Hazardous waste Emergency Response

University of Texas at Austin, Petroleum Extension Service. Hazardous Waste Emergency Response Training, 1992. 

In industrial practice, the generator of the hazardous waste is responsible for selecting the transporter s) of the waste and ensuring that appropriate emergency plans are in place. This responsibility likewise extends to shipment of the secondary wastes discussed in this report. 

Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER)... 

Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response. In response to an EPA mandate in SARA, Ha2ardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) regulations were issued. These address emergency responders, training of those working at Superfund sites, and cleanup operations. 

Hazardous Waste Operations And Emergency Response (HAZWOPER)—29 CER 1910.120... 

This section provides an overview of important definitions and terminology that the Hazardous Materials Worker and Emergency Response Personnel should know. Emergency response at sites other than hazardous waste clean-up sites are emphasized. Under OSHA s 29 CFR1910.120 emergency response personnel (that will take some action to control the situation other than call for help) shall be trained to a competence to protect themselves and other employees in ... 

An emergency response operation involving the release (or substantial threat of release) of hazardous wastes or substances ... 

Non-RCRA-permitted TSDs and waste treatment activities not covered by RCRA (e.g., wastewater treatment facilities permitted under the Clean Water Act) are not covered by HAZWOPER, except for emergency response and some limited waste management operations. Specific HAZWOPER elements are assimilated into the existing health and safety program based on hazard analyses. Worker protection requirements are met through existing health and safety plans [1]. 

Any site-related activities such as bench-scale laboratory and R D activities should comply with the OSHA Laboratory Standard (29 CER 1910.1450). R D activities involving pilot- or full-scale field operations should comply with HAZWOPER when there is reasonable possibility for worker exposure to hazardous wastes or substances or emergency response. 

The physician s opinion as to whether the employee has any detected medical conditions which would place the employee at increased risk of material impairment of the employee s health from work in hazardous waste operations or a emergency response, or from respirator use [OSHA Reference, 120(f)(7)(i)(A)]... 

An emergency action plan is established and implemented for the entire plant in accordance with the provisions of 29 CFR 1910.38(a) and may be subject to the hazardous waste and emergency response provisions contained in 29 CFR 1910.120 (a), (p) and (q). 

OSHA s Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) legislation protects workers who respond to emergencies, such as serious spills, involving hazardous materials. It also covers those employed in cleanup operations at uncontrolled hazardous waste sites and at EPA-licensed waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities. 

Although RCRA creates the framework for the proper management of hazardous and nonhaz-ardous solid waste, it does not address the problems of hazardous waste found at inactive or abandoned sites or those resulting from spills that require emergency response. These problems are addressed by a different act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), commonly called Superfund, which was enacted in 1980. 

Removal actions are short-term cleanup actions that usually address problems only at the surface of a site. They are conducted in response to an emergency situation (e.g., to avert an explosion, to clean up a hazardous waste spill, or to stabilize a site until a permanent remedy can be found). Removal actions are limited to 12 months duration or 2 million in expenditures, although in certain cases these limits may be extended. Removals may occur at any point in time after the PA has been conducted. 

The mission of the OSHA is to save lives, prevent injuries, and protect the health of employees in the workplace.25 OSHA accomplishes these goals through several regulatory requirements including the hazard communication standard (HCS) and the Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Worker Protection Standard (HAZWOPER). 

The HAZWOPER was developed to protect the health and safety of workers engaged in operations at hazardous waste sites, hazardous waste treatment facilities, and emergency response locations. HAZWOPER covers issues such as training, medical surveillance, and maximum exposure limits. 

Hazardous waste operations and emergency response worker protection standard... 

This represents a significant flow rate. Assuming a 15-min emergency response period to stop the release, a total of26,000 kg of hazardous waste will be spilled. In addition to the material released by the flow, the liquid contained within the pipe between the valve and the rupture will also spill. An alternative system must be designed to limit the release. This could include a reduction in the emergency response period, replacement of the pipe by one with a smaller diameter, or modification of the piping system to include additional control valves to stop the flow. 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), 2000. Case Study Waste Fuel/Oxidizer Reaction Hazards, Prevention of Reactive Chemical Explosions, EPA 550-F00-001, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, April 2000. 

USEPA, 1999. Case Study Phenol-Formaldehyde Reaction Hazards, How to Prevent Runaway Reactions, EPA-550-F99-004, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, August 1999. 

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