Managing Your Business's Hazardous Waste
Small business owners will need to manage a number of tasks that they may not have originally anticipated when they opened their business. Disposing of the various hazardous wastes that your business may produce can be one of these factors.
Understand The Full Range Of Hazardous Materials
It is a common mistake for small business owners to assume that hazardous wastes are only produced by largescale industrial operations. However, there are many chemicals and other materials that businesses may use on a regular basis that could be extremely hazardous if they were improperly stored. Your community waste management department will have a listing of the materials that they consider hazardous, and it can be worth reviewing this listing to determine whether any of the materials that your business will be using on a regular basis need to be disposed of using specialized services.
Ensure Proper Storage
When your business's hazardous waste materials are waiting to be picked up, they will likely benefit from being stored in containers that are designed to hold hazardous substances. These containers will be designed to prevent leaks or other forms of contamination from occurring. While investing in commercial quality hazardous waste storage containers is a relatively major investment, reducing the risk of dangerous and expensive contamination can make this a wise investment.
Keep Comprehensive Records Of Your Hazardous Waste Disposal Process
In many communities, it can be a requirement for businesses that produce hazardous wastes to undergo audits on a regular basis. These audits are needed to ensure that local enterprises are complying with the applicable waste disposal requirements. When you use a professional hazardous waste disposal service, they will provide you with receipts and other documentation confirming that they disposed of the hazardous waste materials. If you are unable to provide this documentation during these audits, your enterprise could be fined and investigated to confirm its disposal practices are compliant.
Train All Employees In Responding To Spills
To keep your business safe, it is necessary to train your employees in the various problems and emergencies that could arise at your enterprise. For businesses that handle hazardous materials, it is imperative to train all employees in the steps that they should take in the event of a spill. Without this training, employees could subject themselves to a higher risk of being injured while responding to the spill or they could inadvertently make the spill far worse. A single training session is unlikely to be effective in preventing these issues. Rather, these steps should be periodically reviewed to keep the staff as well-trained as possible.
For more information, contact your local hazardous waste management service today.
Share