Hazardous Waste Disposal Facility: Memphis and Shelby - Case Study Example

Name Professor Course Date Hazardous Waste Disposal Facility Introduction For waste to be considered hazardous, it can either be in a solid, liquid or gaseous state. Hazardous waste should be treated with care as it can contaminate and affect the people and environment within the surroundings. There should be better ways to handle it from the respective collection points to the disposing points (Letcher and Daniel 2007). There should be no mistakes in handling it as the ensuing repercussions may be fatal. Memphis and Shelby county facility is a hazardous waste disposal facility that collects hazardous wastes and disposes them. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) also ensures that hazardous materials do not cause illness or fatalities due to wastes. Memphis and Shelby facility complies with OSHA requirements in an effort to protect environment, its staff, and society. Identifying a Hazardous Waste Disposal Facility Memphis and Shelby county household hazardous waste collection facility is dedicated to offer quality service so as to make sure there are no dangers from hazardous waste. It has the rules and regulations that it has to meet so as to be in line with the state laws and hence be eligible to offer its services to the citizens. The regulations are: Hazardous waste and control- This deals with the control of the level of threat posed by the hazardous waste in all the levels of waste management i.e. the generation, transportation, storage and eventual disposal. Hazardous waste materials – 40 CFR 261 Subpart D. The toxicity characteristic- 55 FR 11798- 11877. Safety regulation act that deals in making sure there is safety in the facility for all workers. Workers information rule that deals in making sure the company has its workers well informed about the products it deals in and the dangers involved and what to do in case there is an emergency. Emergency regulation that dictates that a company should have well formulated mechanisms to deal with an emergency. The treatment, storage and disposal regulations as under- 40 CFR 264- 265. Some of the hazardous materials collected within the facility include automotive fluids, aerosol sprays, batteries, cleaning agents (metal cleaners, oven cleaners, bleach and toilet cleansers etc), construction & home repair products (driveway sealant, grease and rust solvents, roofing tar, wood preservative, varnishes, adhesives etc), cooking products (lighter fluid, fire starters), and electronics (computers, monitors, scanners, and circuit boards etc). Others include flammable liquids (kerosene, paint thinner, naptha, propane cylinders, and lighter fluid), paints (oil based paint, paint thinner, paint removers, and latex paint), and pool chemicals (chlorine, PH up/down, algaecides, and soda ash) (Memphis and Shelby County). Environmental control methods, procedures and programs To successfully formulate environmental control procedures and programs that will be effective in handling the environmental hazards presented by the hazardous waste management facility, it would be imperative to first understand the dangers that the industry harbor. There is the danger of fire that can be caused by mishandling waste products that are likely to ignite like the waste oils and petroleum products which are highly flammable. Handling of acids may cause corrosions especially on the skin of the handlers or even on the storage tanks depending on the material used and it is therefore imperative to handle the waste with extra care to minimize the threats (Lewinsky 2007). It is for these reasons that the Memphis and Shelby county facility has formulated environmental control procedures so as to save lives and continue being in the fore front in according the best services recognizable by the EPA. The facility has training programs that are very necessary in making its work a success. Workers are trained on what the company job entails and the products involved. Due to the range of dangerous materials involved, it is the company’s prerogative to have the hazardous and accidents control and management program. This program deals in controlling the level of threat as well as making sure accidents are kept to the minimum by first training all workers on safety measures and the actions to take were there to be an accident so as to save lives which is the most fundamental thing. Other than training the workers, the company has another program where the workers are invited to meetings to be briefed on any new developments including new products that may have been enlisted in the hazardous products category, any changes in the rules and regulations and any other law that may have taken effect in the recent past touching on the services of the company either directly or indirectly. These are important programs to keep in line with the state requirements and avoid being caught unaware by any emergency or state agencies. Memphis and Shelby county facility ensures its staff are not exposed to much to the hazardous wastes. It takes into consideration the Permissible Exposure Limit (OSHA PEL) according to OSHA. PEL is a legal limit in US that an employee should be exposed to chemical substances or physical agent (Lewinsky 56). Memphis and Shelby ensures that its employees work within the established limits. Roles and Responsibilities Having to manage a workforce of over 1,000 people is not an easy task and that is why at Memphis and Shelby county facility, there is the task of sharing responsibilities to make the achievements of the company’s goal a success. There is the senior staff management who are more concerned with coming up with the required objectives that are to be met and they are also entitled with informing on any new rules that govern the facility. There is also Personnel manager who is responsible for the operations at the facility and whose roles include making sure the rules that have been passed by the senior management are followed to the letter. He makes sure that proper record keeping is done as well as safety programs are followed. He has a key role of ensuring every staff undertakes his roles keenly. Another department is the one for the environment compliance manager which is in charge of environmental matters which include and not limited to; organizing how the compliance program will be adhered to, assessing and making sure that all rules and regulations concerning the safe disposal of the hazardous waste are adhered to without any threat to the environment. Operations and technical manager has a role of ensuring all the disposals are treated and disposed accordingly. He has a role of making sure that all the disposal operations are clearly followed. Training manager has a role of ensuring continuous training of staff as well as training of new recruited staff. Training program This program deals in making sure the workers are properly trained to perform their respective duties and are capable of handling any situation that may arise out of the handling of the hazardous waste products (Blackman 2001). This is made effective and possible by training manager. This training includes the old and the new recruits and is bent on achieving a workforce that is fully balanced and where both the experienced and the new workers can handle the challenges without any fear or feeling of inferiority. The training is based on handling the different hazardous materials that pass through the facility at least for five hours in a day. This would be used to cite the OSHA rules that govern the facility and ways to observe them without fail. Fire protection program The program is entitled with informing the fire station of all its products that it handles including the ones known to be very flammable. This information comes with the location of the facility, proper installation of fire alarm equipment and conducting fire escape drills. The fire exit channels should always be unobstructed and well lit. Record keeping Program consists of making sure records are made and passed on to the relevant authorities like the EPA for verification purposes. Record keeping assists in knowing of the types of materials to have been handled, any reports of accidents and any other happenings. Audit program This is a program to foresee that all the necessary auditing is done to account for all the funds so as to maintain transparence and tranquility in the facility. The audit department regularly ensures the facility’s compliance with existing programs as well as management systems within Memphis and Shelby county facility. This also ensures proper handling of materials, efficient first aid programs, review of relevant environmental documentation, and safety information. Hazardous products This is intended to verify and monitor all the classes of hazardous products as specified under the environment regulations by safely disposing of harmful products (Letcher and Daniel 2011). This would make the environment pleasing to live in and also increase the lives of people by making sure that their health is alright and can be taken care in case of any eventuality. There is the danger of explosions if some materials are not handled properly as is the case with mishandling of explosives and lithium- sulfur batteries. These materials can react unexpectedly as they may become unstable under any small change in handling. The danger of toxicity is also eminent in products like mercury which when disposed incorrectly may generate pollution by getting absorbed into other systems like water causing adverse effects. These should be handled under the hazardous materials program and ways of testing for the different levels of toxity as stipulated in the OSHA rules by use of either; the Pensky-Martens closed-cup method, for determining the Ignitability or the Setaflash Closed-Cup method for establishing the level of ignitability (Lewinsky 2011). Dealing with staff to meet the environmental regulations As the director of the environmental program at Memphis and Shelby county facility, it would be vital reminding the workers of their oath to achieve the company’s objective. I would also inform them of the EPA act where all subjects are supposed to adhere to the rules and regulations of the agent as stipulated by law. In order to be on the safe side and not suffer for mistakes done by the workers, it would be in order for them to sign an indemnity form clearly stating that I would not be held responsible for any of their deeds that may lead to injuries or even loss of life. Ethical and professional dilemmas According to Memphis and Shelby county facility, ethical behavior is a major issue that can likely result to conflicts with local authorities and society. One of the major dilemmas is pollution, the disposal of its materials in some instances can be referred to as pollution by some organizations or even society. Most of the wastes at Memphis and Shelby county facility are hazardous and have adverse effects to the environment. Most of the wastes produce dangerous fumes and smokes to the environment hence affecting people within. Therefore, this has led to Memphis and Shelby county facility involving itself in good social environmental programs. This is in an effort to express their commitment towards clean environment. In situations of poisonous gas release, the organization addresses the mess quickly to reduce the effects. Corrective actions are undertaken in order to avoid such situations in future. The organization also allows members of the community and environment related organizations to contribute their suggestions towards management and safety of the wastes. Hazardous waste compliance checklist Question Yes No Is the facility fully compliant with the Hazardous waste rules and regulations? (How, are there certifications to show?) (State why) Has there been a record of accidents in the facility emanating from the products? (Indicate number) Are all the workers qualified to work in such a facility? (Brief supportive answer) How much waste does the facility handle in a month? (Indicate amount) Does the facility submit the reports to EPA regularly and on time? Is the facility prepared to handle emergencies of any kind? (Indicate which and how) Does the facility make sure the waste is disposed according to the rules? Conclusion Memphis and Shelby county facility plays a key role in ensuring society and environment is not subjected to adverse health effects. Compliance with environmental regulations act is an aspect that has enabled Memphis and Shelby county facility to able to conduct its functions efficiently. Safety of its staff to the waste they are exposed to has become a big issue that has been addressed adequately. This is through ensuring they follow OSHA requirements in terms of exposure. Society is also protected from the effects of disposed hazards. This has become the greatest achievement of the Memphis and Shelby county facility. This has subsequently reduced the incurred costs in terms of health and safety of the environment. Works Cited Blackman, William. Basic hazardous waste management. New Jersey, NJ: Lewis Publishers, 2001. Print. Letcher, Trevor, and Daniel Vallero. Waste: A Handbook for Management. Oxford, UK: Academic Press, 2011. Print. Lewinsky, Allison. Hazardous material and wastewater: treatment, removal and analysis, New York, NY: Nova Science Publishers Inc, 2007. Print. Memphis and Shelby County. Memphis and Shelby County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility. Feb. 2011. Oct.2011, http://www.memphistn.gov/framework.aspx?page=870 Read More

Some of the hazardous materials collected within the facility include automotive fluids, aerosol sprays, batteries, cleaning agents (metal cleaners, oven cleaners, bleach and toilet cleansers etc), construction & home repair products (driveway sealant, grease and rust solvents, roofing tar, wood preservative, varnishes, adhesives etc), cooking products (lighter fluid, fire starters), and electronics (computers, monitors, scanners, and circuit boards etc). Others include flammable liquids (kerosene, paint thinner, naptha, propane cylinders, and lighter fluid), paints (oil based paint, paint thinner, paint removers, and latex paint), and pool chemicals (chlorine, PH up/down, algaecides, and soda ash) (Memphis and Shelby County).

Environmental control methods, procedures and programs To successfully formulate environmental control procedures and programs that will be effective in handling the environmental hazards presented by the hazardous waste management facility, it would be imperative to first understand the dangers that the industry harbor. There is the danger of fire that can be caused by mishandling waste products that are likely to ignite like the waste oils and petroleum products which are highly flammable.

Handling of acids may cause corrosions especially on the skin of the handlers or even on the storage tanks depending on the material used and it is therefore imperative to handle the waste with extra care to minimize the threats (Lewinsky 2007). It is for these reasons that the Memphis and Shelby county facility has formulated environmental control procedures so as to save lives and continue being in the fore front in according the best services recognizable by the EPA. The facility has training programs that are very necessary in making its work a success.

Workers are trained on what the company job entails and the products involved. Due to the range of dangerous materials involved, it is the company’s prerogative to have the hazardous and accidents control and management program. This program deals in controlling the level of threat as well as making sure accidents are kept to the minimum by first training all workers on safety measures and the actions to take were there to be an accident so as to save lives which is the most fundamental thing.

Other than training the workers, the company has another program where the workers are invited to meetings to be briefed on any new developments including new products that may have been enlisted in the hazardous products category, any changes in the rules and regulations and any other law that may have taken effect in the recent past touching on the services of the company either directly or indirectly. These are important programs to keep in line with the state requirements and avoid being caught unaware by any emergency or state agencies.

Memphis and Shelby county facility ensures its staff are not exposed to much to the hazardous wastes. It takes into consideration the Permissible Exposure Limit (OSHA PEL) according to OSHA. PEL is a legal limit in US that an employee should be exposed to chemical substances or physical agent (Lewinsky 56). Memphis and Shelby ensures that its employees work within the established limits. Roles and Responsibilities Having to manage a workforce of over 1,000 people is not an easy task and that is why at Memphis and Shelby county facility, there is the task of sharing responsibilities to make the achievements of the company’s goal a success.

There is the senior staff management who are more concerned with coming up with the required objectives that are to be met and they are also entitled with informing on any new rules that govern the facility. There is also Personnel manager who is responsible for the operations at the facility and whose roles include making sure the rules that have been passed by the senior management are followed to the letter. He makes sure that proper record keeping is done as well as safety programs are followed.

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