SOP 4.9 Explosive Or Reactive Chemical Waste Management

SOP 4.9: Explosive or Reactive Chemical Waste Management

Contents

1. Introduction 1

2. Regulatory and contractual requirements 1

3. Staff qualifications 1

4. Safety and health precautions 2

5. Equipment and supplies 3

6. Responding to an unstable waste incident 3

Attachment A: Unstable waste examples and unstable chemical list 5

Attachment B: Reactive chemical guidance list 7

Attachment C: Shock sensitive chemical guidance list 8

1. Introduction

Explosives are not a waste type this Facility normally accepts. However, a situation could occur when the management of explosives may be inevitable. Violent reactions can occur with explosive, reactive, or incompatible chemicals. Facility staff shall follow established safe work practices to reduce potential for injury while managing these unstable waste types. For this SOP, all potentially explosive, reactive, or incompatible chemicals or wastes will be referred to as “unstable.”

The chain of command for responding to a potential unstable waste event is: Facility staff contact the local police and the State Duty Officer. Emergency Response and/or Bomb Squad staff will then be dispatched to respond to the Facility crisis.

2. Regulatory and contractual requirements

The proper management of unstable hazardous waste (HW) is governed by the requirements established in the HHW program and state agency contract (see Exhibit A); Minn. Rules pt. 7045.0310; and local fire and building codes. To contact the State Duty Officer: 1-800-422-0798.

3. Staff qualifications

3.1 Training

3.1.1 The designated Program staff responsible for ensuring proper response steps are followed upon the discovery of unstable wastes is the Facility Manager. This person shall enforce response policies as they relate to staff actions and conduct.

3.1.2 This Facility shall have a written training program that describes the management of unstable wastes relevant to job duties and includes function-specific training, safety, regulatory, and emergency procedures.

3.1.3 Staff shall be trained for proper unstable waste responses prior to incidents occurring. Staff shall be trained within six months of hire or be supervised by trained staff.

3.1.4 Unknown or abandoned wastes shall be accepted by the program, may be commingled with HHW, and are subject to the state indemnification provided the wastes are properly disposed of. See SOP 4.3 Abandoned and Unknown Waste Management.

4. Safety and health precautions

4.1 Safety requirements

4.1.1 Staff shall keep movement of any suspected unstable containers to an absolute minimum.

4.1.2 Staff shall take precautions to prevent any impacts to the environment and follow safety requirements; see SOP 2.10 HW Contingency Plan.

4.1.3 No smoking, eating, or drinking is allowed in Facility waste processing areas.

4.1.4 Staff shall routinely look for immediate dangers to nearby staff and property and keep alert for suspicious activities or behaviors; see SOP 4.14 Security Issues.

4.1.5 Proper ergonomic techniques shall be utilized while managing unstable wastes; see SOP 2.11 Ergonomics.

4.2 Health and personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements

4.2.1 Engineering and work practice controls shall be utilized to minimize or eliminate staff chemical exposures.

4.2.2 PPE shall be utilized if the potential for exposure remains after the institution of work practice controls; see SOP 2.4 PPE. Experienced staff judgment shall be used for unique conditions and situations to determine PPE. If unstable wastes must be managed, the following PPE shall be used:

·  Safety glasses with side shields, goggles, or equivalent eye protection

·  Footwear with reinforced toe or toe caps or equivalent foot protection

·  Nitrile gloves or equivalent hand protection

·  Chemical splash apron, Tyvek coveralls, or equivalent body protection

·  Respiratory protection (if Program has a respiratory protection plan)

4.3 Medical monitoring requirements

The designated staff responsible for ensuring proper unstable waste response steps are followed shall also establish procedures to continually verify this Program’s medical monitoring program meets OSHA requirements. Staff exposed to HHW substances greater than OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for 30 or more days per year shall receive annual medical monitoring examinations; see SOP 2.13 Medical Monitoring Recommendations.

4.4 Emergency response

Only trained emergency response or HW contractors shall respond to incidents requiring assistance beyond the capabilities of Facility staff. The designated staff responsible for ensuring proper unstable waste response steps are followed shall make prior agreements with emergency responders who could be called upon for unstable waste incidents; see Section 6 of this SOP and SOP 2.10 Emergency Contingency Plan.

5. Equipment and supplies

5.1 Staff managing unstable wastes require adequate supplies, equipment, and a secured Facility process area.

5.2 This Facility shall be equipped with a designated area to set incoming potentially unstable or explosive materials. An outside Facility explosion area is constructed to provide protection should an explosion incident occur. The area shall:

·  be set up prior to an unstable waste incident occurring.

·  be located outside the Facility and not exceed minimum distances to the closest building, as determined by local fire and building codes.

·  be located in a designated, secured area.

·  be able to withstand a pressure blast to protect surrounding persons and property.

·  consist of an empty flammable storage area or be constructed in a pit location: the explosion pit may be constructed by:

1.  clearly mark a 55- or 85-gallon steel drum or cement culvert with the words “Explosive”

2.  bury 5-gallon container inside above drum or culvert in sand and/or inert absorbent material.

3.  clearly mark the Facility explosion area with the words “Secure Area, Authorized Personnel Only.”

6. Responding to an unstable waste incident

6.1 Identification of unstable waste containers and contents

1. Prompt reaction of Facility staff following discovery of unstable waste is critical. Staff shall immediately examine any suspected unstable waste at the time of drop-off.

2. Examine the container integrity and markings to determine if segregation from other wastes is warranted or if the situation is an emergency; see Attachment A of this SOP to review a list of suspicious items or chemicals for staff must be alert for.

3. ANY containers with suspicious buildup of crystals on the cap or within container require immediate staff attention as the situation may be dangerous.

4. Do not move any suspected unstable waste! Follow all procedures in Section 6 of this SOP prior to accepting or moving potential unstable wastes.

6.2 Staff evaluating suspected unstable materials shall attempt to learn as much as possible about the waste from the participant. If they do not know the answers to the questions below, assume the situation is potentially dangerous and consider the waste an immediate hazard. If there are no markings on the waste container, staff shall ask the participant:

·  Do they have any hobbies that may provide clues as to the contents?

·  Do they have any ideas of the container contents?

·  How old is the container?

·  What was the item used for?

·  How often has the container been opened, and when was the last time it was opened?

6.3 Explosive wastes: Staff shall not disturb potential explosive containers, as detonation may occur by any physical movement; see Attachment A of this SOP or refer/contact the state’s HW disposal company Hazardous Categorization Training Manual for further instruction. If any of the container markings listed in Attachment A of this SOP are discovered, clear and secure the Facility area and notify authorities immediately.

6.5 Reactive wastes: Staff shall continually monitor and be aware of potential chemical reactions. Visually inspect waste container to determine if chemicals are reacting. Reaction signs may include:

·  smoking, fizzing, or exothermic (giving off heat).

·  containers have markings such as “di”, “tri”, “terta” , multi or nitro wastes, dintrophenol, dinotroglycerin, trinitropenol or picric acid, tertanitroresorcinol. See Attachment B of this SOP to view a Reactive Chemical Guidance List.

6.6 Shock sensitive wastes: Many common chemicals have the potential for producing a violent explosion when subjected to friction or shock (e.g., being struck, vibrated, agitated); see Attachment C of this SOP for a list of shock sensitive chemicals. Staff shall not relocate or move wastes until they are very certain it is safe to do so! Staff shall not assume that because the waste has successfully made the trip into the Facility, that it is now safe to process. Handle unstable chemicals as minimally as possible until professional help arrives.

6.7 Emergency response

Staff shall immediately implement the following response steps upon discovery and determination of an unstable waste:

1.  Immediately notify local emergency responders and the Minnesota State Duty Officer (1-800-422-0798). Describe the situation and follow all instructions. Emergency response staff shall summon the Bomb Squad if the situation deems necessary. Bomb Squad assists in assessing the hazard of the situation. Only specially trained bomb squad personnel shall remove and detonate explosive materials in a safe environment.

2.  If the suspected container is too dangerous to move, leave participant vehicle where it is and evacuate all occupants. Ensure the occupants do not cause the vehicle to vibrate while exiting (e.g., leave vehicle doors open while exiting).

3.  Evacuate the immediate area and provide a safety radius of 300 feet away from the unstable waste. Restrict access to the area.

4.  Inform all nearby persons of the dangerous situation and the waste location.

5.  Staff may choose to continue accepting waste from the public during this time using an alternate receiving location (e.g., parking lot, driveway, transfer station). It may be necessary to temporarily suspend Facility operations until the incident is resolved.

6.8 Stable waste management

1.  If waste is stable enough to minimally handle, contain and segregate the items (avoid the use of plastic bags as they may create a spark from static electricity). These include waste items which may be safely removed from the participant’s vehicle and placed in an appropriate storage area.

2.  Waste that is new and sealed (look for containers marked with manufacture or expiration dates) and in a relatively new container may suggest the item is less dangerous.

3.  Some wastes may be wetted to minimize fire or explosive risks; refer/contact the state’s HW disposal company Hazardous Categorization Training Manual for further instruction.

4.  Do not store wastes in the sun or in a hot area, inside a vehicle, or at any location where it may be disturbed.

Attachment A

Waste items demanding immediate staff response

Staff shall be constantly alert for unstable waste containers with the following labels, markings, or chemicals:

1. Anhydrous ether

·  an old can, labeled “ether” may be explosive

·  staff shall not move or open these containers, especially if there is no participant history

·  crystals can form around inside container threads, in lids, or in solution which may not be visible

2. Blasting caps: fuse type or unknown type

3. Bombs

·  metal or PVC pipe bombs

·  may be in any shape

·  may be wrapped in duct tape

·  gel tubes or slurries (pink or white tubes sausage-looking: generally 2 inches in diameter and larger)

4. Dynamite

·  brown or tan casing with 5-star fold at one end

·  staff shall consider to be extremely dangerous if wet, glistening, or soft to the touch

·  homemade explosive devices like tennis balls wrapped in duct tape

·  may be labeled with unusual or hand-written markings indicating explosive hazards

·  key words: nitro, explosive, shock sensitive, material should only be handled by a trained technician

·  evidence that dynamite may be present includes detonation cord, electric blasting caps, shock tube blasting caps, multiple containers of black powder or smokeless powder

·  items labeled high explosive (are explosive but require a charge to detonate)

5. Flares

·  have strikers that will ignite through friction

·  have orange or red casings (dynamite is usually brown)

·  must be separated from other materials

·  flares may not need to be managed as explosive waste types

6. Flash powder or photo-flash

7. Fireworks

·  smokeless powder, pryrodex (as indicated on original container label)

·  ammoniun nitrate (hobby powder)

·  nitromethane (hobby rocket pellets)

·  boosters (typically have no markings)

·  ammunition or fireworks may not need to be managed as an explosive waste type

8. Military ordnance: grenades or shells

9. Nitrogen: container shows evidence that the headspace had nitrogen blown into it

10. Pictric acid

·  unknown, dry or white powders

·  extremely shock sensitive materials

·  commonly found in medical or research laboratories

·  used as a dye, chemical reagent, or in explosives/firework manufacturing

·  in dry form, may explode if exposed to minute amounts of heat, flame, or shock

·  is a strong oxidant which may react violently if exposed to metals, metal salts, amines, ammonia, bases, plaster, or concrete

·  key words: Trinitrophenol, Flammable, Dangerous When Wet, Shock Sensitive, Keep Dry

11. Sodium amide

·  if uncontaminated, color will be a white to gray crystalline material

·  has an ammonia odor

·  the pure material is water reactive

·  if old or degraded, color will be yellow to brown with discoloration beginning at the bottom and is a potential fire and/or explosion hazard

12. Unrecognizable wastes

·  inside lab or industrial containers

·  covered in wax

·  sealed in metal or fiber containers

·  often less than a quart in size

·  markings indicating the container been (or need to be) refrigerated

Unstable chemical waste list The list is not all-inclusive, but includes wastes commonly processed at HHW facilities. Please use this list as a general reference only.
Acetal / Hydrogen peroxide (>8%)
Activated charcoal / Isopropyl ether
Aldehydes / Lithium metal (powder)
Alkenes / Metal peroxides
Ammonium nitrate / Metal turnings (non-DWW)
Benzoyl peroxide pastes / Methyl acetylene
Benzylic hydrogen atoms / Methyl ethyl ketone peroxide
Calcium hypochlorite (solid) / Naphthalene (mothballs/flakes)
Calcium metal (powder) / Nitrates
Charcoal (briquettes/screen/shell) / Paraformaldehyde powder (found in 2 part resin glue)
Chromates / Perchlorates
Cumene / Permanganates
Cyclohexene / Phosphorus black, red, white
Cyclooctene / Picric acid (wet)
Decahydronaphthalene / Pool chemicals (solid)
Decalin / Potassium dichromate
Diacetylene / Potassium metal
Dicyclopentadiene / Potassium nitrate
Diethyl ether / Sodium amide
Diethylene glycol / Sodium hydrosulfite (iron out / water softener cleaner)
Diisopropyl ether / Sodium hypochlorate
Dimethyl ether / Sodium hypochlorite (solid)
Dinitro compounds (wet) / Sodium nitrate
Dinitro compounds (wet) / Sodium perchlorate
Dioxane / Sodium sulfide (<30% water of crystallization)
Divinyl acetylene / Tetrahydrofuran (THF)
Ethers, cyclic ethers, containing primary & secondary alcohol groups / Tetrahydronaphthalene
Ethylene glycol dimethyl ether (glyme) / Tetralin
Fiberglass ardeners/resins / Vinyl, vinyl acetate & vinylidene compounds
Fuses / Vinylidene chloride

4.9 Explosive or Reactive Chemical Waste Management 1