• Occupational Health & Safety
  • Welcome
  • About Us
  • Legislative Compliance & Program Development
  • Roles and Responsibilities
• Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committees
  • About Humber College JOHSCs
  • North Campus JOHSC
  • Lakeshore Campus JOHSC
  • International Graduate School JOHSC
• Training Programs
  • Overview
  • Employee Health & Safety Training - Worker Session
  • Employee Health & Safety Training - Supervisor Training
  • Student Worker Health & Safety Awareness Training
  • WHMIS
  • Ergonomics at Home Webinar
• OHS Programs and Services
  • Accident Reporting and Investigation
    • Overview
    • Accident Reporting and Investigation Procedure
    • Reporting Work-Related Injuries
    • Factors to Consider During an Accident or Near Miss Investigation
    • Appendix A
    • Hazard Reporting Form
  • General Safety
    • Overview
    • Ladder Safety
    • Classroom Safety
    • Office Safety
  • Hazardous Materials
    • Hazardous Materials Overview
    • Hazardous (Chemical) Waste Disposal Procedure
    • Hazardous Materials Spill Procedure
    • WHMIS Procedure
    • Biomedical Waste Disposal Guideline
  • Indoor Air Quality Procedure
  • Office Ergonomics
  • Scented Product Guidelines
  • Smoke-Free Campus
    • About and FAQ
    • Smoking Cessation Resources for Employees
    • Wellness Resources
  • Student Unpaid Work Placement: Workplace Insurance Coverage - MAESD
  • Work Refusal Procedure
  • Working Alone
  • Workplace Assessments
  • Workplace Violence Prevention
  • WSIB Claims & Return to Work
    • Overview
    • Return to Work
• COVID-19 & Other Respiratory Illnesses Information
  • COVID-19 Measures
  • Frequently Asked Questions
• News and Announcements
  • Overview

Hazardous (Chemical) Waste Disposal Procedure

The Environmental Protection Act (EPA), administered by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, is intended to provide for the protection and conservation of the natural environment. The General - Waste Management Regulation (Regulation 347) made under the EPA regulates the management and disposal of hazardous waste ensuring that proper handling procedures are used to dispose of wastes only at approved disposal facilities. Humber must comply with all regulatory requirements.

Occupational Health & Safety Services manages the disposal of hazardous waste for Humber. Any questions with respect to the disposal of chemical wastes should be directed to this office at extension 5021.

Date of Document: August 2005, Revised April 2012

Objective

The objective of this procedure is to ensure that there is a mechanism in place for the disposal of hazardous waste generated at Humber in a manner that achieves compliance with all regulatory requirements.

Applicable Legislation:

• Environmental Protection Act, R.S.O. 1990, as amended
• The General – Waste Management Regulation, Regulation 347, as amended
• Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act and Regulations

Scope

The following hazardous waste disposal procedure applies to operations at all Humber locations and is mandatory when preparing chemicals for disposal. This procedure does not include the disposal of PCB, radioactive, or biohazardous wastes.

Restrictions

1. Hazardous liquids must not be flushed down drains as a method of disposal. This practice is illegal and may lead to dangerous reactions and to damage to the plumbing and sewer system. It may also create a hazard to trades personnel working on the system and lead to environmental damage.
2. Waste chemicals must not be mixed with general garbage.
3. In order to avoid explosions, fires and other unwanted reactions, incompatible combinations of chemicals must not be mixed in a single container.
4. If there is any doubt as to the identity or composition of the waste material, Occupational Health & Safety Services will need to arrange for testing by an external company to ensure proper waste classification.

Containers

1. All containers used for storing chemical waste must be free from damage and be able to be sealed (corks or rubber stoppers are not recommended).
2. Liquid waste containers should only be filled to 70 80% capacity to allow for vapour expansion and to minimize the potential for spills occurring from overfilled containers.
3. The waste chemical must be stored in a container that is compatible with that particular chemical; refer to the product’s Material Safety Data Sheet.

Labels

All containers of waste must be clearly labeled.

The following information must be contained on the label:

1. name(s) of the chemical(s) in the container and approximate percentages of each
2. primary hazardous property of the material (i.e. flammable, corrosive, reactive)

Note: A specific waste label does not need to be prepared if the material being disposed of is a surplus chemical or product in its original container with the original supplier label intact. b) Refer to the Material Safety Data Sheet for the hazardous material in order to determine chemical composition and primary hazardous property.

Storage

1. All safety precautions required for the handling and storage of chemicals apply to generated wastes.
2. Waste chemicals should be stored according to groups based on chemical reactivities. The purpose of storing incompatible chemicals separately is to minimize the impact and hazard of accidents caused by leakage, breakage of bottles, or other accidental mixture of adjacent materials. Whenever possible, waste chemicals should be stored in a room or area designated for this purpose.
3. North Campus has a centralized storage room (L130) that can be used to store limited quantities of waste materials and surplus products generated at North Campus, between scheduled waste pick-ups. Temporary storage of waste chemicals in this room must be arranged through Occupational Health & Safety Services.

Scheduling of Hazardous Waste Collection and Disposal

Any site at which hazardous wastes are produced must be registered with the Ministry of the Environment. Humber has four sites registered with the Ministry at present: North Campus, Lakeshore Campus East, Lakeshore Campus West and the Centre for Justice Leadership.

Hazardous waste collection and disposal is coordinated by Occupational Health & Safety Services.

North Campus:

1. On a quarterly basis, Occupational Health & Safety Services will arrange for a hazardous waste pick-up from North Campus. Prior to each hazardous waste pick-up, Occupational Health & Safety Services will forward a “Hazardous Waste Collection” form to specific contacts at Schools/Departments known to generate hazardous waste materials.
2. School/Department contacts are to identify materials to be disposed of by completing the “Hazardous Waste Collection” form and returning it to Occupational Health & Safety Services by the date specified.
3. If you wish to dispose of a hazardous material or product and do not normally receive the above form, contact Occupational Health & Safety Services directly at extension 5021.

Lakeshore Campus East, Lakeshore Campus West and the Centre for Justice Leadership:

1. Since there is very little hazardous waste generated at these Campus locations, waste collection and disposal is arranged on an as needed basis. If you have hazardous materials or products to dispose of, contact Occupational Health & Safety Services directly at extension 5021.

Examples of Hazardous Waste Generated at Humber

The following list provides some examples of typical hazardous wastes generated at Humber:

• unwanted and outdated chemical products
• waste oils and lubricants
• waste fuels
• waste paints
• wastes generated from chemical laboratory experiments
• photo-processing wastes
• batteries
• mercury-containing devices such as thermometers