Waste contractors

Important issues related to improper waste handling, treatment, and disposal. Reviews essentials of compliance central administration, waste reduction, safety labeling standards, recordkeeping, monitoring waste contractors, transportation safety, and employee emergency training. 

The third requirement Is that the waste must be transferred only to an authorized person. Classes of authorized person Include registered waste carriers, holders of waste management licences or exempt parties such as charities or waste collection authorities. Waste transfer notes must be transferred from one duty holder to the next along the waste chain. Checks are advised to ensure that prospective waste contractors are competent to deal with waste. 

Over recent years, more rules and regulations have been introduced concerning the disposal of construction waste and this topic is covered in more depth in Chapter 16. Proper arrangements must be made with a reputable waste disposal contractor for the disposal of demolition waste. If hazardous substances are included in the waste, then specialist waste contractors should be used. Only registered disposal sites should be used and records kept of each load. 

Identify arrangements for the removal of waste and clean up of the environment, eg arrangements with licensed waste contractors. 

Obsolete documents must be removed or replaced as soon as they are no longer relevant. Removed or replaced documents should be retained on file as evidence fhaf this requirement has been complied with. Some obsolete documents may need to be retained for legal or record purposes to explain why certain courses of action were followed in the past. For example, if a new waste contractor is used, the documentation relating to the previous waste contractor must meet the requirements of fhe Duty of Care Regulations. It will also assist new supervisors on the site to understand what they should examine when they perform Duty of Care audifs on the waste contractor. 

The transfer off-site for treatment and disposal by a recognised waste contractor. 

When selecting a competent carrier and waste contractor it is important that the producer identifies companies who will handle and eventually dispose of the waste legally. Discovery of illegally disposed waste could result in prosecution of the waste producer, even if the waste was transferred to a contractor in good faith. The waste producer must be able to prove that he took steps to check the credentials of the waste carrier and waste contractor. Such steps are especially important when dealing with special waste and could include trailing the consignment of waste to the disposal site to ensure the correct proc ures are followed. 

Select an appropriate disposal system and licensed contractor. Obtain a copy of the waste contractors licence. 

The Environmental Protection (Duty of Care) Regulations 1991 require that the waste generator take responsibility for the waste from cradle to grave. The duty does not end when the waste leaves the premises but extends to ensure that it is treated in a proper manner throughout its transportation and final disposal. It is important that a potential waste contractor is subjected to a Duty of Care audit prior to final selection. 

Other activities undertaken by the waste contractor on the site... 

Once the waste contractor has been selected, the waste producer should regularly inspect the disposal site. Some companies carry out a Duty of Care visit annually others are less frequent at three years. It is important for the waste producer to ensure they have a current copy of the carriers registration and waste contractor s licence. The most important licence condition that the waste producer should check is that the disposal site is licensed to dispose of the type of waste generated by the producer, and that the carrier can handle that waste. The Environment Agency has the responsibility for enforcing the site licence conditions. Any queries, concerns or unanswered questions should be directed to the Agency. 

In the United States, there is a growing industry of specialist disaster waste contractors that are ready to respond to disaster events. In particular, they respond to frequent storm events. Contractors can be paid in a number of ways but typically contracts are either a lump sum (for a specific body of work) or time and cost. Generally these costs include for all aspects of waste management from demolition or collection through to final disposal. 

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