At TransChem Environmental we want to ensure our customers are always up to date on the latest information regarding hazardous waste transportation, proper hazmat, chemical, and medical waste disposal procedures, and changes or updates in rules and regulations regarding our industry.
April 4, 2021
The Laboratory Standard requires that the employer designate a Chemical Hygiene Officer and have a written Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP), and actively verify that it remains effective. The CHP must include provisions for worker training, chemical exposure monitoring, where appropriate, medical consultation when exposure occurs, criteria for the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and engineering controls, special precautions for particularly hazardous substances, and a requirement for a Chemical Hygiene Officer responsible for implementation of the CHP.
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March 19, 2021
In environmental, health, and safety (EHS), a metric is the measurable performance of an environmental or safety activity or program within an organization. Metrics can drive performance toward more efficient use of resources, improved compliance, profitability, and the general health and well-being of an organization and its workers. For example, an injury and illness tracking report can be used as a metric for employee productivity.
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March 05, 2021
Facilities (buildings, containers, or equipment that contain a process) that use processes that involve highly hazardous chemicals with threshold values at or above those specified in Appendix A of the Process Safety Management (PSM) of Highly Hazardous Chemicals Standard (29 CFR 1910.119, Appendix A) or flammable liquids or gas of 10,000 pounds or more must comply with the requirements of PSM rule (29 CFR 1910.119) and implement a formal PSM Plan.
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February 25, 2021
There are over 35,000 laboratory operations in the United States. They’re found in schools and universities, hospitals and medical facilities, factories, warehouses and maintenance departments. Much of the waste these labs produce can’t be poured down the drain or thrown out in the trash. Doing so would be unsafe and subject to criminal penalty. To dispose of lab waste in the most environmentally safe and cost effective manner, lab packing services are the best practice.
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February 11, 2021
There can be significant fines and potential criminal penalties involved with violations of refrigerant requirements. To ensure that your organization is prepared to meet compliance requirements, you need a well defined and documented refrigerant compliance program. Perform a self-check by answering the following refrigerant compliance management questions:
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January 22, 2021
The EPA requires that anyone who manufactures, imports, or exports hazardous chemicals must comply with Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The Act requires that anyone who wants to manufacture or import a chemical not listed on the TSCA list of chemicals must notify the EPA at least 90 days before producing or importing the new chemical substance. TSCA also imposes reporting requirements for anyone who exports hazardous chemicals subject to TSCA.
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December 30, 2020
The Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest Establishment Act (e-Manifest Act) directed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a hazardous waste e-manifesting system. The EPA recently proposed a system of user fees for e-manifests. Today we will take a look at how these fees are intended to work and who will actually end up paying for the e-manifest system. Tomorrow we will talk about how the e-manifest fee proposal would affect hazardous waste generators and hazardous waste transporters.
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December 21, 2020
Certain materials are excluded from the definition of solid waste under RCRA. If the material is not a solid waste, it cannot be a hazardous waste. The following materials are deemed not to be solid wastes and therefore are deemed non-hazardous wastes:
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November 25, 2020
Universal waste is a general descriptive term EPA uses to identify certain hazardous wastes that are generated by large numbers of businesses in relatively small amounts. Under the universal waste rule, these identified hazardous wastes remain hazardous wastes but are not collected and managed in compliance with the full hazardous waste rules.
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November 18, 2020
In a previous post, we gave you part of a hazmat transportation security checklist for your facility and personnel. That checklist was meant to prepare you and your hazardous waste for the journey to the hazardous waste disposal site. While en route, however, there are sevearl key security concerns you must be aware of to ensure your hazmat cargo and personnel arrive safely. Here's a hazardous waste transportation security checklist for en-route security measures.
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October 26, 2020
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) is responsible for regulating hazardous waste from its point of generation through its final disposal. This “cradle-to-grave” system begins with hazardous waste generators. The EPA has developed generator standards for several aspects; from on-site accumulation of hazardous waste, to manifesting, to labeling, recordkeeping, and reporting.
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September 16, 2020
Small gasoline spills at a local station may not make national news like when a tanker sinks, but they are still very dangerous to people and to local wildlife. It is extremely important that any gasoline spill, even if it is small, is treated with respect and cleaned up properly so that the risks of fire or environmental damage are neutralized. Learning all you can about what can happen with a gas spill, as well as proper clean up techniques, can avoid major issues for any shop.
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September 1, 2020
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), through its hazardous material regulations (HMRs), specifies requirements for the safe transportation of hazardous materials in commerce by rail, aircraft, vessel, and motor vehicle. DOT has general requirements for the loading, unloading, handling, and storage of explosives and hazardous materials as well as specific modal requirements.
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August 26, 2020
Managing mercury-containing equipment as universal wastes requires attention to both state and federal regulations to ensure compliance. This article discusses some of the most common generator violations of the universal waste rules applicable to mercury-containing equipment and other listed universal wastes.
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August 17, 2020
Since many 55-gallon drums may contain, or may have contained, hazardous materials that could contaminate groundwater or lead to personnel health and safety concerns, it is imperative that operators of solid waste facilities be informed about the best management practices for collecting and processing these drums.
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