Does 40mm HDPE that has been used to line a pond that has held mining waste (heavy metals etc) have to go to a hazardous waste facility, or can it go to a recycling facility if it is cleaned?  There is about 2600 square meters of it.

 A:

 40 mm HDPE, or # 2 Plastic, after being decontaminated, should have no problem being re-used or sent for recycle.  This type of material does not have any absorbent qualities, allowing for efficient and economical decontamination.  All  WorksafeBC Safety Protocols must be followed during this Decon process.

PLEASE unplug anything you have in your vehicle outlets once you turn off the ignition!

The first 5 pictures are of what remains of a 2007 Suburban. This fire resulted from leaving an iPhone charger/docking station plugged into the car outlet. It overheated and started a fire, while parked in the garage.  The owners were VERY fortunate that they found the fire, at 11pm, before going to bed and before it spread to the house. None of their garage heat detectors or house fire alarms went off. 

The next 4 pictures are from a a similar incident involving an unattended appliance plugged into a  vehicle electrical outlet. This fire was in a Public Works pickup and caused by a flashlight charger. The fire self extinguished in the sealed vehicle parked overnight outside the employee’s home. 

HAZWOPER 40 is required for workers that perform activities that expose or potentially expose them to hazardous substances. The new Standard for Phase 2 Environmental Assessments will require all workers to be traned to this level in Canada.

This course is specifically designed for workers who are involved in clean-up operations, HazMat emergency response, or involved in the storage, disposal, or treatment of hazardous substances or working at hazardous waste sites.

S.C.A.T. During oil spill response, Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Teams (SCAT) systematically survey and document the affected area to provide a rapid and accurate geographic picture of shoreline oiling conditions. The information is used to develop real-time decisions regarding shoreline treatment and cleanup operations. The SCAT approach and documentation protocols were initially developed over ten years ago during the Nestucca and Exxon Valdez spill response. Today, SCAT is an integral component of spill preparedness and response in Canada, the USA, and several other countries.

Contact BCHAZMAT MANAGEMENT LTD. for further information: info@bchazmat.com or phone 250-656-3382

I am looking for an asbestos testing kit that we may keep at our shop.
Occasionally we are asked to repair equipment that has been used to remove asbestos. The contractor assures us that they have decontaminated the equipment but I would like to put our minds and that of our employees at ease when handling it.

Please advise if you can supply such a kit?

A:
I do not believe that there is an Asbestos Kit available to do the new lower .5 standard that WorksafeBC now requires for asbestos.   There was a kit available that claimed it could test to 1, but that also required a sample to be sent to a lab for analysis.

For any of our equipment that needs servicing, our Hazmat crew would suit up to Moderate or High Risk, depending on the previous use of the equipment. If they could not fix the equipment, then we dispose of it as Asbestos Containing Material.  We would not sent it out for repair as that could expose others to risk.

As .5 asbestos fibers are so small, I believe it would be almost impossible to decontaminate most equipment.

If your alarm is hard-wired, be sure to test it.

Do you know how (and when) to operate a portable fire extinguisher? If not, BCHAZMAT can provide training and hands-on practice with our Bullex Laser Fire Extinguisher Training System. Give us a call to schedule this important (and WorksafeBC required) training for your workplace.

250-656-3382

A pot of grease caught fire on a stove, and, in a panic, the person poured water into it. This caused the kitchen itself to catch fire! Water literally explodes and spreads the burning grease further. NEVER PUT WATER ONTO A GREASE OR OIL FIRE!!! Instead, smother the flames by putting a lid on the pot and turning off the burner or unplugging the appliance. Do not move it to a sink or try to throw it out the window!

BCHAZMAT is holding a Fire Extinguisher Safety training session on February 16, 2012. Cost per person is $70.00 + HST. At the end of the seminar, each participant gets to practice what they have learned with our Laser operated fire extinguisher simulators. No chemical or water is discharged, making for a completely safe and environmentally friendly way to learn to properly use a portable fire extinguisher.

Space is still available, so phone or email NOW to reserve a seat. This may be the most important training session you’ll ever take – for you and your family’s safety! 

The View Royal Fire Department has made a demonstration video of just what happens when water is put onto a kitchen grease fire.

http://www.bcdailybuzz.com/media/9668/View_Royal_grease_fire_demo/

A Metro Vancouver employer who repeatedly exposed unprotected workers to asbestos has been sentenced to 60 days in jail for disobeying a court order, but labour leaders say justice won’t be served unless he’s criminally charged.

  The B.C. Supreme Court ordered contractor Arthur Moore to halt all demolition projects in August 2010 after WorkSafe BC discovered employees as young as 14-years-old were handling the deadly carcinogen without protective clothing.

 Within 24 hours of receiving the order, Moore’s employees were back on the job, according to court documents. He operated by issuing fake certificates claiming homes were asbestos-free before sending workers inside.

 Despite multiple orders and court hearings, Moore continued to operate under various company names such as “Tri City Hazmat,” “Surrey Hazmat” and “BC Hazmat.” The Workers’ Compensation Board launched contempt of court proceedings against him, and he was found guilty in October 2011.

http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20120124/bc_employer_asbestos_teenager_120124/20120124/?hub=BritishColumbiaHome

Statement of CSB Chairman Rafael Moure-Eraso Following Fatal Fire at Eastern Ohio Hazardous Waste Storage and Processing Facility – Tragedy Emphasizes Importance of an National Fire Code for Hazardous Waste Handling

 December 26, 2011

Investigation Details:
EQ Hazardous Waste Plant Explosions and Fire
Veolia Environmental Services Flammable Vapor Explosion and Fire 

 STATEMENT: 

Today as many people enjoy a holiday season spent with friends and family, I would like to call attention to a recent tragedy that occurred late last week in eastern Ohio. On December 17, 2011, a chemical fire occurred at Heritage-WTI, Inc. which resulted in two workers being seriously burned, one of whom succumbed to his injuries days later. Heritage-WTI, Inc, is hazardous waste storage and processing facility located in East Liverpool, Ohio.

According to company officials a flash fire occurred when workers were splitting a large solid waste drum of hazardous flammable inorganic material into smaller storage drums. 

Unfortunately accidents at hazardous waste processing facilities are all too common. The CSB investigated a major fire in 2006 at the Environmental Quality Company (EQ), a hazardous waste facility located in Apex, North Carolina, which resulted in the evacuation of thousands of residents for two days. The CSB’s EQ case study found 21 other fire and chemical release incidents at hazardous waste facilities in the United States that occurred from 2002 – 2007. These incidents resulted in two fatalities, 16 injuries, and eight community evacuations, shelter-in-place events, or transportation disruptions.

The CSB also investigated a 2009 explosion and fire at the Veolia ES Technical Solutions L.L.C. facility in West Carrollton, Ohio. The accident occurred when flammable vapor was released from a waste recycling process, ignited, and violently exploded. The blast seriously injured two workers and damaged 20 nearby residences and five businesses. 

As a result of these two investigations, the Chemical Safety Board issued recommendations to the Environmental Technology Council (ETC), a hazardous waste industry trade group. Specifically, one of the recommendations is to petition the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), a developer of U.S. fire prevention codes, to issue a standard specific to hazardous waste treatment, storage and disposal facilities. The standard would provide guidance to prevent the occurrence of fires, explosions, and releases at these types of facilities. This recommendation has still yet to be implemented.

The second recommendation to ETC was to develop its own guidance document for its members on the safe processing, handling and storage of hazardous waste. Heritage-WTI, Inc as well as all ETC members would receive this document.

It is the CSB’s view that the ETC’s petition to the NFPA will lead to the development of a national standard that will improve safety practices at hazardous waste treatment plants across the country.

The CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating serious chemical accidents. The agency’s board members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. CSB investigations look into all aspects of chemical accidents, including physical causes such as equipment failure as well as inadequacies in regulations, industry standards, and safety management systems.

The Board does not issue citations or fines but does make safety recommendations to plants, industry organizations, labor groups, and regulatory agencies such as OSHA and EPA. Visit our website, http://www.csb.gov/.

 Link to Veolia Investigation Page: http://www.csb.gov/investigations/detail.aspx?SID=80&Type=2&pg=1&F_All=y

Link to EQ Investigation Page: http://www.csb.gov/investigations/detail.aspx?SID=15&Type=2&pg=1&F_All=y