Did you know that as of February of 2021, more than 50 million tons of hazardous materials had been thrown away across the globe? Hazardous chemicals are dangerous. They can cause damage and harm to both people and the environment if they’re not handled the right way.
When something goes wrong with hazardous chemicals it is important that you know how to clean up hazardous materials. This keeps your workers safe. This might sound confusing and stressful but you’re in luck. You’re in the right place to learn more about how businesses handle hazardous materials and hazardous chemical cleanup.
Continue reading this article to learn more.
What Are Hazardous Materials?
Hazardous materials and chemicals are things that are capable of harming humans as well as the environment. This is especially true if they’re spilled or not handled in the correct way. Hazardous waste can come from a variety of different sources and in a bunch of different forms.
Hazardous waste comes from a variety of things. It comes from batteries and from industrial manufacturing of different goods and products. It can come in the form of a liquid, sludge, and solids. There are regulations in place to prevent these harmful chemicals from getting dumped or disposed of in a way that harms people and the planet.
Tips for Handling Hazardous Materials
There are risks and dangers associated with handling and storing hazardous waste. In order to prevent hazardous chemical cleanup, it is important that you’re well versed in handling and storing these chemicals. Here is a closer look at some important tips that will help you keep your environment and the people around you safe.
Use the Right Storage Materials
A great way to avoid issues when it comes to storing hazardous waste is to make sure that you’re investing in the right storage materials. The storage materials that you’re using should be designed specifically for handling and housing the hazardous chemicals in your possession.
The storage materials you’re using should have mechanisms that prevent the leak or release of these harmful materials and chemicals into the environment. It is important that you invest in storage containers and materials that are both resistant to weather as well as corrosion in order to get the safest results.
Another big thing to remember when it comes to storing these hazardous wastes is that they need to be labeled with hazardous waste stickers. Having the right storage materials isn’t enough. If the storage container isn’t labeled the right way then it could lead to an accident that requires dangerous chemical cleanup. To learn more about what happens with the dangerous materials, click here.
Maintain Your Storage Areas
Another big tip when it comes to avoiding spilling or leaking hazardous chemicals at your business is to make sure that the storage area is well maintained. There needs to be an area that is designated for storing the hazardous waste that your business handles or produces.
This area is only allowed to be accessed by authorized individuals that have experience with handling these dangerous chemicals. It also needs to be marked in a clear and obvious way that there are dangerous materials present.
For the best safety results, make sure that your employees inspect and monitor the storage areas on a weekly basis and report their findings. This is the best way to identify small issues with the hazardous materials before they become big issues that require hazardous material cleanup.
Understand Your Requirements
You also need to be thorough in understanding the requirements applied to your business by the Environmental Protection Agency. Almost all types of businesses create hazardous waste on some level.
You’ll need to figure out if your business is a Large Quantity Generator, a Small Quantity Generator, or an Exempt Small Quantity Generator. All of these different groups have separate rules and regulations that they’re required to adhere to when it comes to hazardous materials.
If your business produces a large amount of hazardous waste then you should expect to pay more money in fees. You’re also at risk of being hit with hefty fines if you don’t handle and store your hazardous materials in the proper way based on your classification.
The amount of waste that your business produces gets measured on a monthly basis which means that the category your business falls under is subject to change. It is important to stay up-to-date with your status to make sure that you’re compliant.
Train Your Employees
When it comes to handling hazardous materials, the best safeguard to avoid a costly hazardous chemical cleanup is to make sure that your employees are trained. This helps to create a safe environment for all of your employees. At the very least, you should make sure that your employees have a basic understanding of working with hazardous chemicals.
This means training them on the right way to handle and dispose of hazardous waste with regard to their job responsibilities. If you’re a large quantity producer of hazardous materials then your employees will need to get classroom instruction on how to handle the chemicals.
Having Contingency Plans
A good business will handle hazardous materials by developing a contingency plan in the case that something goes wrong. It is a requirement with the EPA that your business has a contingency plan in the event that hazardous chemicals get released or spilled. This works to minimize the damage caused to people and the environment by hazardous materials.
Eliminate Costly Hazardous Chemical Cleanup at Your Business Today
Hazardous materials and dangerous to handle and store for any business. It doesn’t matter if you’re a larger quantity generator or a small quantity generator, you need to have a contingency plan. You should also train your employees on how to handle hazardous materials in a safe way. This will keep everyone safe while also minimizing damage to the environment.
For more helpful and insightful articles on a bunch of topics, be sure to read more of our blog.
