Environmental Compliance

Environmental Compliance

Questions? Email us at [email protected] or call 423-425-5741.

Hazardous Waste Disposal Procedures

Any UTC department needing to dispose of hazardous waste will properly separate chemicals by class and store the materials in appropriate waste containers.

After the materials are separated and labeled, submit a completed hazardous waste pickup form to Environmental Health and Safety. The waste is to remain properly stored within the generating department until arrangements have been made for pickup by our staff.

If you generate a waste product but are unsure if it is hazardous, please contact [email protected].

Hazard Communication Program

The intention of the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (TOSHA) Hazard Communication/Right-To-Know law is to provide employees with information regarding chemicals used in the workplace so as to minimize hazardous exposure to the chemicals and to provide information to any responding emergency personnel to assist in protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the University Community. The TOSHA Hazard Communication / Right-To-Know law requires the employer to perform the following:

Post adequate notification informing the employees about their rights under this law. Develop a chemical inventory of each of the hazardous materials used or stored in the workplace in excess of fifty-five (55) gallons or five hundred (500) pounds, submit this listing to the Tennessee Department of Labor, and maintain the listing for a period of thirty (30) years. Develop a library of appropriate Safety Data Sheets (SDS) which will always be accessible to the employee.

Written Hazard Communication Program

Adequate notification will be posted in the UTC Human Resources Department to inform the employees of their rights under the TOSHA Hazard Communication / Right-To Know law. Each University department head will assure that all hazardous chemicals in or leaving the workplace shall be properly labeled, tagged or marked in a manner which complies with the act and does not conflict with any other regulation pertaining to hazardous materials.

• Develop a written program which addresses the labeling of containers, the training of employees as to the hazards of routine and non-routine tasks, and the maintaining and updating of the program.
• Develop a program of communication with any applicable emergency response agencies relative to the hazardous chemicals and provide a description of their locations.

Hazardous Materials Inventory

Every university department which purchases, uses, or otherwise handles hazardous chemicals in the workplace will be required to compile and submit an annually updated Hazardous Materials Inventory to the Environmental Health and Safety. This inventory will be due ino later than January 1 of each calendar year. At the request of the department, the Safety office will send out copies of previously submitted inventories so that a review may be made and inventories modified as necessary. The attached "Hazardous Materials Inventory Form " will be the standard for submitting this information. Should departments need copies of this form, they can be obtained from Environmental Health and Safety, 400 Palmetto St., Suite 103, or by calling 423-425-5741.

In addition to an inventory, each university department which purchases, uses, or otherwise handles hazardous chemicals in the workplace will maintain a file of the appropriate safety data sheets (SDS) of the chemicals or products used by employees of that respective department. If the SDS are not provided by the chemical manufacturer or distributor upon delivery of the chemical, the department will request a SDS in writing from the manufacturer or distributor. If the SDS is unavailable, the employee may refuse to work with the hazardous chemical.

General Chemical Inventory

Training

All employees will be provided training on an annual basis for the hazardous materials in their workplace. Training will also be repeated when new hazardous materials are introduced into the workplace. It is the responsibility of each University department to determine who, within that department, is required to receive training. There are many facets to this training, including having a basic knowledge of what constitutes a hazardous material, managing hazardous waste, storage requirements for hazardous waste, emergency response procedures, and administrative controls. Our office has developed a training program for each of these categories. Please review the information below and determine the departmental staff who require training.

Work Assignments That Require Training

Faculty
Faculty who lead or otherwise conduct activities which require students to use hazardous or potentially hazardous materials. These uses may include conducting experiments or demonstrations, processing samples, providing patient care, construction of theater sets, for example.

Researchers
Individuals, including faculty and students, who are involved in research which requires the use of hazardous materials or the production of hazardous waste.

Chemical Hygiene Officers
These individuals are assigned at each department or operating unit and charged with managing the handling of hazardous materials and hazardous waste for that department or unit.

Administrative Staff
Administrative staff who are responsible for ordering, receiving, dispensing, or otherwise managing or tracking hazardous materials, hazardous waste, universal waste, or other regulated waste.

Facilities
Individuals involved in the construction, remodeling, or operations of campus facilities which require the use of hazardous or potentially-hazardous products. This includes Facilities craftsmen, grounds crew workers, pool maintenance workers, housing maintenance workers, central energy plant workers, and arena maintenance workers.

Installation Operators
Individuals who operate boilers, chillers, swimming pools, or other significant installed systems.

Information Technology
Workers who are involved in installation or physical maintenance of IT assets.

Custodians
Individuals involved in the cleaning or general maintenance of buildings, offices, or other facilities.

Police Officers
All sworn police officers and security staff members charged with patrolling the campus for the purpose of law enforcement and observing and reporting conditions on campus.

Police Communications Operators
These individuals require specific training in notification procedures for hazardous materials and hazardous waste releases.

Environmental Health and Safety Staff
Staff members assigned to Environmental Health and Safety, with the exception of administrative staff.

How can I obtain this training?
Annually, Environmental Health and Safety will schedule a number of training sessions open to the entire campus. Your team members are free to attend any of the sessions. In addition, we can conduct on-site training for larger groups.

In addition, some job classifications may require additional training specific to their particular circumstance. These jobs, for example, include individuals who may be exposed to blood-borne pathogens or individuals who order chemical products.

Training for Specific Products
In many cases, hazardous materials purchased for use by a department are used exclusively by that department. Therefore, training for the specific hazards of those materials will be the responsibility of the department. Environmental Health and Safety can assist with training aids and provide guidance to you as you build this training. However, the training should ensure that the trainees know:

Common name and chemical identity of hazardous materials in their work area. Health hazards, physical properties, and other risks related to each chemical. Protective equipment and the proper way to wear it.

Documentation of Training
Employee training must be documented. Documentation should include an employee sign-in sheet that details employees trained, date of the training, and verification that each employee understands the information presented during the training. This documentation process must be repeated with every annual retraining session. Copies of the documentation should be sent to Environmental Health and Safety.

Please contact us if you would like to schedule training for your department at [email protected] or 423-425-5741.

Non-Employees

Contractors

The contractor's foreman or supervisor will be made aware of chemical hazards in the workplace that relates to the contractor's employees. The foreman or supervisor will be furnished a copy of the written program, and will be advised that all contractor's employees be trained as appropriate for their potential exposure. Also, contractors and vendors who bring hazardous materials onto the campus must notify the University of the presence of these materials. Notification to the University of the presence of these hazardous chemicals should be made to Safety Risk Management.

Visitors

Visitors will be made aware of the hazards associated with the workplace being visited. The visitor will be made aware of the written program and will be furnished a copy upon request. The visitor will be trained as appropriate for the potential exposure. Visitors to highly hazardous workplaces will be held to a minimum so as to reduce the chance of exposure to non-employees and thereby reduce potential liability to the University.

Employee Rights

Employees are not required to work with hazardous chemicals, if not properly labeled. Employers must notify employees of areas of potential exposure. Employers may not retaliate against any employee for exercising rights under this act.

Shipping Dangerous Goods/Hazardous Materials

The US Department of Transportation (DOT) has detailed regulations related to the shipment of dangerous goods. Penalties, including fines, can result from failure to abide by these regulations. Dangerous goods offered for shipment have unique packaging requirements. There are also strict training requirements for anyone shipping dangerous goods.

For these reasons, only qualified personnel can ship hazardous materials from UTC.

If you have questions about this procedure, please call 423-425-5741 or email [email protected].