This policy provides guidelines for safely handling, storing, and disposing chemical and hazardous waste.
Faculty and staff are responsible for safe work practices and procedures in their respective work areas. Faculty and staff working with chemical and/or hazardous waste must coordinate its proper disposal with the environmental health and safety officer.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the federal and state Department of Transportation regulate hazardous waste handling and disposal. Non-compliance with regulatory requirements can result in significant fines and may compromise safety for the campus environment. The cooperation of all supervisors and personnel is necessary to make laboratories and areas where chemicals are utilized safe places to learn and work. Any questions that are not covered in this document should be directed to the environmental health and safety officer.
The ultimate responsibility for proper inventory, handling, storage, or disposal of chemicals or chemical/hazardous waste materials lies with the dean or vice president who oversees the faculty/staff utilizing the original material. Any improper management or disposal of materials that results in additional costs and/or regulatory actions or fines will be charged to the operating or restricted accounts of the responsible college/department.
According to the EPA, hazardous waste is ignitable (flash point of < 140 F) or corrosive (pH of < 2 or > 12.5). Reactive chemicals, radioactive materials, poisonous materials, carcinogens, biohazards, compressed gases, toxic chemicals, infectious items, and other specifically listed materials by the EPA are considered toxic or toxic waste. Hazardous waste may include byproducts from chemical reactions or unwanted commercial products. The environmental health and safety officer provides guidance for handling and proper disposal.
Material safety data sheets (MSDS) or safety data sheets (SDS), which may be found on the website of the material’s manufacturer, are good sources of information for determining whether a particular material meets criteria to be designated as hazardous. MSDSs/SDSs must be available in laboratories or other spaces where chemicals are used or stored. All chemicals must be labeled and stored properly in appropriate containers. Deans are responsible for ensuring their college maintains each of its lab’s MSDSs/SDSs; supervisors of non-academic units that deal with hazardous materials or waste are responsible for maintaining the MSDSs/SDSs in each space where hazardous materials or waste is present.
Hazardous waste may not be disposed of in the trash or drain. Hazardous waste must be collected, submitted to the environmental health and safety officer, and shipped to a permitted facility. Improperly managed hazardous waste presents a safety hazard to the campus, students, and employees; creates a physical hazard to plumbing and buildings; and creates an environmental hazard should releases occur to the air, ground, or water.
Laboratory supervisors must follow these guidelines for accumulating and storing hazardous waste. More detailed information is available from the environmental health and safety officer.
The chemicals in the laboratory should be limited to those actually in use or planned for use during the term of the experiment or instruction. Chemical inventories must be taken each year, and the environmental health and safety officer must remove all unwanted, unneeded, or duplicate chemicals. Each semester, responsible personnel should monitor all containers for good condition and clear labels, take corrective action if necessary, and update the MSDS/SDS.
Every laboratory/work area is subject to inspection by the EPA or environmental health and safety officer. To be compliant with EPA rules, the following steps by supervisors of laboratories must ensure the following:
Deans, department heads, and supervisors share responsibility to ensure students and faculty/staff properly dispose of any waste or residuals from their work, including prior to the faculty/staff leaving the University. Deans must supervise and designate personnel to act as the environmental health and safety officer liaison for handling and removing chemical or hazardous waste and ensuring safety compliance.
The environmental health and safety officer will conduct periodic inventories (at least annually) and review compliance for handling and storing chemicals or hazardous waste. The environmental health and safety officer liaison works with the environmental health and safety officer regarding inventory and policy requirements.
Chemical or hazardous waste must be removed as soon as possible in accordance with EPA and expectations outlined in this policy. Environmental health and safety officer liaisons should coordinate disposal to ensure efficient use of supplies.
The liaison must notify the environmental health and safety officer to arrange the disposal of chemical or hazardous waste by completing a Request for Disposal of Chemical and Hazardous Waste Form that notes the type and quantity of the waste and the container size. Waste components must be listed on the form along with approximate percentages of each component (e.g., methylene chloride 50%, water 50%). The original form must be sent to the environmental health and safety officer, and a copy must be attached to the waste container. If many different wastes are being disposed, a list that includes all the pertinent information from the form may be submitted.
When it is necessary to dispose of chemicals, all containers must be in good condition, sealed tightly, free of spillage on the outside of the container, and clearly labeled for transport. The liaison must contact the environmental health and safety officer to schedule removal/disposal. The environmental health and safety officer will remove the waste from the lab.
Radioactive waste handling is strictly regulated by the Federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Contact the environmental health and safety officer for information about proper collection and disposal procedures.
This policy is distributed via the University Policies webpage.