Various questions should be continually asked about wastes

by Tony on 16/02/2011 in Recycling Insurance

1. Are containers lidded where required?

2. Are containers carefully stacked to avoid the danger of overbalancing during transport?

3. Is the driver (of the forklift truck, waste collection vehicle, etc.) aware of the hazards of the material being transported?

• Wastes awaiting disposal should be stored in a secure designated area which minimises potential harm to the environment, employees, disposal contractors and property, and which is properly supervised and regularly inspected.

• It is preferable that hazardous and non-hazardous wastes are stored separately. Safe access and egress must be provided both for the placing of wastes into storage and for the removal of wastes by transport and disposal contractors.

• All stored containers must be accessible so that they can be checked for leaks and deterioration in the fabric of the container. This checking is easier if the wastes are stored in rows or bays within a building or compound and not scattered in many locations around the site.

• All storage areas should be covered with a hard-standing material, resistant to corrosion and suitably impervious, to prevent percolation of waste or contaminated rainwater into the ground and potential contamination of groundwater in the event of a spillage.

• If hazardous liquid wastes are stored, the area should be bunded (i.e. surrounded by a well-constructed bank) to prevent run-off in the event of a spillage

• If flammable wastes are stored, then a no-smoking policy must be enforced.

For further information about insurance and risk management for waste & recycling companies please contact Tony Gibbs on 0118 9452944

Factsheets, Recycling Insurance, Risk Management