Special Waste Associates Design For Safety Considerations for Improving the Design and Operation of your HHW/CESQG Collection Facility NW NAHMMA Conference Spokane, September 2012 By David Nightingale Special Waste Associates dnight@cco.net 360-259-6497 www.speicalwasteassoc.com

1st - Why worry about safety? Employee Impacts Ethical responsibility to employees for safe workplace Improve workplace comfort, productivity, and morale Risk Management Improve insurance loss prevention, and possibly lower premiums Reduce likelihood of environmental release and associated costs of cleanup Reduce time lost, medical and labor expenses Avoid OSHA fines Avoid loss or damage to building

Presentation General concepts that are important based on experience of HHW operations which can degrade or promote safety Selected safety survey results Specific examples of what can go wrong

Interaction of Administration, Design, Operations and Equipment for Safety

Common Hazards at HHW Collections Chemical Health Hazards Hazardous vapors and other chemical exposure Physical Hazards (most common injury types) Slip, Trips and Falls Moving vehicles Repetitive motion injuries Heavy or awkward loads Potentially explosive atmospheres from evaporation of flammable liquids

Weather and Environmental Conditions are Important

Estimate of HHW exposure risk of full time work (160 hrs/mo Estimate of HHW exposure risk of full time work (160 hrs/mo.) over 10 years Bill Lewry “Conclusions from Previous Survey” national HHW list serv 3/13/2007.

Largest Exposure Pathway - Lungs Huge surface area biologically designed to allow vapors to directly enter the bloodstream Operationally, most frequently liberate significant quantities of flammable liquid vapors during bulking/consolidation into 55-gallon drums

Study of solvent and flammables bulking operations at 12 US Universities Measured 45 VOCs and compared area monitoring contaminant levels with personal contaminant levels for workers bulking liquids (e.g., benzene, chlorobenzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, methylene chloride, xylene, etc.) 70% of worker exposures were higher than room monitors indicated “17% of personal samples exceeded OSHA time weighted average or ceiling limit values… It is concluded that the most frequently necessary safeguard is respiratory protection, preferably supplied air type. The use of local exhaust ventilation systems over dilution or natural systems, and operation of the facilities in a totally explosion safe manner, are also recommended. Ryan, Timothy J., Survey of Waste Comminglers' VOC Exposures, Ohio University, Journal of Air & Waste Management Association, November, 2002.

Can you identify the Hazard and Opportunity for Improvement?

Heavy, awkward drum handling risks strain injury, falling heavy object

Trip hazard, sloped working surface handling of heavy drums, lost workspace

Awkward repetitive motion, puncture wound hazard, very time consuming

Unsorted HHW can lead to unplanned chemical reactions of incompatibles

Lack of protection from blown precipitation leads to water hazard

Winter weather can reduce capacity of uncovered spill containment

Uneven surface = step hazard

Receiving area oil spill on asphalt soaks into pavement (and soils below? )

Ventilation pulling air and vapors up and through the breathing zones of the worker.

Air Purifying Respirator is only allowed when engineering controls infeasible

Static Discharge Avoidance is a best practice for ignition control, but does not prevent accumulation of explosive concentrations of flammable vapors

Before: Wooden trusses with fire resistant paint and no fire sprinklers

After the fire…

Take Away Worker comfort and safety is related to: improved operating efficiencies, less opportunity to experience losses of personnel and infrastructure, and improved employee morale

Any Questions??? Thank you!! David Nightingale, dnight@cco.net Special Waste Associates Olympia WA (360) 491-2190