3 Tips For Safely Storing Hazardous Waste

If your company's manufacturing activities result in the creation of hazardous materials, you may choose to partner with a reputable hazardous waste disposal company that can transport this waste from your property and get rid of it safely. Since daily removal isn't realistic for many companies, you may find that you need to store hazardous materials for a short period of time while you wait for your disposal company to pick this waste up.

Here are three tips that you can use to ensure you are able to safely store hazardous waste on a temporary basis.

1. Invest in the right kind of containers.

The type of containers that you house your hazardous waste in while it awaits pickup by a professional disposal company can significantly contribute to the overall safety of the storage process. Work with your disposal company to identify the materials that are best suited for storing your specific kind of waste, then invest in containers made from these materials.

Be sure that storage containers seal tightly to prevent waste from seeping out into the surrounding environment and to prevent environmental contaminants from finding their way inside your storage containers where they can negatively interact with hazardous waste materials.

2. Limit access to storage areas.

The areas in which you store your hazardous waste while you are waiting for a disposal company to pick it up should be kept off-limits to most employees. Only those employees who have completed a training course providing them with the knowledge and skill needed to handle hazardous waste should be allowed in storage areas.

Limiting access prevents accidental spills or leaks that could be caused by employee incompetence, and it ensures that you are able to regulate the number of employees exposed to hazardous materials on a regular basis.

3. Implement a secondary containment system.

In order to prevent accidental contamination, you should take the time to implement a secondary containment system for your hazardous waste storage areas. This means that you need to carefully evaluate storage areas to ensure they are equipped to contain any potential leaks that may occur when your primary storage containers fail.

Having the ability to seal off the storage area can be a great way to provide secondary containment for hazardous waste materials being temporarily stored on your company's property.

When you are able to safely store hazardous materials for a short period of time, you can work with your disposal company to realistically manage your hazardous waste removal needs in the future.

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