Risk and Safety

Minimization of hazardous material is the easiest way to reduce hazardous waste. There are several ways to reduce the amount of hazardous material, thus reducing the need for hazardous waste disposal:

• Order only what you need. Although this can be difficult, it saves money on both ends by spending less on the initial order and spending less on disposal.
• Substitute hazardous material with non-hazardous material. Use latex paint instead of oil-based paint. Substitute mercury thermometers with alcohol or digital thermometers. Use environmentally friendly chemicals.
• Take advantage of the Surplus Chemical Redistribution Program. Unwanted chemicals that are not highly hazardous and still usable will be viewable in chemical inventory and made available to University staff for reuse. You must have a username and password to view the inventory. Contact Greg Potratz if you would like more information on the Surplus Chemical Redistribution Program.

Hazardous waste must be stored in a sturdy, sealable container, free of leaks. Nearly any leak-free container that is compatible with the contents is acceptable, the exception being containers that once held food or drink. Re-using empty chemical containers is a perfectly acceptable practice. The University has a wide variety of free waste containers for almost every need. Contact Greg Potratz if you need containers.

• Containers should have some “head-space” in them. A container should never be more than 90% full. Overfilled containers will not be picked up. The most common waste containers available are repurposed 4-liter glass or high-density polyethylene bottles (for liquid wastes) and 1-gallon wide-mouth polyethylene jars for solid waste. Plastic containers are preferred, as they weigh less and waste disposal is charged by weight. Choose an appropriately sized container for the amount of waste that will be generated over the foreseeable life of the process generating the waste.

• Wastes may be co-mingled in a container so long as they are compatible (based on primary hazard).
  Never mix incompatible chemicals such as acids and bases, flammables and oxidizers, or oxidizers and acids.
  Mixing of incompatibles could result in a reaction causing severe injury or death.

• Waste containers must be tightly capped when not in use. It is unacceptable to leave a container open to the atmosphere longer than is necessary to fill that container. Containers may be left open for the duration of a lab period when used in a laboratory course.

Labeling hazardous waste is one of the most important rules for waste generators to follow. Any waste that is unlabeled or unknown will not be accepted for disposal.

Hazardous waste containers will be accompanied with a hazardous waste label (see example below) which is securely affixed to that container. Contact Greg Potratz if you need labels delivered via campus mail or pick them up in Halsey Science Center room 449. Alternatively, labels can be downloaded as a Word document below and printed on Avery 5163 (2” x 4”) labels or Avery 5164 (3.33” x 4”) labels.

Avery 5163 Hazardous Waste Labels (2″ x 4″)
Avery 5164 Hazardous Waste Labels (3.33″ x 4″)

The waste generator must fill out:

• The known hazards. These may be copied from the SDS.
• The department, and principal investigator generating the waste. If the waste is generated by a class, the course number should be used.
• The contents of the container must be identified. The proper chemical names and/or CAS numbers must be used. The use of formulas, abbreviations, or symbols to identify a material is unacceptable.
• The container I.D. number. This corresponds to an entry on the Hazardous Waste Log
• Fill out the contents on the label as they are being added.
• If you cannot identify an unknown chemical, contact Greg Potratz to arrange for the identification of the chemical during the next hazardous waste shipment. This is very costly to the University.
• When a waste container is full, write in the date and initial the label. PLEASE NOTE: full containers should have some head space. Filling a container to the very top is dangerous for the person that has to unpack your waste!
• Drop the full container off in an approved satellite accumulation area or call for a pickup.

All waste containers in the accumulation area must be capped and labeled. Containers of incompatible wastes must be separated from each other using secondary containment tubs.

The stored waste must be logged on a Hazardous Waste Log Sheet. This sheet is collected when the waste is picked up and used to assist in preparing the waste for shipment.  A template log sheet is provided in the Document Library in the Lab Safety Guidance/Reference Documents section.

Hazardous waste is to never be stored in public areas. If you notice what looks to be hazardous waste in or near a trash receptacle, please contact Greg Potratz immediately.

Every waste generator should identify a location in the lab, studio, or shop where waste can be stored until a container is filled. The storage area should be labeled Hazardous Waste Storage. This will serve as notice that everything in the area is waste for disposal. Only store waste in designated locations. If you are having difficulty identifying a suitable location, contact Greg Potratz for guidance on an appropriate location and the requirements for proper signage.

If waste is generated infrequently or space is limited, you can contact Greg Potratz whenever a container is filled.

Your department may designate a satellite accumulation area. Make sure that others in the area lab, studio, or office know the location of the accumulation site and the rules that govern a satellite accumulation area.

For additional information or help with any questions regarding the accumulation or pick up of hazardous waste, please contact Greg Potratz.