Top Ten Hazardous Waste Generator Violations (And How to Avoid Them)

Over the next few weeks, we will be talking about a list of common hazardous waste violations provided by Patty Smith, CHMM (Certified Hazardous Materials Manager). Patty has been selling hazardous waste transportation and disposal services for over 20 years in the Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama markets. Each article will offer a few tips (in a descending numbered list) about hazardous waste identification and proper disposal practices. These tips will help companies who often generate waste during business to properly identify and handle it.

10. Failure to Make a Hazardous Waste Determination

AVOID this by:

1.) Make a determination on all waste generated on-site.
2.) Treat unknown material as a hazardous waste during the determination process (label, close, date, etc.)
3.) Keep necessary documentation for both hazardous and non-hazardous waste.

9. Failure to Have a Hazardous Waste Reduction Plan On-Site

AVOID this by:

1.) Keep a copy on-site
2.) Update annually to ensure accuracy
3.) Management signature
4.) Ensure all applicable elements are included in plan

8. Failure to Perform Weekly Inspections of Hazardous Waste Storage Areas

AVOID this by:

1.) Perform the inspections on the same day every week
2.) Mondays and Fridays are not a good choice
3.) Have a back-up inspector
4.) Document inspections on an inspection log

Got any tips of your own to share? Tell us about them in the comments section below!