The Disposal of Chemical Waste and
Solvents
Health and Safety Services
Revised August 2001
The Disposal of Chemical Waste and Solvents
Health and Safety Services
Revised August 2001
(Content Review March 2011)
It is a contravention of the Public Health Act
to discharge into the drainage system any
toxic, flammable, explosive or other noxious
substances. Unfortunately many materials
used in laboratories and other workplaces are
covered by these descriptions, and the law
requires that they be disposed of in
accordance with tightly specified procedures.
The Department of Chemistry will act as the
University's Agent for the disposal of waste
chemicals and solvents, but this does not in
any way relieve individual producers of
waste,
supervisors,
Faculties
or
Departments, from complying with their
statutory obligations in accordance with the
Health and Safety at Work Act, and other
specific
regulations,
notably
the
Environmental
Protection
Act,
the
Chemicals,Hazard
information
and
Packaging Regulations, the Carriage of
Dangerous Goods (Classification, Packaging
and Labelling), and Use of Transportable
Pressure Receptacles Regulations, the
Special Waste Regulations and the Control of
Substances
Hazardous
to
Health
Regulations. This Code of Practice has been
produced for the guidance of the producers of
waste, who are reminded that they remain
responsible for that waste even after it has
left the premises and until such time as it is
finally safely disposed of in accordance with
the relevant regulations. There are relatively
few licensed waste disposal sites in the
country capable of disposing of waste
chemicals and solvents. Consequently waste
has to be transported considerable distances
by external contractors and may be handled
at intermediate depots before reaching the
final point of disposal.
1. ASSEMBLY OF WASTE FOR
DISPOSAL
The Chemistry Stores will accept waste
chemicals and solvents on weekdays, 10am
to 10.30am and 3pm to 3.30pm. Waste
chemicals and solvents will not be accepted
by the Department of Chemistry unless they
are in suitable containers and properly
segregated and labelled in accordance with
the Department’s Code of Practice. The
materials must be personally handed into the
charge of the staff in attendance and an entry
must be made in the Waste Chemicals Log
Book. On no account must chemical waste
The Disposal of Chemical Waste and Solvents
Health and Safety Services
Revised August 2001
(Content Review March 2011)
be left at the counter, or outside the waste
store if it is temporarily unattended.
2. CONTAINERS
Bottles and other containers must be sealed
so that contents cannot escape or leak. All
corrosives must be packed in leaf-proof
containers and in secondary plastic Safe
Packs.
3. LABELLING
All bottles and containers must be correctly
labelled and must be positively identified as a
particular consignment, or part thereof.
Labels for solvent waste must be of the
approved University type and signed by the
supervisor of the group producing the waste.
Old labels or incorrect markings on boxes
and bottles must be removed or painted out
and the appropriate correct labels fixed. (see
Appendix) Unlabelled bottles or containers
need to be disposed of via a separate
procedure which needs to be discussed with
the Stores Manager.
4. PACKAGING
Bottles must be packed securely in stout
cardboard boxes. Boxes containing small
bottles of chemicals (rather than Winchesters
of solvent waste) should bear an accurate list
of the contents, including the amount of each
chemical present on the sheet available from
stores. Glass-to-glass contact must be
avoided by the use of appropriate packing
media (vermiculite, or Spill-Dry oil absorbent
granules are best) or by using a partitioned
box, similar to the type commonly used for
Winchesters.
Note
Polystyrene chips are NOT an acceptable
packing material.
Where possible, solids should be segregated
from liquids – flammables from nonflammables etc. Some chemicals are
especially hazardous and must be packed to
a high safety standard, ie. packed in
vermiculite within plastic Safe Packs.
Examples of such substances include
chlorosulphonic acid, silicon tetrachloride,
phosphorus
pentachloride,
phosphorus
oxychloride, thionyl chloride, oleum (fuming
sulphuric acid) and sodium metal. Some
chemicals are very dangerous if they are
accidently mixed. Incompatible reactive
chemicals must not be placed in the same
box. Examples of such incompatibilities
include acids with cyanides, acids with
sulphides and oxidising agents with organics.
7.
COMPLIANCE WITH THE COSHH
REGULATIONS
Assessments carried out in accordance with
the Control of Substances Hazardous to
Health Regulations will have identified clearly
the packaging and labelling requirements of
waste products.
5. SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS
8. FURTHER INFORMATION
a) Inorganic cyanides should always be
packed securely and separate from
any other chemicals. However, the
Safety Officer in the Department of
Chemistry should be consulted about
the possibility of on-site disposal
rather than removal by a contractor.
b) Oxidising agents may be packed
together, but separate from other
materials. On no account use
flammable materials, eg paper or
wood shavings to pack oxidising
agents.
c) Diethyl ether, and other solvents
which contain or form peroxides on
standing, must never completely fill
the bottle. The Stores staff add 100ml
of saturated ferrous sulphate solution
to each Winchester received.
6. ON-SITE DISPOSAL
a) Some waste can be safely disposed
of in the laboratory. Aqueous acidic
waste may be disposed of down the
sinks but must first be massively
diluted and followed by copious
amounts of water. The University
holds a Trade Effluent Consent, which
governs the amounts and types of
chemicals which can be disposed of
down the sink. Do not put any
chemical down the sink without first
consulting the Chemistry Safety
Officer.
b) Consideration should be given to
possible methods of converting other
chemical waste into less hazardous
substances which may be disposed of
without
recourse
to
external
contractors. The Aldrich Chemicals
Catalogue/Handbook can be useful
here.
The Disposal of Chemical Waste and Solvents
Health and Safety Services
Revised August 2001
(Content Review March 2011)
Advice and guidance is available from a
number of sources, including Departmental
and Faculty Safety Officers, The Department
of Chemistry and the Director of University
Health and Safety Services. Copies of
Regulations, Approved Codes of Practice,
guidance documents and general information
are available for reference in the Safety
Services and the Department of Chemistry.
Link to Chemistry stores website:
www.hull.ac.uk/chemstores
Link to Safety Services website:
http://www2.hull.ac.uk/administration/healtha
ndsafetyservices.aspx
9. This Code of Practice does not apply to
Radiological, Biological or Asbestos
waste which are controlled by other
regulations and procedures.
AUGUST 1989
Revised November 1994
Revised August 1999
Revised August 2001