Business As a waste management company, you must ensure that you’re following all the rules for proper waste management. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) governs most of the rules for waste management. They outline four levels of personal protective equipment (PPE), from highest risk (level A) to lowest risk (level D). Everyone who works in waste management, including waste transportation, must follow these rules and wear the appropriate PPE. Keep reading to discover the essential safety equipment you may need.
If the EPA considers your waste a level A risk, your employees need a lot of PPE. Since the waste is so dangerous, each worker will need a self-contained breathing apparatus or an air respirator with an escape self-contained breathing apparatus. They will also need a full-body, encapsulated vapor- and chemical-protective suit, as well as chemical-resistant gloves. Everything on the outside of their body that encounters the waste must be disposable.
Hazardous waste sites often require level B PPE, and that requirement extends to the people transporting the waste to another site or bringing waste into the site. People working in this area will need the same breathing apparatuses and gloves as those working with Level A risks. However, they only need a splash guard for their face, coveralls, and chemical-resistant clothes and boots. These outer layers don’t have to be disposable.
The risks above describe times when you or your employees may not know exactly which hazardous materials are present or times when there is greater risk for those materials to enter the body. Level C risks refer to more known materials and airborne substances that are easier to control. These situations require a purifying respirator, but not a self-contained breathing apparatus. An escape mask, hard hat, and chemical-resistant gloves and boots are also required for working in and transporting waste around these areas.
Level D is the lowest level of risk when working with hazardous materials and applies to situations where no or few contaminants are present and when workers probably won’t come into contact with the hazardous materials. However, to keep workers safe, they should wear safety goggles, a face shield, gloves, coveralls, and protective boots. Most of these PPE items are similar to what you’d use in a high school or college chemistry lab. You can use that example when explaining PPE levels to employees, especially if they’ll work with materials transported in lab packs since many school labs also use lab packs.
The essential safety equipment for waste transportation changes depending on the level of risk the waste poses to your employees. A good rule of thumb—regardless of risk—is to protect the face, hands, and feet from coming into contact with any hazardous materials.
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