Waste Segregation
Posted on 30th November 2022 at 13:20
The HSE website states that all varied waste on work sites must be segregated to ensure the health and safety to all personnel on site.
There are laws enforced by the Environment Agency and Local Authorities regarding the proper disposal of waste, including the categories that they fall under. In general, “all waste produced can also present a real safety hazard to workers on site if it is not properly managed throughout the project”.
Before work starts, the management of waste disposal must be decided “in a timely and effective manner”, as well as who will be responsible regarding the collection and disposal of the specific types of waste, providing that the company and individuals are fully aware of these duties. All workers must be made aware of the types of waste, the hazards from mixing them and the proper means of segregation.
Waste can be defined into several categories: hazardous waste, which contains substances or chemicals that could contaminate and harm people; non-hazardous waste and inert waste. Under no circumstances should hazardous and non-hazardous waste be mixed in together, as it could greatly increase the likelihood of harm to people in managing them.
Separate skips are to be arranged so that varied types of waste are secured rather than mixing in and presenting more hazards in the work area. For example, flammable materials such as wood cut-offs would need to be kept in a separate waste management bin to help reduce fire risks within the workplace. Metal waste such as steel, which is non-hazardous, would also need to be kept separate from other non-hazardous waste. If empty aerosol cans are to be disposed of, they must be piled into metal waste rather just a solo skip, as this would serve to dilute the proportions of aerosols mixed in together.
When dealing with waste from within buildings, waste bins chutes must be considered to help ease the safety and transportation of the materials.
Different types of hazardous waste must also be divided into their own skips, as mixing together also presents a greater risk of harm. Any materials that contain oils or fluids are considered hazardous waste and are to be separated accordingly.
What Can We Learn From This? – Toolbox Talk Details
• Ensure that all types of waste are sufficiently sorted into their relevant waste skips
• Never mix all types of one waste together
• The responsibilities of waste disposal for all types of waste must be established
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