Handling and disposal of hazardous waste
From plastic residue and chemical spills to asbestos waste
Work does not end when the part is finished. The waste left — remnants, spillage, used protective equipment and degraded material — must be handled correctly. Some of it is hazardous waste and improper disposal can harm both the person cleaning up and the environment afterward.
§What makes waste hazardous
A waste is hazardous when it has properties that can harm people or the environment — for example because it is toxic corrosive allergenic or contains fibres that can be inhaled. Uncured epoxy and isocyanate solvent-containing residues and asbestos-containing material belong to hazardous waste. Cured epoxy is less hazardous than uncured but residues that are not fully cured are treated as hazardous waste.
§Sorting at source
Waste is best sorted where it arises. Hazardous waste is kept separate from ordinary waste, and different types of hazardous waste are not mixed together, as they can react with each other or be treated differently. Clear sorting at the workplace makes the subsequent disposal both safe and legal.
| Waste type | How it is typically handled |
|---|---|
| Plastic waste (weld/trim) | Sorted by type where possible; clean thermoplastics can often be recycled |
| Uncured epoxy/isocyanate and spill | Farligt affald — opsamles, emballeres tæt og afleveres som farligt affald |
| Used gloves, cloths and suits from chemical work | Contaminated — disposed of according to the safety data sheet instructions |
| Asbestos-containing material and dust | Farligt affald — befugtes, emballeres tæt, mærkes og afleveres særskilt |
§Packaging and marking
Farligt affald emballeres, så det ikke spildes, lækker eller afgiver støv og dampe under transport. Asbestaffald holdes fugtigt og pakkes tæt, så fibre ikke slipper ud, og emballagen mærkes, så alle ved, hvad den indeholder. Mærkningen er en sikkerhed for dem, der håndterer affaldet senere — de skal kunne se faren uden at åbne emballagen.
§Documentation and the prescribed route
Farligt affald skal afleveres til en modtager, der må håndtere det, og bortskaffelsen skal kunne dokumenteres. Kommunen anviser, hvor de forskellige typer farligt affald skal hen, og virksomheden har pligt til at følge anvisningen. Man dumper ikke farligt affald i den almindelige container, graver det ned eller brænder det — det er ulovligt og farligt.
§The safety data sheet shows the way
For chemical products the safety data sheet's section on disposal states how residues and contaminated material should be handled. It is read before cleanup begins so you know what is hazardous waste and how it should be packaged and delivered.