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MERCER UNIVERSITY
HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL PROGRAM
Hazardous
Waste Disposal Procedure:
The following procedure is restricted
to wastes generated by the operations of
Mercer University, because the university
disposal procedure
is funded by each individual department or academic unit.
Please, do not bring privately generated hazardous waste to
the Mercer University campus
for disposal!
Thank-you for your understanding & cooperation with this request.
Hazardous Waste Disposal
Procedure
If your
department has not previously participated in the following procedure , please call the
Environmental, Health & Safety Office (EHSO) to report the initial decision to accumulate hazardous waste. If you are unsure about
the hazardous status of current wastes in your facility, please call the HSO
@ 301-2544.
The generator
of hazardous waste is responsible for providing a secure site (restricted access),
installation of appropriate hazard warning signs, use of proper container labeling
techniques, and containment cabinets and/or secondary spill control containers. The
secured site must be designated and approved as an official satellite storage facility by
the EHSO.
Container
Labels:
Each waste container must have the following information on clearly visible labels:
1. Chemical names of all
components in the container
2. An approximate percentage of each component in the mixture, which must add up to
100%.
3. An approximate weight or volume of each component, and the total in the container.
4. The beginning date that waste was placed in the container.
5. Labeled as: HAZARDOUS WASTE
Hazardous Waste Inventory
Form:
1. Each generator should complete a waste inventory form. The
EHSO
can provide a form, but the generator may devise an internal
inventory tracking method that provides all the required information in a format
consistent with the university program. Call our office for details.
NOTE: The EHSO generally conducts two (2) disposal procedures each
year.
2. The EHSO consolidates inventories from departments (generators), and provides the inventories to selected vendors in order to receive
competitive bids. The EHSO administers the entire procedure once the inventory is received,
and retains all official records of the procedure, which is mandated by Federal and State
Law. The generating department will be notified of their pro-rated portion of the disposal
costs, and the EHSO will request the generator to approve the necessary funds
in order to complete the procedure. This is generally accomplished with a Request for
Payment (RFP), which will be initiated by the EHSO.
SPECIAL NOTE
These instructions are a summary of university hazardous waste disposal
procedures. If you have questions
concerning unique waste
generation, accumulation, and storage issues within your operation, please
contact
the EHSO @ (478) 301-2544.
Identification of
Components in the University Waste Stream
I. Chemical Waste
A. Chemical waste has many different properties, and the method(s) selected to accumulate
and store chemical waste will vary depending on the chemical and physical properties
of the
waste products. Mercer has developed methods to accumulate and store chemical waste
from
the following operations:
1. Academic and Research Laboratories
2. Clinical Health Care
3. Facility Maintenance
4. Grounds Maintenance
5. Renovation & Construction
6. The Arts
7. Athletics & Recreation
B. Categories of chemical waste:
EXAMPLES (Call EHSO for questionable items)
1. “Non-Hazardous” Waste (Other names:
“Regular”, “Solid”)
2. Universal Waste (Batteries, Mercury Light Bulbs &
Switches, Computer EQP)
3. Hazardous Chemical Waste (EPA listed hazardous chemical waste from
all operations)
II. Biological or Biohazardous Waste
A. “Red-bag” is the official biohazardous labeled bags
(red) which are specially processed by a
contract vendor for incineration.
Red-bag waste is meant specifically for medical, clinical, or laboratory waste
which has not
been disinfected by:
1. Autoclave
2. Chemical disinfection
B. Sharps Containers
These containers should be included with the red-bag waste according to the
specifications
of the contract vendor.
III. Radioactive Waste
At
Mercer, radioactive waste is strictly regulated by the State of Georgia
Radioactive Materials License,
under the
direction of the University Radiation Safety Officer. Contact the EHSO for
details.
IV. Animal Waste
A. Animal Carcasses (Regulated by Mercer, Call
EHSO
for details)
B. Animal Bedding (Regulated by Mercer, Call
EHSO
for details)
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