid you injuring yourself should you stumble or trip). Should the chemical be particularly hazardous, you should transport the waste inside a secondary container. This will contain the contents in the event of a spillage. Be aware that you need to plan your route carefully. You are not permitted to carry any waste down the central stair case in either the Chemistry or Ferens buildings this is because if an accident occurred, you could endanger people in the foyers. When transporting waste via the lifts, you should not travel with the waste, rather send it to the ground floor unattended and collect it from that level. You may require additional people to help do this, in particular to control access to the lift on intermediate floors. Should a spillage occur, you will find spill kits throughout the Chemistry Building. These can be used to contain the spill while you evacuate laboratories in the immediate area. Unless the spill is greater than 2.5 L or is very hazardous, there is no requirement to activate the fire alarm. Absorbent granules are available in all laboratories as well to help in the event of a spillage. You should be aware that there may be people smoking outside the Department. Containers The packaging must be adequate for purpose. Waste should be in screw topped bottles or containers (stoppered bottles and sample tubes are not normally accepted but please ask for advice before bringing your waste if this is unavoidable). The container must not dissolve, leak or be contaminated on the outside. Waste which contains particularly nasty or smelly compounds should be in double containers with lids sealed using 'Parafilm'. Containers must be properly labelled with a residue label and hazard warning tape. Should your package leak you will be responsible for the clean-up, repackaging and decontamination! Remove vented caps once the bottles are in the waste store and replace with normal nonvented caps. Any other labels (such as manufacturers labels) must be removed unless the bottle actually contains the original contents. An alternative is to wipe the text from the label using acetone, but complete removal of the text is required. Liquid waste in Winchesters DO NOT USE the Department of Chemistry bottles these are reused. Keep wastes separate if possible - it makes things easier for everyone and reduces the cost of disposal. Ideally try to segregate into the following five categories: Chlorinated, Flammable, Ethers, Aqueous, and Others Fill bottles only to the shoulder, NOT to top! (Bottles filled to the top are difficult to pour and are liable to crack if the temperature of the contents changes).

5 Make sure your waste chemicals are compatible for long term storage BEFORE mixing them, for example, do not mix the following: Acetone with chloroform Thionyl chloride with ethers OR aqueous Liquid waste in plastic drums The instructions are similar to those for glass Winchesters but you must ensure that the liquids will not dissolve the plastic, e.g. no thionyl chloride. General waste chemicals and solid waste When entering the details on the waste spreadsheet please state the volume (not weight) of the container, what the container is made of and the weight of the waste (or volume if a liquid). For guidance, the small plastic 'cinbins' for syringes are 5 litres, the large plastic 'cinbins' for Pasteur pipettes are 22 litres and the cardboard boxes for Pasteur pipettes are 30 x 30 x 50 cm (or 45 litres) approximately. These should have a green Physical Sciences Department label attached, fully filled in and signed. Labelling: Use the appropriate departmental label and hazard warning labels for the waste and remember to remove original labels if something else is in the bottle. It is best practice to leave the waste to settle overnight in a safe place before closing the lid tightly in case of reaction or pressure build up. For individual bottles of waste chemicals, the green Physical Sciences Department label can be directly attached to the container, fully filled in and signed. Often, there is a requirement to package numerous small bottles in boxes. In that case, list the contents on the Physical Sciences Department waste spreadsheets (available from the web site at Each individual bottle must be clearly labelled with its contents (you can use the original label if it matches the contents else replace with an appropriate label). In addition, add a second label to each bottle with a unique departmental number (get these from Stores do not make them up yourself). All the individual bottles can then be packed into a cardboard box. There must be no glass to glass contact, so all bottles must be separated by vermiculite (not paper or polystyrene). The contents need to be compatible in case some or all of the bottles are accidentally broken. Unless the waste is already mixed, you must pack items in the following categories separately: Aqueous waste Metallic substances that react with water Oxidising solids (including nitrates) Oxidising liquids Organic peroxides Inorganic toxic solids Acid sensitive inorganic toxic solids (such as cyanides, sulphides, ferricyanides, thiosulphates.) Organic toxic solids Corrosive inorganic acidic liquids Corrosive inorganic acidic solids

6 Corrosive inorganic basic liquids Corrosive inorganic basic solids (such as hydroxides) Miscellaneous -- not listed above such as benzene, bromine, phosphorus pentoxide, thionyl chloride, lachrymators. Once the box is full, it should be sealed (remember to tape the bottom to prevent contents falling through) and then attach one copy of the department waste spreadsheet(s) to the top of the box and supply a copy to stores. Note, the box must not be too heavy or bulky. List the contents on the Physical Sciences Department waste spreadsheets (available from the web site at Before bringing any of the above waste to store, you need to send the electronic copy of the spreadsheet to the Stores 30 minutes before bringing your waste to the Waste Store -- <chemstores@hull.ac.uk >. It will not be accepted without prior receipt of the spreadsheet. You must also bring a printed copy of the spreadsheet and put it in the Green File Solvent Waste All solvent waste must be segregated as shown below and recorded in the appropriate file (the files held in the waste store): Flammable solvents (except benzene) - Blue Label - Enter details in the flammable waste book (Blue File). Chlorinated solvents (and mixtures of chlorinated and flammable solvents) - White Label. Enter details in the chlorinated waste book (Black File). Ether solvents (and mixtures containing ether and other flammable solvents)- Yellow Label - please treat the solvent with 100 ml of saturated iron II sulphate solution to inhibit peroxide formation. Enter details in the ether waste book (Yellow File). Others Use the Green Label or ask for advice. General information about labelling For all categories of waste, the following information is required on the label: Produced by = your name (not the room number that you work in we may need to contact you later). Ref. No. = from the spread sheet and supplied by stores Date = when taken to the waste store List of compounds and quantity in the bottle Signature of Supervisor/head of service The label must be legible, have full names (no abbreviations or formulae) and must be correct. Also it is vital to use the proper hazard warning labels, as required by law. You can get this information from catalogues or original manufacturers' labels For advice please contact the chemical stores manager (Mike Horne) on 5466 or Tom McCreedy on 6407