How To Keep Employees Safe From Hazardous Waste
When your company is a consistent hazardous waste generator, it’s vital to know how to keep your employees safe. Hazardous waste can cause many dangerous effects to a person’s health, especially over long periods of exposure. There are several specific steps you should take to protect your employees’ health. Learn how to keep employees safe from hazardous waste by reading below.
Be Clear on What Hazardous Waste You Generate
To protect everyone onsite from any hazardous waste your company produces, you need to know what it is you’re producing first. You need to understand what its hazards are, what to know about it before employees can handle it, how they should handle it, how it should be stored, and lastly, how it needs to be discarded. Make sure everyone on your worksite is informed of the exact waste that’s produced, and its nature. When this is understood, it’s that much easier for employees to know what they must do to protect themselves from contact with the substances.
Label All Hazardous Waste Containers Correctly
Any container that holds your hazardous waste must have proper labeling on it to alert everyone of what it is. This also informs anyone transporting, relocating, or otherwise moving the hazardous material of what they’re handling so they know the potential hazards they could be subjected to. The labels are going to be necessary for when the material gets shipped to where it will be treated and disposed. Labels will indicate the type of material and list the physical and health hazards it poses to human life.
Follow Safe Storage Practices
Making sure your hazardous waste is being stored correctly is vital for the safety of your employees. When the waste is first produced , it must be stored in a proper container that meets requirements. The container must be clean, properly sealed, and undamaged to prevent any spilling or leaking. It must be placed in a safe area away from the majority of work operations. The amount of such material on your site should be limited. This is where utilizing a waste management disposal company is vital. Ensure it’s picked up within reasonable time to prevent exposure on your site.
Quality Employee Training
When wondering how to keep employees safe from hazardous waste, one of the best ways is proper employee training. All employees should be trained how to handle and work around these hazardous substances. This means teaching them what safety gear to wear, how to identify the waste, and what emergency procedures will be used. It will be important for employees to know how to respond if an accidental spill or exposure takes place. They must report it immediately.
If you’re in need of a waste management service, visit Clean Management Environmental Group. Here you’ll receive services to help with any hazardous and non-hazardous waste disposal you need taken care of.