Hazardous Materials Pickup Request
The following guidelines are provided by EHS to outline the process for removal of unwanted hazardous materials from labs. These guidelines are in compliance with State and Federal environmental regulations.
- Keep chemical containers labeled with the name of the chemicals, including all constituents.
- Label containers with “unwanted materials”, Do not put “hazardous waste”. The determination of whether the material is waste is determined by EHS.
- Keep all hazardous materials targeted for removal inside your lab at all times. Storage in the corridor or pathways for exiting is a violation of fire code.
- Do not store materials targeted for waste removal in your fume hood. This interferes with the capture ability of the exhaust system.
- Keep lids on containers unless you are adding or removing materials.
- Do not mix incompatible chemicals together unless it is in a controlled circumstance and in a fume hood as part of an experiment.
- Do not mix hazardous materials with non-hazardous materials, unless part of an experiment. This increases disposal costs.
- Do not put gloves, paper towels, or other solid, materials in a container holding unwanted liquid materials waiting for pickup.
- Have the chemicals in safe and compatible containers. If possible, use the same container for collection of used material that originally held the new material.
- Metal cans are not acceptable for accumulating hazardous solvents-except for waste oil. 2 ½ gallon polyethylene containers are available at no cost from EHS.
- Containers must have lids to prevent the material from spilling. Corks, cotton plugs, tape or Para-film are not acceptable covers/caps for containers of hazardous materials.
- Have the chemicals in a clean container free from dried chemicals on the outside of the container. If the container is not clean it will not be picked up by EHS.
- Label containers properly with all constituent names. If the contents are unknown, write “unknown” on it.
- Properly package containers in boxes that can be picked up by one person and transported easily. Label the boxes with “EHS pickup”.
- Containers that are one gallon or larger do not need to be boxed up.
- Fill out a pickup request form on line at www.ehs.utah.edu, click on forms. Fill out the hazardous material pickup form completely and click on the submit button, or print off the form, fill it out and fax it to EHS at 585-7240
- It may take 7-10 working days for unwanted materials to be picked up.
If you wish to dispose of a chemical that is still useful, check with peers in other labs to see if they can use it. If they can’t, please fill out a pickup request as normal and indicate that it is for the CHEMICAL EXCHANGE. Someone from EHS will come pick up the chemical and place it in our exchange program for someone else to use.
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Responsibility of lab personnel:
- Lab personnel are responsible to properly segregate infectious from non-infectious sharps.
- Only non-infectious sharps are to be placed in the non-infectious sharps containers.
- Infectious sharps are to be placed in the red bio-hazardous sharps containers.
- Bottles of any size larger than 1 pint are not to be put in the non-infectious sharps boxes unless they are broken. Large bottles are to be set-aside for the custodians to throw out separately.
- Metal sharps such as needles, syringes, and razor blades should go in the red biohazard (infectious) waste containers.
- Lab personnel are responsible for closing up the boxes when they are full and setting them outside the lab door for pickup.
- Any containers that are overfilled and not closed are not safe for custodians to handle and will not be picked up.
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Responsibility of custodians:
- Supply labs with containers (boxes and bags, etc) as appropriate.
- Request support from EHS regarding bags, boxes and supplies as needed.
- Make sure containers (boxes, etc) are securely closed (taped, etc).
- Dispose of sharps container in the dumpster, boxes supplied by EHS are disposable.
- Custodians or lab personnel are NOT to remove the plastic bags to dispose of its contents. The entire box is to be thrown away; a new box will replace it.
- Provide a new box in place of the container pickup. NOTE: Labs may provide their own containers (boxes, etc) if the containers provided by custodial services and/or EHS do not meet the specific needs of the lab. However, the lab must consult with custodial services and/or EHS to ensure that the containers used will accommodate the desired outcome of protecting custodial staff from injury.
- This form must be complete and legible, or the form will be returned.
- Containers of the same description may use a single inventory form, but each container must still be properly labeled.
- Use appropriately safe containers with a good lid/cap. Containers must be safely closed for storage.
- Pack small containers and glass containers appropriately in a box for safe transport.
- Containers must be closed and packed for transport.
- For submissions that require more than one web form (more than 4 line items) it may be easier to submit a paper request by fax (5-9958) or campus mail. Choose one of the following:
Hazardous Materials pickup request form in Word format
Hazardous Materials pickup request form in PDF format.
Contact Info
01/23/06