Hazardous Waste & Emergency Response Laws for Labs

1. Hazardous Waste & Emergency Proceduresfor LaboratoriesWSU Office of EnvironmentalHealth & Safetywww.oehs.wayne.edu

2. Hazardous Waste & Emergency Response Laws for Labs • Hazardous waste generators (this means you!) must comply with: • Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Resource Conservation & Recovery Act (RCRA) • Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) • Department of Transportation (DOT)

3. EPA College & University Fines • March 2005: Plymouth State Univ., N.H. $171,050 EPA fine for improper marking & storage of haz waste. • Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY, $45,000 EPA fine for unsafe handling & storage of waste. • 2000: University of Hawaii: $1.7 million EPA fine for unsafe storage and 3 explosions on campus.

4. OUR PRIORITIES: Human Life – Don’t risk yours or others! The Environment Property What to do in an emergency?!

5. April 2005: Ohio State Lab Fire Grad students were loading 10-12 bottles of hexane onto lab shelves when a shelf collapsed. Over 40 gallons of hexane were present in the lab.

6. Ignition could have been static electricity, or a spark from a motor or switch. • 84 firefighters responded, initially using water, then dry powder, finally chemical foam to put out the fire. • If the PI wasn’t able to inform them of what was in the lab, they may have had to let it burn. • Student treated for cuts and several firefighters for smoke inhalation. • Two labs damaged, research destroyed, over $200,000 in damage.

7. Oxidizer -Solvent Explosion(not at WSU) This early morning explosion in the cabinet under a fumehood is believed to be the result of nitric acid (an oxidizer) and an organic solvent being mixed in a closed container. Luckily, no one was standing in front of the hood when it occurred.

8. Nov. 2006: Explosion at University of Kentucky lab sends 7 to the hospital A minor explosion occurred in a UK engineering lab when a student poured nitric acid into a waste container. And it reacted with another substance already in the container. Student was treated for cuts and minor injuries. Six other people were examined in the emergency room. The incident resulted in closure of the seventh floor of the building for part of the day, and closure of the lab for the weekend. Source: The Associated Press

9. Confine the area – close doors. Always evacuate when a fire alarm is going off. Exit by stairs – not elevator. If you have any doubt about whether a spill can be safely cleaned up by staff in the lab, get help:

10. Fires ~ Spills ~ Emergencies • Get to a safe location • DO NOT CALL 911! • Call WSU Police: 7-2222 fires, injuries, emergencies, after-hours spills. • Call OEH&S: 7-1200 non-emergency spills, M-F 8:30-5 • Give your name, location, details of spill and secure area until responders arrive.

11. OEH&S Hazmat Response Team provides safe & proper clean-up of hazardous materials spills & releases.

13. Notifies public and emergency responders about the hazards present in the room. Be sure to fill in emergency contact names & numbers! Contact OEH&S for a sign: 577-1200 Lab Door Signs

14. Minor Chemical Spills • Use your discretion: A minor spill… • does not spread rapidly • does not endanger people or property except by direct contact • does not endanger the environment • Consider: • amount spilled • hazards of chemical • if you have proper materials to clean up

15. Cleaning up a minor spill... • Wear gloves, eye protection, lab coat • Prevent spread of liquid / vapors • Absorb liquids w/ spill pads, kitty litter... • Neutralize acids and bases • Clean spill area with soap & water • Decontaminate area & equipment • Label contaminated materials and notify OEH&S for disposal

16. Prevent Chemical Spills • Store chemicals on sturdy shelves, away from edge, on shelves w/ lips • Reduce clutter, eliminate trip hazards/obstructions

17. Transport chemicals in carts with sides or in secondary containers.

18. Mercury Spills • ALWAYS Report mercury spills to OEH&S. • Do not clean up or dispose of mercury on your own. • Prevent spreading contamination. • Isolate the area and call for assistance

19. Mercury Collection • If spill is contained, collect mercury and glass in sealed impermeable container or heavy duty plastic. • Wrap thermometer in parafilm or tape, contact OEH&S for pick-up & disposal.

20. Laboratory Hazardous Waste Collection Procedures

21. Submit all requests for hazardous waste disposal and empty containers on-line Chemical Biological Radioactive www.oehs.wayne.edu

22. What’s wrong here?

23. Located at or site of generation (lab). Allowed to accumulate up to 55 gallons of hazardous waste or 1 quart of acutely hazardous waste. Satellite Accumulation Pointsareas where hazardous wastes arecollected or stored:

24. What is Hazardous Waste? • Spent organic solvents • Most “wash” solutions • Most metals and solutions of metal salts • Mixtures of non-hazardous waste with a hazardous waste • Any waste which meets the EPA characteristics of a hazardous waste: IGNITABLE, CORROSIVE, REACTIVE, TOXIC

25. Waste Collection Instructions3 golden rules • PROPERLY TAG AND LABEL WASTE AS SOON AS A NEW CONTAINER IS BEGUN. • KEEP WASTE CONTAINERS CLOSED WHEN NOT ADDING WASTE TO THEM. • STORE LIQUID WASTE CONTAINERS IN SECONDARY CONTAINERS AT ALL TIMES!

26. Segregate Waste Properly • Liquid waste should be separated into the following categories: • Acids • Bases • Halogenated organic solvents • Non-halogenated organic solvents • Trans. & heavy metals (aqueous solutions of Hg+, Ag+, etc.) • Air reactives • Water reactives • Cyanides and sulfides

27. Use the proper containers: 5 gallon plastic carboys (from OEH&S) triple-rinsed used chemical bottles Chemical Waste Storage

28. Chemical Waste Storage • Store waste in safe, out of the way locations. • Fumehood are work areas. Only store waste in a hood if it is not used for experiments.

29. Keep containers closed except when adding waste!

30. Store liquid waste in secondary containers Contact Science Stores or Medical Stores (Scott Hall) to purchase bins.

31. Sinks are NOT secondary containers!

32. Label all hazardous wastes! • ATTACH WASTE TAG and record contents when first waste is added to container. • Write clearly in ballpoint pen – not marker. • Do not separate copies.

33. Write COMPLETE NAMES of all chemicals. this includes water (not H20) When requesting a pick-up, you must include the tag #. This is how we track your waste. Hazardous Chemical Waste Tags

34. Waste tags must be clear & legible!Replace or write over tags if it is too difficult to read the contents.

35. Plastic pails available from OEH&S Solids must be labeled and closed. Not required to be in secondary containers. Hazardous Solid Collection

36. Watch for potential problem chemicals: • Peroxidizables:ethers, dioxanes, tetrahydrofuran absorb & react with O2 - become potentially explosive over time. • label w/ date received & opened • use up or dispose by expiration date • Picric Acid: explosive when dry, must be kept in solution

37. Uncontaminated Waste Glass &Plastic Disposal • Make sure boxes aren’t overflowing, messy or easily broken open!

38. Uncontaminated Waste Glass &Plastic Disposal • Only uncontaminated or decontaminated glass & plastic can go into boxes. • Boxes should be sturdy and in good condition.

39. Keep weight below 25-30 lbs. Tape boxes closed securely when full Label “waste glass” or “broken glass”. Uncontaminated Waste Glass &Plastic Disposal

40. Needles, razor blades, lancets, etc. NEVER go in trash bags or boxesONLY in SHARPS containers!

41. DO NOT RECAP NEEDLES! Correct SHARPS Disposal Free containers from OEH&S