Hazardous Materials Management

I. Department Requirements (Applies to all generators in the SU System)

A. Each department is responsible for the initial steps to control and dispose of material. All material that can be neutralized and disposed of should receive immediate attention at the discretion of the person in charge in the respective areas.

B. Material that cannot be neutralized should be collected in waste containers, labeled with the name of the contents and stored in a designated place.

C. After each item is labeled and placed into a container it must be entered on an inventory showing:

a. Date entered

b. Description

c. Where stored

d. Physical Form (liquid, sludge, solid, or contained gas)

D. Every effort should be made to control and manage the material unit when it is finally turned over to the designated agent for disposal. Accountability, proper descriptions, storage and inspections are basic safe handling of waste material.

E. In order to insure that funds are available as needed for hazardous disposal, each department (campus) planning to purchase chemicals or any projects that will require disposals, should include twenty-five (25) percent of the purchase cost of chemicals for disposal cost.

NOTE: When there is doubt about what to do with certain waste, please call your Safety Office.

II. Waste Pick-Up

A. Unless there is an unusual accumulation of waste that dictates immediate attention, the waste will be regularly picked up by a designated agents as follows:

1. At the end of each Fall Semester

2. At the end of each Spring Semester

3. Only if needed at the end of the Summer Semester

NOTE: This policy may change on the Baton Rouge Campus after the Hazardous Storage Building is completed.

III. Containers:

A. Compatibility of Waste with Containers:

The departments must us a container made of or lined with material which will not react with, or be incompatible with, the hazardous waste to be stored so that the ability of the container to contain the waste is not impaired.

B. Condition of Containers:

If a container holding hazardous waste is not in good condition (e.g. severe rusting, apparent structural defects) or if it begins to leak, the department must transfer the waste from this container to a container that is in good condition or the department must manage the waste in some other way that complies with acceptable standard requirements.

C. Management of Containers:

1. A container holding hazardous waste must always be closed during storage, except when it is necessary to add or remove waste.

2. A container holding hazardous waste must not be opened, handled, or stored in a manner which may rupture the container or cause it to leak.

D. Acquisition of Containers:

1. Acquisition of containers should be budgeted at the same time that chemicals which will ultimately be placed in said containers are budgeted or anticipated for each respective area. Containers are important budget items.

2. As permitted, additional containers will be purchased throughout the respective Safety Offices and stored at Central Stores. They can be purchased from Central Stores with a store requisition.

3. Many containers are given to the University and others are recycled from other departments. These containers will continue to be distributed where they are needed.

IV. 1. The area(s) where containers are stored on each campus must be inspected at least weekly be each department. Responsible individuals should look for leaking containers and for deterioration of containers and the containment system, and they should take whatever action is required to make corrections.

2. All containers must be stored in such a fashion that each container=s identification label can be read from the access aisle.

3. All inspection records must be maintained.

4. Periodic checks will be made by the Safety Office staff who will sometimes be accompanied by individuals from the City Fire Department=s Hazardous Waste Unit and representatives fro the DEQ Office.

V. Redistribution of Material:

As a cost savings measure and to also encourage more communication between the departments, redistribution of material should take place as often as possible. In the future, after the new Central Waste Storage Building is completed, unsable material deposited at the storage area will be treated as surplus and made available for redistribution to other units. However, until the building is ready one department on each campus will serve as the coordinating department to insure that unsable surplus material is placed where it can be used.

Surplus material should be retained for a reasonable amount of time (1-6 months). If the material is not redistributed during this time, it should be handled as waste and be given to the designated agent for disposal.

The first meeting of the academic school year will be called by the safety officer on each campus. The meeting will determine who the redistribution coordinator will be.

Redistribution of material to outside agencies can only be authorized when the following conditions are met:

1. The receiving agency is responsible for transporting.

2. The Safety Office is in concurrence.

3. The receiving agency is a recognized professional organization operating by scientific standards and capable of proper control of the material being transferred.

4. The material meets all the required standards for transportation.

NOTE: This policy will be reviewed and updated as often as need to insure that the best policy is in placed to serve our particular needs. Your suggestions are needed and encouraged. Please direct all suggestions to the Safety Office.

APPROVED: 03/24/90