Chemical waste covers anything from solids to liquids which could potentially cause harm if not disposed of safely.
At a minimum, it is your duty of care to ensure all the hazardous waste you produce doesn’t cause any damage. Any chemical waste not stored or disposed of safely can be a serious health risk to your work or home.
There are also different laws and regulations depending on whether you are the waste producer, carrier or consignee.
As a waste producer, you must classify if your waste is hazardous. And ensure it is separated and stored safely if it is. You must also organise for an authorised waste business to collect, transfer and dispose of any chemical waste safely.
How to Classify If Your Waste is Hazardous
- Check Your Waste Codes – All waste has been assigned a waste code, either referred to as a LoW or EWC code. This code will indicate whether your general waste disposal service can legally take this, or whether it is hazardous and needs special collections.
- Ensure It Does Not Have More Than One Classification – In some circumstances, substances can be mixed. This could mean your waste has more than one code so both need to be checked.
- Check the Manufacture Data Sheets – If your waste is not produced by your own business, you should receive data sheets from your manufacturer which state whether it is hazardous.
- Check the Original Container – Anything you have purchased in a bottle or similar will have the relevant warning labels.
How to Safely Store Chemical Waste
Storing any hazardous waste safely is critical to the well-being of your staff and environment.
If you have to store any chemicals on-site, then this must be done so to the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations.
This means your chemicals need to be stored in ventilated cabinets or appropriate storage facilities. They should also be labelled clearly, indicating that it is a hazardous substance.
All chemical waste should be stored separately. There is a risk of reaction is any substances are mixed together.
Lastly, only authorised personnel should be able to access these storage facilities. This avoids any confusion on what you have on-site and ensures they are being stored correctly.
What Documentation Am I Legally Required to Have?
Any chemical waste produced on your site is legally your responsibility. So you must keep a documented record of the disposal processes for a minimum of 3 years.
You must be able to provide copies of your consignment notes, consignment returns and anything else related to the disposal, such as a record of carriers or rejected waste.
If your waste ever does get rejected, you must find out from your disposal company what it was rejected and what needs to be done in future.
You must never transport your own chemical waste unless you meet the requirements and have the licenses to do so.
Where Can I Dispose of Chemical Waste?
It is extremely important you only dispose of chemical waste with experienced waste management companies. As there are so many laws to follow, it’s imperative that you choose a disposal service that you can trust.
Any chemical waste not disposed of properly is entirely the responsibility of the waste source.
A reliable waste management company will be able to talk you through the entire process of disposing of your chemical waste. Along with providing all the legal documentation required. This includes your waste consignment note.
To discuss your chemical waste disposal with KCM, please email info@kcmwaste.com or call our Head Office on 01709 361 144.