Thursday, December 26, 2013

Information On How To Handle Off Spec Chemicals

By Marcia Marks


Many people especially those that are involved in manufacturing business occasionally find that they have with them some off spec chemicals. This in most cases is as either a byproduct of a given production process or out of date chemicals. Most of the time, these items are always not usable in that state so the user has to get rid of them. Many questions are usually asked on how to deal with such situation because they occur regularly. Here are some few tips on how to overcome a challenge of a similar nature.

These products can be reused in such state. For instance, some products can be used for treating stagnant water in home environments to ensure that it is healthy and safe. This helps in preventing habitation of insects like mosquitoes in those areas. New or used oil is added to the water to kill mosquitoes.

In some situations, the manufacturer will always be willing to take them back. Instead of just discarding such products the supplier could be contacted to confirm if they could be taken through a process called reclaiming. This process usually involves the addition of the missing compound to bring it back to a state that it can be used for the previously intended use.

Some people however prefer the burning of these items to use them as fuel. This should be done with great care, as some of them are very highly inflammable therefore can cause uncontrollable fires resulting to unimaginable losses. Sufficient investigation should be carried out to establish whether the fumes from such fires are safe to the environment or they are pollutants. If they are harmful then they are not the right material for such a way of disposal.

With the knowledge of the adverse effects of such products to the environment and other people, it then requires that anyone generating or possessing them to carry out an evaluation process. The reason for this is to be able to categorize the chemicals according to the specific rule. It is through this process that such items will be classified as dangerous substance or not.

Such evaluation is also important in that it will tell if the chemical can be reclaimed or not be used in any way. At this point, special arrangements to discard the chemical appropriately should be considered. Because this might not be a material to be taken to the dustbin or washed down the drain given its composition and possibility of un-desired effects.

It is a requirement for handlers of such products to possess a permit. This is mainly to ensure that each one is responsible and strictly adheres to the laid down procedures with regard to disposal. The responsibility does not only end at the site but includes even safe transportation.

The generators of off spec chemicals are responsible for knowing the fate of their hazardous products. They must comply with the hazardous waste rules that require proper waste management while it is onsite. They are also required to use a hazardous waste transporter and a hazardous waste manifest. In addition to these, proper record keeping as well as reporting are a requirement.




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