E-waste issues in Sri Lanka and the Basel Convention.

PubMed

Suraweera, Inoka

2016-03-01

E-waste is hazardous, complex and expensive to treat in an environmentally sound manner. The management of e-waste is considered a serious challenge in both developed and developing countries and Sri Lanka is no exception. Due to significant growth in the economy and investments and other reasons the consumption of electronic and electrical equipment in Sri Lanka has increased over the years resulting in significant generation of e-waste. Several initiatives such as introduction of hazardous waste management rules, ratification of the Basel Convention in 1992 and the introduction of a National Corporate E-waste Management Program have been undertaken in Sri Lanka to manage e-waste. Strengthening policy and legislation, introducing methods for upstream reduction of e-waste, building capacity of relevant officers, awareness raising among school children and the general public and development of an e-waste information system are vital. Research on e-waste needs to be developed in Sri Lanka. The health sector could play a leading role in the provision of occupational health and safety for e-waste workers, advocacy, capacity building of relevant staff and raising awareness among the general public about e-waste. Improper e-waste management practices carried out by informal sector workers need to be addressed urgently in Sri Lanka.

Health Risks Awareness of Electronic Waste Workers in the Informal Sector in Nigeria.

PubMed

Ohajinwa, Chimere M; Van Bodegom, Peter M; Vijver, Martina G; Peijnenburg, Willie J G M

2017-08-13

Insight into the health risk awareness levels of e-waste workers is important as it may offer opportunities for better e-waste recycling management strategies to reduce the health effects of informal e-waste recycling. Therefore, this study assessed the knowledge, attitude, and practices associated with occupational health risk awareness of e-waste workers compared with a control group (butchers) in the informal sector in Nigeria. A cross-sectional study was used to assess health risk awareness of 279 e-waste workers (repairers and dismantlers) and 221 butchers from the informal sector in three locations in Nigeria in 2015. A questionnaire was used to obtain information on socio-demographic backgrounds, occupational history, knowledge, attitude, and work practices. The data was analysed using Analysis of Variance. The three job designations had significantly different knowledge, attitude, and practice mean scores ( p = 0.000), with butchers consistently having the highest mean scores. Only 43% of e-waste workers could mention one or more Personal Protective Equipment needed for their job compared with 70% of the butchers. The health risk awareness level of the e-waste workers was significantly lower compared with their counterparts in the same informal sector. A positive correlation existed between the workers' knowledge and their attitude and practice. Therefore, increasing the workers' knowledge may decrease risky practices.

Healthcare waste management: current practices in selected healthcare facilities, Botswana.

PubMed

Mbongwe, Bontle; Mmereki, Baagi T; Magashula, Andrew

2008-01-01

Healthcare waste management continues to present an array of challenges for developing countries, and Botswana is no exception. The possible impact of healthcare waste on public health and the environment has received a lot of attention such that Waste Management dedicated a special issue to the management of healthcare waste (Healthcare Wastes Management, 2005. Waste Management 25(6) 567-665). As the demand for more healthcare facilities increases, there is also an increase on waste generation from these facilities. This situation requires an organised system of healthcare waste management to curb public health risks as well as occupational hazards among healthcare workers as a result of poor waste management. This paper reviews current waste management practices at the healthcare facility level and proposes possible options for improvement in Botswana.

Special Report: E-Waste Management in the United States and Public Health Implications.

PubMed

Seeberger, Jessica; Grandhi, Radhika; Kim, Stephani S; Mase, William A; Reponen, Tiina; Ho, Shuk-mei; Chen, Aimin

2016-10-01

Electronic waste (e-waste) generation is increasing worldwide, and its management becomes a significant challenge because of the many toxicants present in electronic devices. The U.S. is a major producer of e-waste, although its management practice and policy regulation are not sufficient to meet the challenge. We reviewed e-waste generation, current management practices and trends, policy challenges, potential health impact, and toxicant exposure prevention in the U.S. A large amount of toxic metals, flame retardants, and other persistent organic pollutants exist in e-waste or can be released from the disposal of e-waste (e.g., landfill, incineration, recycling). Landfill is still a major method used to dispose of obsolete electronic devices, and only about half of the states have initiated a landfill ban for e-waste. Recycling of e-waste is an increasing trend in the past few years. There is potential, however, for workers to be exposed to a mixture of toxicants in e-waste and these exposures should be curtailed. Perspectives and recommendations are provided regarding managing e-waste in the U.S. to protect public health, including enacting federal legislation, discontinuing landfill disposal, protecting workers in recycling facilities from toxicant exposure, reducing toxicant release into the environment, and raising awareness of this growing environmental health issue among the public.

Radioactive waste management in a hospital.

PubMed

Khan, Shoukat; Syed, At; Ahmad, Reyaz; Rather, Tanveer A; Ajaz, M; Jan, Fa

2010-01-01

Most of the tertiary care hospitals use radioisotopes for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Safe disposal of the radioactive waste is a vital component of the overall management of the hospital waste. An important objective in radioactive waste management is to ensure that the radiation exposure to an individual (Public, Radiation worker, Patient) and the environment does not exceed the prescribed safe limits. Disposal of Radioactive waste in public domain is undertaken in accordance with the Atomic Energy (Safe disposal of radioactive waste) rules of 1987 promulgated by the Indian Central Government Atomic Energy Act 1962. Any prospective plan of a hospital that intends using radioisotopes for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures needs to have sufficient infrastructural and manpower resources to keep its ambient radiation levels within specified safe limits. Regular monitoring of hospital area and radiation workers is mandatory to assess the quality of radiation safety. Records should be maintained to identify the quality and quantity of radioactive waste generated and the mode of its disposal. Radiation Safety officer plays a key role in the waste disposal operations.

[Nursing workers' perceptions regarding the handling of hazardous chemical waste].

PubMed

Costa, Taiza Florêncio; Felli, Vanda Elisa Andres; Baptista, Patrícia Campos Pavan

2012-12-01

The objectives of this study were to identify the perceptions of nursing workers regarding the handling of hazardous chemical waste at the University of São Paulo University Hospital (HU-USP), and develop a proposal to improve safety measures. This study used a qualitative approach and a convenience sample consisting of eighteen nursing workers. Data collection was performed through focal groups. Thematic analysis revealed four categories that gave evidence of training deficiencies in terms of the stages of handling waste. Difficulties that emerged included a lack of knowledge regarding exposure and its impact, the utilization of personal protective equipment versus collective protection, and suggestions regarding measures to be taken by the institution and workers for the safe handling of hazardous chemical waste. The present data allowed for recommending proposals regarding the safe management of hazardous chemical waste by the nursing staff.

Seroprevalence of hepatitis B and C among domestic and healthcare waste handlers in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

PubMed

Mol, Marcos Pg; Gonçalves, Jéssica P; Silva, Edvania A; Scarponi, Cristiane FdO; Greco, Dirceu B; Cairncross, Sandy; Heller, Leo

2016-09-01

Infection with the hepatitis B and C viruses may occur through contact with infected body fluids, including injury with infected sharps. Collectors of domestic or healthcare wastes are potentially exposed to these infections. The aim of this article is to investigate the risk factors associated with the prevalence of hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV and HCV) infection among domestic and healthcare waste workers in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. A cross-sectional study of hepatitis B and C infection was conducted from November 2014 to January 2015, through blood sample collection and interviews about socio-demographic factors with 61 workers exposed to healthcare waste ('exposed') and 461 exposed only to domestic wastes ('unexposed'). The prevalence of antibodies to HCV (Anti-HCV) antibodies was 3.3% in 'exposed' workers and 0.9% in 'unexposed', and of antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (Anti-HBc) was 9.8% and 5.6% in 'exposed' and 'unexposed' workers, respectively. Only 207 (44.9%) of those exposed to domestic waste and 45 (73.8%) of those handling healthcare waste were effectively immunised against hepatitis B virus (HBV). Exposures to domestic waste and to healthcare wastes were associated with similar risks of infection with HBV. The risk of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection was marginally higher among healthcare waste workers compared with domestic waste workers, probably because of needlestick accidents owing to deficient sharps management systems. Immunisation against hepatitis B and screening tests to ensure the success of vaccination should be a condition for recruitment for both groups of waste workers. © The Author(s) 2016.

Radioactive Waste Management in A Hospital

PubMed Central

Khan, Shoukat; Syed, AT; Ahmad, Reyaz; Rather, Tanveer A.; Ajaz, M; Jan, FA

2010-01-01

Most of the tertiary care hospitals use radioisotopes for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Safe disposal of the radioactive waste is a vital component of the overall management of the hospital waste. An important objective in radioactive waste management is to ensure that the radiation exposure to an individual (Public, Radiation worker, Patient) and the environment does not exceed the prescribed safe limits. Disposal of Radioactive waste in public domain is undertaken in accordance with the Atomic Energy (Safe disposal of radioactive waste) rules of 1987 promulgated by the Indian Central Government Atomic Energy Act 1962. Any prospective plan of a hospital that intends using radioisotopes for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures needs to have sufficient infrastructural and manpower resources to keep its ambient radiation levels within specified safe limits. Regular monitoring of hospital area and radiation workers is mandatory to assess the quality of radiation safety. Records should be maintained to identify the quality and quantity of radioactive waste generated and the mode of its disposal. Radiation Safety officer plays a key role in the waste disposal operations. PMID:21475524

Health Risks Awareness of Electronic Waste Workers in the Informal Sector in Nigeria

PubMed Central

Van Bodegom, Peter M.; Vijver, Martina G.

2017-01-01

Insight into the health risk awareness levels of e-waste workers is important as it may offer opportunities for better e-waste recycling management strategies to reduce the health effects of informal e-waste recycling. Therefore, this study assessed the knowledge, attitude, and practices associated with occupational health risk awareness of e-waste workers compared with a control group (butchers) in the informal sector in Nigeria. A cross-sectional study was used to assess health risk awareness of 279 e-waste workers (repairers and dismantlers) and 221 butchers from the informal sector in three locations in Nigeria in 2015. A questionnaire was used to obtain information on socio-demographic backgrounds, occupational history, knowledge, attitude, and work practices. The data was analysed using Analysis of Variance. The three job designations had significantly different knowledge, attitude, and practice mean scores (p = 0.000), with butchers consistently having the highest mean scores. Only 43% of e-waste workers could mention one or more Personal Protective Equipment needed for their job compared with 70% of the butchers. The health risk awareness level of the e-waste workers was significantly lower compared with their counterparts in the same informal sector. A positive correlation existed between the workers’ knowledge and their attitude and practice. Therefore, increasing the workers’ knowledge may decrease risky practices. PMID:28805712

Helper Hats

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ashbrook, Peggy

2010-01-01

Special clothing is worn by "community helpers" such as police officers, nurses, firefighters, cafeteria workers, dentists, and waste management workers as they do their jobs. The special clothing allows workers to be safe. Therefore, exploring how hats help community workers do their jobs can be a way to introduce the idea of how the shape or…

A systematic critical review of epidemiological studies on public health concerns of municipal solid waste handling.

PubMed

Ncube, France; Ncube, Esper Jacobeth; Voyi, Kuku

2017-03-01

The ultimate aim of this review was to summarise the epidemiological evidence on the association between municipal solid waste management operations and health risks to populations residing near landfills and incinerators, waste workers and recyclers. To accomplish this, the sub-aims of this review article were to (1) examine the health risks posed by municipal solid waste management activities, (2) determine the strengths and gaps of available literature on health risks from municipal waste management operations and (3) suggest possible research needs for future studies. The article reviewed epidemiological literature on public health concerns of municipal solid waste handling published in the period 1995-2014. The PubMed and MEDLINE computerised literature searches were employed to identify the relevant papers using the keywords solid waste, waste management, health risks, recycling, landfills and incinerators. Additionally, all references of potential papers were examined to determine more articles that met the inclusion criteria. A total of 379 papers were identified, but after intensive screening only 72 met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed. Of these studies, 33 were on adverse health effects in communities living near waste dumpsites or incinerators, 24 on municipal solid waste workers and 15 on informal waste recyclers. Reviewed studies were unable to demonstrate a causal or non-causal relationship due to various limitations. In light of the above findings, our review concludes that overall epidemiological evidence in reviewed articles is inadequate mainly due to methodological limitations and future research needs to develop tools capable of demonstrating causal or non-causal relationships between specific waste management operations and adverse health endpoints.

[MANAGEMENT OF HEALTHCARE WASTE IN THE HOSPITAL SETTING. UNDERSTANDING RISK MANAGEMENT].

PubMed

Galimany-Masclans, Jordi; Torres-Egea, Pilar; Sancho-Agredano, Raúl; Girbau-García, Ma Rosa; Fabrellas, Núria; Torrens-Garcia, Ma Llum; Martínez-Estalella, Gemma

2015-05-01

The sanitary waste represents a potential hazard for health workers. Given the high risk of infection in labor accidents, the correct management of sanitary waste minimizes this risk and improves labor and environment conditions. To identify risk perception with health professionals in relation to the advanced sorting and management of healthcare waste (HW). The current study is a descriptive, cross-sectional. The sample size was 177 health workers (nurse assistants, nurses, physicians, lab technicians) from three hospitals in Barcelona (Catalonia). Homemade questionnaire and questions with a free and spontaneous association and incomplete sentences were used to analyze labor variables, perception of risk and personal security through a Likert scale. Using a score from 1 (the lowest perception of risk) to 5 (the high perception of risk) to assess the risk perception, the average value for nurse assistants, nurses, physicians, and lab technicians was 3.71, 3.75, 3.83 and 4.03, respectively. Referring to items with free and spontaneous response association, 44.8% of workers consider HW as a biohazard, 29.6% consider it as waste material, 22.1% state that it must be managed properly and 3.5% described it as unknown residues. The results suggest that all health professionals generally have a perception of high risk. The lab technicians have a higher perception of the real risk of inadequate management of HW A 63.2% report that everyone has to make a proper management to preserve their occupational health; the 59% consider that the HW are a biological risk to the general population and only the 47.8% that are harmful to public health. Although it should be noted that only 44.8% think that HW are toxic and dangerous.

77 FR 28395 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Hazardous Waste Worker Training

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-14

... the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. Proposed Collection: Title... delivering high-quality, peer-reviewed safety and health curricula to target populations of hazardous waste... information in hard copy as well as enter information into the WETP Grantee Data Management System. The...

Practices and challenges of infectious waste management: A qualitative descriptive study from tertiary care hospitals in Pakistan

PubMed Central

Kumar, Ramesh; Shaikh, Babar Tasneem; Somrongthong, Ratana; Chapman, Robert S

2015-01-01

Background and Objective: Infectious waste management practices among health care workers in the tertiary care hospitals have been questionable. The study intended to identify issues that impede a proper infectious waste management. Methods: Besides direct observation, in-depths interviews were conducted with the hospital administrators and senior management involved in healthcare waste management during March 2014. We looked at the processes related to segregation, collection, storage and disposal of hospital waste, and identified variety of issues in all the steps. Results: Serious gaps and deficiencies were observed related to segregation, collection, storage and disposal of the hospital wastes, hence proving to be hazardous to the patients as well as the visitors. Poor safety, insufficient budget, lack of trainings, weak monitoring and supervision, and poor coordination has eventually resulted in improper waste management in the tertiary hospitals of Rawalpindi. Conclusion: Study has concluded that the poor resources and lack of healthcare worker’s training in infectious waste results in poor waste management at hospitals. PMID:26430405

[Medical waste management in healthcare centres in the occupied Palestinian territory].

PubMed

Al-Khatib, Issam A

2007-01-01

Medical waste management in primary and secondary healthcare centres in the occupied Palestinian territory was assessed. The overall monthly quantity of solid healthcare waste was estimated to be 512.6 tons. Only 10.8% of the centres completely segregated the different kinds of healthcare waste and only 15.7% treated their medical waste. In the centres that treated waste, open burning was the main method of treatment. The results indicate that Palestinians are exposed to health and environmental risks because of improper disposal of medical waste and steps are needed to improve the situation through the establishment and enforcement of laws, provision of the necessary infrastructure for proper waste management and training of healthcare workers and cleaners.

Safety analysis report for the Waste Storage Facility. Revision 2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bengston, S.J.

1994-05-01

This safety analysis report outlines the safety concerns associated with the Waste Storage Facility located in the Radioactive Waste Management Complex at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. The three main objectives of the report are: define and document a safety basis for the Waste Storage Facility activities; demonstrate how the activities will be carried out to adequately protect the workers, public, and environment; and provide a basis for review and acceptance of the identified risk that the managers, operators, and owners will assume.

Waste collection in developing countries - Tackling occupational safety and health hazards at their source

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bleck, Daniela, E-mail: bleck.daniela@baua.bund.de; Wettberg, Wieland, E-mail: wettberg.wieland@baua.bund.de

2012-11-15

Waste management procedures in developing countries are associated with occupational safety and health risks. Gastro-intestinal infections, respiratory and skin diseases as well as muscular-skeletal problems and cutting injuries are commonly found among waste workers around the globe. In order to find efficient, sustainable solutions to reduce occupational risks of waste workers, a methodological risk assessment has to be performed and counteractive measures have to be developed according to an internationally acknowledged hierarchy. From a case study in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia suggestions for the transferral of collected household waste into roadside containers are given. With construction of ramps to dump collectedmore » household waste straight into roadside containers and an adaptation of pushcarts and collection procedures, the risk is tackled at the source.« less

Hospital waste management in developing countries: A mini review.

PubMed

Ali, Mustafa; Wang, Wenping; Chaudhry, Nawaz; Geng, Yong

2017-06-01

Health care activities can generate different kinds of hazardous wastes. Mismanagement of these wastes can result in environmental and occupational health risks. Developing countries are resource-constrained when it comes to safe management of hospital wastes. This study summarizes the main issues faced in hospital waste management in developing countries. A review of the existing literature suggests that regulations and legislations focusing on hospital waste management are recent accomplishments in many of these countries. Implementation of these rules varies from one hospital to another. Moreover, wide variations exist in waste generation rates within as well as across these countries. This is mainly attributable to a lack of an agreement on the definitions and the methodology among the researchers to measure such wastes. Furthermore, hospitals in these countries suffer from poor waste segregation, collection, storage, transportation and disposal practices, which can lead to occupational and environmental risks. Knowledge and awareness regarding proper waste management remain low in the absence of training for hospital staff. Moreover, hospital sanitary workers, and scavengers, operate without the provision of safety equipment or immunization. Unsegregated waste is illegally recycled, leading to further safety risks. Overall, hospital waste management in developing countries faces several challenges. Sustainable waste management practices can go a long way in reducing the harmful effects of hospital wastes.

Cytotoxic Drug Dispersal, Cytotoxic Safety, and Cytotoxic Waste Management: Practices and Proposed India-specific Guidelines

PubMed Central

Capoor, Malini R; Bhowmik, Kumar Tapas

2017-01-01

This article deals with practices related to cytotoxic drug dispersal, cytotoxic safety, and cytotoxic waste management and attempts at India-specific guidelines for their dispersal and disposal. The articles related to cytotoxic drug dispersal, cytotoxic safety, and cytotoxic waste management were reviewed from PubMed and their applicability in Indian health-care facilities (HCFs) was also reviewed. All HCFs dealing with cytotoxic drugs should consider cytotoxic policy, patient safety and health-care worker safety, and environmental monitoring program as per the available international guidelines customized as per Indian conditions. Utmost care in handling cytotoxic waste is quintessential. The formation of India-specific cytotoxic guidelines requires the inputs from all stakeholders. Cytotoxic waste, cytotoxic safety, and cytotoxic waste management should be the subject of a national strategy with an infrastructure, cradle-to-grave legislation, competent regulatory authority, and trained personnel. PMID:28900329

[Problems of safety regulation under radioactive waste management in Russia].

PubMed

Monastyrskaia, S G; Kochetkov, O A; Barchukov, V G; Kuznetsova, L I

2012-01-01

Analysis of the requirements of Federal Law N 190 "About radioactive waste management and incorporation of changes into some legislative acts of the Russian Federation", as well as normative-legislative documents actual and planned to be published related to provision of radiation protection of the workers and the public have been done. Problems of safety regulation raised due to different approaches of Rospotrebnadzor, FMBA of Russia, Rostekhnadzor and Minprirody with respect to classification and categorization of the radioactive wastes, disposal, exemption from regulatory control, etc. have been discussed in the paper. Proposals regarding improvement of the system of safety regulation under radioactive waste management and of cooperation of various regulatory bodies have been formulated.

Occupational Risks Associated with Solid Waste Management in the Informal Sector of Gweru, Zimbabwe

PubMed Central

Jerie, Steven

2016-01-01

This study identifies and analyses the occupational risks associated with solid waste management practices in the informal enterprises of Gweru. Many concerns have been raised about the potential harm from waste to the environment and the general public, but the risks and consequent costs of occupational hazards in waste management have received little attention in the rush to adopt or adapt technologies such as composting. A multimethods research design that triangulates qualitative and quantitative research paradigms is employed in this study. The quantitative design involves physical characterisation of solid waste through material component separation and measurements as well as a questionnaire survey that investigates the risks associated with waste management. The qualitative component includes interviews, open-ended questionnaires, and field observations. Occupational risks occur at every stage in the waste management process, from the point where workers handle waste in the enterprises for collection or recycling to the point of ultimate disposal. Key findings from the study revealed that solid waste management practices are dominated by manual handling tasks hence the higher incidents of muscular-skeletal disorders. Other safety and health hazards associated with waste management in the informal enterprises of Gweru include incidents of diarrhoea, viral hepatitis, and higher incidents of obstructive and restrictive disorders. PMID:27418935

Occupational Risks Associated with Solid Waste Management in the Informal Sector of Gweru, Zimbabwe.

PubMed

Jerie, Steven

2016-01-01

This study identifies and analyses the occupational risks associated with solid waste management practices in the informal enterprises of Gweru. Many concerns have been raised about the potential harm from waste to the environment and the general public, but the risks and consequent costs of occupational hazards in waste management have received little attention in the rush to adopt or adapt technologies such as composting. A multimethods research design that triangulates qualitative and quantitative research paradigms is employed in this study. The quantitative design involves physical characterisation of solid waste through material component separation and measurements as well as a questionnaire survey that investigates the risks associated with waste management. The qualitative component includes interviews, open-ended questionnaires, and field observations. Occupational risks occur at every stage in the waste management process, from the point where workers handle waste in the enterprises for collection or recycling to the point of ultimate disposal. Key findings from the study revealed that solid waste management practices are dominated by manual handling tasks hence the higher incidents of muscular-skeletal disorders. Other safety and health hazards associated with waste management in the informal enterprises of Gweru include incidents of diarrhoea, viral hepatitis, and higher incidents of obstructive and restrictive disorders.

A multi-criteria decision-making approach to rank supplier selection criteria for hospital waste management: A case from Pakistan.

PubMed

Ishtiaq, Palvisha; Khan, Sharfuddin Ahmed; Haq, Moiz-Ul

2018-04-01

To address environmental issues and cost effectiveness, waste management is necessary for healthcare facilities. Most importantly, segregation of hazardous and non-hazardous waste must be done as in many developing countries; disposal of both types of healthcare waste is done together, which is an unsafe practice. Waste generated in hospitals needs proper management to minimise hazards for patient and healthcare workers. At the same time, it is quite difficult for hospitals to find a systematic way to select appropriate suppliers for hospital waste management. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to identify, validate, and rank criteria that are essential for hospital waste management suppliers' selection. The analytical hierarchal process approach has been used and a survey from Pakistan's largest city (Karachi) has been considered to rank the most appropriate criteria that is necessary to select the supplier, especially in a developing country like Pakistan. Results show that waste management cost (45.5%) and suppliers' details (31.5%) are the top two main criteria for supplier selection; and storage cost (15.7%), waste handling cost (14.7%), and qualification of the suppliers (10.9%) are the top three most important overall sub-criteria for supplier selection for hospital waste management.

77 FR 19718 - Ford Motor Company Twin Cities Assembly Plant Vehicle Operations Division Including On-Site...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-02

... Cities Assembly Plant Vehicle Operations Division Including On-Site Leased Workers From AEROTEK, Albers... Industries, Waste Management, VMX, Nascote Industries, Delphi Electronics & Safety, Unicomm, And Pacer... Operations Division, St. Paul, Minnesota. The workers are engaged in activities related to the production of...

Biological risk among hospital housekeepers.

PubMed

Ream, Priscilla Santos Ferreira; Tipple, Anaclara Ferreira Veiga; Barros, Dayane Xavier; Souza, Adenícia Custódia Silva; Pereira, Milca Severino

2016-01-01

Although not directly responsible for patient care, hospital housekeepers are still susceptible to accidents with biological material. The objectives of this study were to establish profile and frequency of accidents among hospital housekeepers, describe behaviors pre- and postaccident, and risk factors. This was a cross-sectional study with hospital housekeepers in Goiania, Brazil. Data were obtained from interviews and vaccination records. The observations were as follows: (1) participating workers: 94.3%; (2) incomplete hepatitis B vaccination: 1 in 3; and (3) accident rate: 26.5%, mostly percutaneous with hypodermic needles, and involved blood from an unknown source; roughly half occurred during waste management. Upon review, length of service less than 5 years, completed hepatitis B vaccination, and had been tested for anti-HBs (hepatitis B surface antigen) influenced frequency of accidents. These findings suggest that improper disposal of waste appears to enhance the risk to hospital housekeepers. All hospital workers should receive continued training with regard to waste management.

Evaluating Environmental, Health and Safety Impacts from Two Nuclear Fuel Cycles: A Comparative Analysis of Once-Through Uranium Use and Plutonium Recycle in Light Water Reactors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Bethan L.

The work presented in this dissertation represents a systems-level approach to investigate potential net impacts with respect to human health and the environment associated with transitioning to the MOC for the U.S. In Chapter 2, an updated systems-level conceptual model of the OTC is presented to more accurately portray the OTC as currently implemented in the U.S. The conceptual model is the basis for estimating the worker collective doses at each operational stage, and the first demonstration of a quantitative comparative radiological impact assessment from expected normal operations is presented. In the course of evaluating worker collective dose associated with modern OTC practices, it was found that the relative contributions from the two grouped operations (front-end operations for preparing reactor fuel and reactor operations) were substantially different from historical data and conventional wisdom. As a bookend to Chapter 2, a summary is provided that describes the nature of the differences and factors that led to these differences. Detailed information of the work as part of the published journal article based off of this corollary work is included as an Appendix (C). In Chapter 3, the study of worker collective doses from the phased introduction of reprocessing in the MOC scenario, and is presented similarly to the results in Chapter 2. MOC performance was also estimated by evaluating the radioactive waste generated that can be disposed and managed through known disposal practices in shallow-land burial. Relative to the OTC, MOC performance with respect to worker collective dose was not discernibly different; while the volume of radioactive waste generated decreased. It was found that although the sheer volume of radioactive waste avoided is large, the waste disposition pathway is known for the majority of this waste. The radioactive waste that requires disposal at a licensed off-site facility is examined in closer detail. The verification process for this study's comparative impacts of worker collective doses elucidates the dependence of net radiological impacts to workers to fuel-type use. This verification exercise then leads to concluding remarks that fuel-use proportions employed at the end of the hypothetical advanced NFC scenario within the reactor fleet can determine what level of analysis may be required to estimate the net impacts that may be incurred from an advanced NFC. In Chapter 4, a study of potential worker collective doses incurred from carrying out the strategy to manage and dispose of used nuclear fuel outlined by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as part of a comprehensive federal waste management system (FWMS) is discussed. It was estimated that the worker collective dose from repository operations leads to the large part of the radiological impact of the new FWMS. The contribution to worker collective dose was compared to that of the contemporary OTC quantitative model presented in Chapter 2. The additional worker collective dose contributed by FWMS activities is small and when the contributions from each grouped operation of the OTC are renormalized, the FWMS ranges annually from 4-8%. Finally, Chapter 5 offers ideas for future work and provides a summary of the findings of this dissertation.

Training Activities on Radioactive Waste Management at Moscow SIA -Radon-: Experience, Practice, Theory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Batyukhnova, O.G.; Arustamov, A.E.; Dmitriev, S.A.

Management of radioactive waste relates to the category of hazardous activities. Hence the requirements to the professional level of managers and personnel working in this industry are very high. Education, training and examination of managers, operators and workers are important elements of assuring safe and efficient operation of radioactive waste management sites. The International Education Training Centre (IETC) at Moscow State Unitary Enterprise Scientific and Industrial Association 'Radon' (SIA 'Radon'), in co-operation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has developed expertise and provided training to waste management personnel for the last 10 years. The paper summarizes the current experiencemore » of the SIA 'Radon' in the organisation and implementation of the IAEA sponsored training and others events and outlines some of strategic educational elements, which IETC will continue to pursue in the coming years. (authors)« less

Multi-discipline Waste Acceptance Process at the Nevada National Security Site - 13573

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carilli, Jhon T.; Krenzien, Susan K.

2013-07-01

The Nevada National Security Site low-level radioactive waste disposal facility acceptance process requires multiple disciplines to ensure the protection of workers, the public, and the environment. These disciplines, which include waste acceptance, nuclear criticality, safety, permitting, operations, and performance assessment, combine into the overall waste acceptance process to assess low-level radioactive waste streams for disposal at the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site. Four waste streams recently highlighted the integration of these disciplines: the Oak Ridge Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators and Consolidated Edison Uranium Solidification Project material, West Valley Melter, and classified waste. (authors)

Municipal solid waste recycling and the significance of informal sector in urban China.

PubMed

Linzner, Roland; Salhofer, Stefan

2014-09-01

The informal sector is active in the collection, processing and trading of recyclable materials in urban China. Formal waste management organisations have established pilot schemes for source separation of recyclables, but this strategy is still in its infancy. The amounts of recyclables informally picked out of the municipal solid waste stream are unknown as informal waste workers do not record their activities. This article estimates the size and significance of the current informal recycling system with a focus on the collection of recyclables. A majority of the reviewed literature detects that official data is displaying mainly 'municipal solid waste collected and transported', whereas less information is available on 'real' waste generation rates at the source. Based on a literature review the variables, the 'number of informal waste workers involved in collection activities', the 'amounts collected daily per informal collector' and the 'number of working days' are used to estimate yearly recyclable amounts that are informally diverted from municipal solid waste. The results show an interval of approximately 0.56%-0.93% of the urban population or 3.3-5.6 million people involved in informal waste collection and recycling activities in urban China. This is the equivalent to estimated informal recycling rates of approximately 17-38 w/w% of the municipal solid waste generated. Despite some uncertainties in these assessments, it can be concluded that a significant share of recyclables is collected and processed by informal waste workers. © The Author(s) 2014.

Public health response to striking solid waste management.

PubMed

Murti, Michelle; Ayre, Reg; Shapiro, Howard; de Burger, Ron

2011-10-01

In 2009, the City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, experienced a six-week labor disruption involving 24,000 city workers that included solid waste and public health employees. In an attempt to control illegal dumping and to manage garbage storage across the city during this period, 24 temporary garbage storage sites were established by the city (mostly in local parks) for residents to dispose of their household waste. No other municipality in North America has attempted to operate this many temporary sites for this long a period. Management and nonunion staff from Healthy Environments in Toronto Public Health performed daily inspections, responded to community questions, issued public health orders, and worked closely with Solid Waste Management and the Ministry of the Environment to actively manage the public health concerns associated with these sites. This intensive oversight mitigated public health risks to the community and facilitated an effective, safe solution to the temporary garbage storage problem.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Crolley, R.; Thompson, M.

There has been a need for a faster and cheaper deployment model for information technology (IT) solutions to address waste management needs at US Department of Energy (DOE) complex sites for years. Budget constraints, challenges in deploying new technologies, frequent travel, and increased job demands for existing employees have prevented IT organizations from staying abreast of new technologies or deploying them quickly. Despite such challenges, IT organizations have added significant value to waste management handling through better worker safety, tracking, characterization, and disposition at DOE complex sites. Systems developed for site-specific missions have broad applicability to waste management challenges andmore » in many cases have been expanded to meet other waste missions. Radio frequency identification (RFID) and global positioning satellite (GPS)-enabled solutions have reduced the risk of radiation exposure and safety risks. New web-based and mobile applications have enabled precision characterization and control of nuclear materials. These solutions have also improved operational efficiencies and shortened schedules, reduced cost, and improved regulatory compliance. Collaboration between US Department of Energy (DOE) complex sites is improving time to delivery and cost efficiencies for waste management missions with new information technologies (IT) such as wireless computing, global positioning satellite (GPS), and radio frequency identification (RFID). Integrated solutions developed at separate DOE complex sites by new technology Centers of Excellence (CoE) have increased material control and accountability, worker safety, and environmental sustainability. CoEs offer other DOE sister sites significant cost and time savings by leveraging their technology expertise in project scoping, implementation, and ongoing operations.« less

A total quality management approach to healthcare waste management in Namazi Hospital, Iran.

PubMed

Askarian, Mehrdad; Heidarpoor, Peigham; Assadian, Ojan

2010-11-01

Healthcare waste comprises all wastes generated at healthcare facilities, medical research centers and laboratories. Although 75-90% of these wastes are classified as household waste posing no potential risk, 10-25% are deemed to be hazardous, representing a potential threat to healthcare workers, patients, the environment and even the general population, if not disposed of appropriately. If hazardous and non-hazardous waste is mixed and not segregated prior to disposal, costs will increase substantially. Medical waste management is a worldwide issue. In Iran, the majority of problems are associated with an exponential growth in the healthcare sector together with low- or non-compliance with guidelines and recommendations. The aim of this study was to reduce the amounts of infectious waste by clear definition and segregation of waste at the production site in Namazi Hospital in Shiraz, Iran. Namazi Hospital was selected as a study site with an aim to achieving a significant decrease in infectious waste and implementing a total quality management (TQM) method. Infectious and non-infectious waste was weighed at 29 admission wards over a 1-month period. Before the introduction of the new guidelines and the new waste management concept, weight of total waste was 6.67 kg per occupied bed per day (kg/occupied bed/day), of which 73% was infectious and 27% non-infectious waste. After intervention, total waste was reduced to 5.92 kg/occupied bed/day, of which infectious waste represented 61% and non-infectious waste 30%. The implementation of a new waste management concept achieved a 26% reduction in infectious waste. A structured waste management concept together with clear definitions and staff training will result in waste reduction, consequently leading to decreased expenditure in healthcare settings. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Framework for integration of informal waste management sector with the formal sector in Pakistan.

PubMed

Masood, Maryam; Barlow, Claire Y

2013-10-01

Historically, waste pickers around the globe have utilised urban solid waste as a principal source of livelihood. Formal waste management sectors usually perceive the informal waste collection/recycling networks as backward, unhygienic and generally incompatible with modern waste management systems. It is proposed here that through careful planning and administration, these seemingly troublesome informal networks can be integrated into formal waste management systems in developing countries, providing mutual benefits. A theoretical framework for integration based on a case study in Lahore, Pakistan, is presented. The proposed solution suggests that the municipal authority should draw up and agree on a formal work contract with the group of waste pickers already operating in the area. The proposed system is assessed using the integration radar framework to classify and analyse possible intervention points between the sectors. The integration of the informal waste workers with the formal waste management sector is not a one dimensional or single step process. An ideal solution might aim for a balanced focus on all four categories of intervention, although this may be influenced by local conditions. Not all the positive benefits will be immediately apparent, but it is expected that as the acceptance of such projects increases over time, the informal recycling economy will financially supplement the formal system in many ways.

Waste-handling practices at red meat abattoirs in South Africa.

PubMed

Roberts, Hester; de Jager, Linda; Blight, Geoffrey

2009-02-01

Abattoir waste disposal must be carefully managed because the wastes can be a source of food-borne diseases (Nemerow & Dasgupta Industrial and Hazardous Waste Treatment, p. 284, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1991; Bradshaw et al. The Treatment and Handling of Wastes, p. 183, The Royal Society, Chapman & Hall, London, 1992). Disposal of food that has been condemned because it is known to be diseased is of particular concern, and this paper looks at current disposal methods for such waste in the light of new scientific developments and waste-management strategies. Questionnaires were presented to management and workers at low- and high-throughput red meat abattoirs in the Free State Province, South Africa to determine current waste-handling procedures for condemned products. The waste-handling practices, almost without exception, did not fully comply with the requirements of the South African Red Meat Regulations of 2004, framed under the Meat Safety Act (Act 40 of 2000). The survey highlighted the need to improve current waste-handling strategies to prevent condemned products from re-entering the food chain and contributing to environmental pollution.

Assessment of remote sensing technologies to discover and characterize waste sites

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1992-03-11

This report presents details about waste management practices that are being developed using remote sensing techniques to characterize DOE waste sites. Once the sites and problems have been located and characterized and an achievable restoration and remediation program have been established, efforts to reclaim the environment will begin. Special problems to be considered are: concentrated waste forms in tanks and pits; soil and ground water contamination; ground safety hazards for workers; and requirement for long-term monitoring.

NORM Management in the Oil & Gas Industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cowie, Michael; Mously, Khalid; Fageeha, Osama; Nassar, Rafat

2008-08-01

It has been established that Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM) accumulates at various locations along the oil/gas production process. Components such as wellheads, separation vessels, pumps, and other processing equipment can become NORM contaminated, and NORM can accumulate in sludge and other waste media. Improper handling and disposal of NORM contaminated equipment and waste can create a potential radiation hazard to workers and the environment. Saudi Aramco Environmental Protection Department initiated a program to identify the extent, form and level of NORM contamination associated with the company operations. Once identified the challenge of managing operations which had a NORM hazard was addressed in a manner that gave due consideration to workers and environmental protection as well as operations' efficiency and productivity. The benefits of shared knowledge, practice and experience across the oil & gas industry are seen as key to the establishment of common guidance on NORM management. This paper outlines Saudi Aramco's experience in the development of a NORM management strategy and its goals of establishing common guidance throughout the oil and gas industry.

Health care waste management practice in a hospital.

PubMed

Paudel, R; Pradhan, B

2010-10-01

Health-care waste is a by-product of health care. Its poor management exposes health-care workers, waste handlers and the community to infections, toxic effects and injuries including damage of the environment. It also creates opportunities for the collection of disposable medical equipment, its re-sale and potential re-use without sterilization, which causes an important burden of disease worldwide. The purpose of this study was to find out health care waste management practice in hospital. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Narayani Sub-Regional Hospital, Birgunj from May to October 2006 using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Study population was four different departments of the hospital (Medical/Paediatric, Surgical/Ortho, Gynae/Obstetric and Emergency), Medical Superintendent, In-charges of four different departments and all sweepers. Data was collected using interview, group discussion, observation and measurement by weight and volume. Total health-care waste generated was 128.4 kg per day while 0.8 kg per patient per day. The composition of health care waste was found to be 96.8 kg (75.4%) general waste, 24.1 kg (8.8%) hazardous waste and 7.5 kg (5.8%) sharps per day by weight. Health staffs and sweepers were not practicing the waste segregation. Occupational health and safety was not given due attention. Majority of the sweepers were unaware of waste management and need of safety measures to protect their own health. Health care waste management practice in the hospital was unsatisfactory because of the lack of waste management plan and carelessness of patients, visitors and staffs. Therefore the hospital should develop the waste management plan and strictly follow the National Health Care Waste Management Guideline.

Annual report to Congress, FY 1992

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1993-07-01

The Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) is responsible for disposing of the Nation`s spent nuclear fuel from civilian nuclear power reactors and high-level radioactive waste from its defense activities in a cost-effective manner that protects the health and safety of the public and workers and the quality of the environment. To accomplish this mission OCRWM is developing a waste management system consisting of a geologic repository, a facility for monitored retrievable storage, and a system for transporting the waste. This is the ninth annual report submitted by the OCRWM to Congress. The OCRWM submits this report to informmore » Congress of its activities and expenditures during fiscal year 1992 (October 1, 1991 through September 30, 1992).« less

Serum total immunoglobin-E and health hazards in workers involved in land fill and compost areas of hazardous waste management plants

PubMed Central

Kalahasthi, Ravi Babu; Rajmohan, HR; Narendranan, Pavitra; Pradyumna, Adithya

2012-01-01

Background: The exposures of bio-aerosols have reported higher occupational health hazards, the association between serum total IgE levels and job categories and occupational health hazards of waste disposal area was limited. The present study was undertaken to assess the relationship between occupational health hazards and Serum total IgE in waste disposal area. Materials and Methods: One hundred eighty subjects working in waste disposal areas in different parts of Bangalore at Karnataka, India were enrolled into the study in 2009. Using questionnaire the respiratory morbidity and other work related problems in HWW was carried. The levels of serum total IgE in study subjects were determined by using Enzyme–linked –immunosorbent assay kits (DRG International Inc, USA). The differences of serum total IgE levels between the groups were computed by using non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test. SPSS 10.0 for windows version of statistical software was used in the analysis. Results: The levels of serum total IgE was significantly increased in landfill area (P=0.027) compose plant workers (P=0.020). The morbidity conditions such as respiratory and musculoskeletal found significantly higher in waste disposal workers as compared to controls. Conclusion: The levels of serum total IgE was significantly increased in land fill area and compose plant workers but no significant relationship was found between the levels of serum total IgE and occurrence of health related symptoms or past respiratory disease. PMID:23112500

Serum total immunoglobin-E and health hazards in workers involved in land fill and compost areas of hazardous waste management plants.

PubMed

Kalahasthi, Ravi Babu; Rajmohan, Hr; Narendranan, Pavitra; Pradyumna, Adithya

2012-01-01

The exposures of bio-aerosols have reported higher occupational health hazards, the association between serum total IgE levels and job categories and occupational health hazards of waste disposal area was limited. The present study was undertaken to assess the relationship between occupational health hazards and Serum total IgE in waste disposal area. One hundred eighty subjects working in waste disposal areas in different parts of Bangalore at Karnataka, India were enrolled into the study in 2009. Using questionnaire the respiratory morbidity and other work related problems in HWW was carried. The levels of serum total IgE in study subjects were determined by using Enzyme-linked -immunosorbent assay kits (DRG International Inc, USA). The differences of serum total IgE levels between the groups were computed by using non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test. SPSS 10.0 for windows version of statistical software was used in the analysis. The levels of serum total IgE was significantly increased in landfill area (P=0.027) compose plant workers (P=0.020). The morbidity conditions such as respiratory and musculoskeletal found significantly higher in waste disposal workers as compared to controls. The levels of serum total IgE was significantly increased in land fill area and compose plant workers but no significant relationship was found between the levels of serum total IgE and occurrence of health related symptoms or past respiratory disease.

Impact of an intervention programme on knowledge, attitude and practice of healthcare staff regarding pharmaceutical waste management, Gaza, Palestine.

PubMed

Tabash, M I; Hussein, R A; Mahmoud, A H; El-Borgy, M D; Abu-Hamad, B A

2016-09-01

To assess knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of healthcare staff regarding pharmaceutical waste management; and to determine the impact of an educational programme on the KAP survey items. Pre-post-test intervention study. The pre-intervention phase was performed using a sample of 530 out of 1500 healthcare workers. A predesigned interview questionnaire was used to assess KAP. Next, an educational programme was designed and offered to a subsample of 69 healthcare workers. KAP were re-assessed for the programme attendees using the same interview questionnaire, both immediately (post-test) and six months after the end of the programme (follow-up test). The parametric paired sample t-test was used to assess the difference between pre-test and follow-up test results. Poor knowledge and poor practice levels (scores 50%) detected in the pre-intervention phase were found to improve to satisfactory levels (scores ≥75%) in the follow-up phase. Attitude was found to be positive (score ≥75%) in all phases of the study. The educational programme led to a significant improvement in KAP of healthcare staff regarding pharmaceutical waste management (P<0.001). Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Hospital waste management status in Iran: a case study in the teaching hospitals of Iran University of Medical Sciences.

PubMed

Farzadkia, Mahdi; Moradi, Arash; Mohammadi, Mojtaba Shah; Jorfi, Sahand

2009-06-01

Hospital waste materials pose a wide variety of health and safety hazards for patients and healthcare workers. Many of hospitals in Iran have neither a satisfactory waste disposal system nor a waste management and disposal policy. The main objective of this research was to investigate the solid waste management in the eight teaching hospitals of Iran University of Medical Sciences. In this cross-sectional study, the main stages of hospital waste management including generation, separation, collection, storage, and disposal of waste materials were assessed in these hospitals, located in Tehran city. The measurement was conducted through a questionnaire and direct observation by researchers. The data obtained was converted to a quantitative measure to evaluate the different management components. The results showed that the waste generation rate was 2.5 to 3.01 kg bed(-1) day(-1), which included 85 to 90% of domestic waste and 10 to 15% of infectious waste. The lack of separation between hazardous and non-hazardous waste, an absence of the necessary rules and regulations applying to the collection of waste from hospital wards and on-site transport to a temporary storage location, a lack of proper waste treatment, and disposal of hospital waste along with municipal garbage, were the main findings. In order to improve the existing conditions, some extensive research to assess the present situation in the hospitals of Iran, the compilation of rules and establishment of standards and effective training for the personnel are actions that are recommended.

'Away' is a place: The impact of electronic waste recycling on blood lead levels in Ghana.

PubMed

Amankwaa, Ebenezer Forkuo; Adovor Tsikudo, Kwame A; Bowman, Jay A

2017-12-01

E-waste recycling remains a major source of livelihood for many urban poor in developing countries, but this economic activity is fraught with significant environmental health risk. Yet, human exposure to the toxic elements associated with e-waste activities remains understudied and not evidently understood. This study investigates the impact of informal e-waste processing on the blood lead levels (BLLs) of e-waste workers and non-e-waste workers (mainly females working in activities that serve the Agbogbloshie e-waste site), and relates their lead exposure to socio-demographic and occupational characteristics. A total of 128 blood samples were analysed for lead levels. Surprisingly, the mean BLL (3.54μg/dL) of non-e-waste workers was slightly higher than that of e-waste workers (3.49μg/dL), although higher BLLs ranges were found among e-waste workers (0.50-18.80μg/dL) than non-e-waste workers (0.30-8.20μg/dL). Workers who engaged in e-waste burning tended to have the highest BLLs. In general, the BLLs are within the ABLES/US CDC reference level of 5μg/dL, although 12.3% of the workers have elevated BLLs, i.e. BLL ≥5μg/dL. The study concludes that the impact of e-waste recycling is not limited to workers alone. Traders and residents within the Agbogbloshie enclave are equally at risk through a range of environmental vectors. This calls for increased public awareness about the effects of human exposure to lead and other toxic elements from e-waste recycling. A key contribution is that government and stakeholder projects for safe e-waste infrastructure should disaggregate the e-waste value chain, recognize differential risk and resist one-size-fits-all strategies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Assessment of medical waste management at a primary health-care center in Sao Paulo, Brazil

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moreira, A.M.M., E-mail: anamariainforme@hotmail.com; Guenther, W.M.R.

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Assessment of medical waste management at health-care center before/after intervention. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Qualitative and quantitative results of medical waste management plan are presented. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Adjustments to comply with regulation were adopted and reduction of waste was observed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The method applied could be useful for similar establishments. - Abstract: According to the Brazilian law, implementation of a Medical Waste Management Plan (MWMP) in health-care units is mandatory, but as far as we know evaluation of such implementation has not taken place yet. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the improvements deriving from the implementation of amore » MWMP in a Primary Health-care Center (PHC) located in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The method proposed for evaluation compares the first situation prevailing at this PHC with the situation 1 year after implementation of the MWMP, thus allowing verification of the evolution of the PHC performance. For prior and post-diagnosis, the method was based on: (1) application of a tool (check list) which considered all legal requirements in force; (2) quantification of solid waste subdivided into three categories: infectious waste and sharp devices, recyclable materials and non-recyclable waste; and (3) identification of non-conformity practices. Lack of knowledge on the pertinent legislation by health workers has contributed to non-conformity instances. The legal requirements in force in Brazil today gave origin to a tool (check list) which was utilized in the management of medical waste at the health-care unit studied. This tool resulted into an adequate and simple instrument, required a low investment, allowed collecting data to feed indicators and also conquered the participation of the unit whole staff. Several non-conformities identified in the first diagnosis could be corrected by the instrument utilized. Total waste generation increased 9.8%, but it was possible to reduce the volume of non-recyclable materials (11%) and increase the volume of recyclable materials (4%). It was also possible to segregate organic waste (7%), which was forwarded for production of compost. The rate of infectious waste generation in critical areas decreased from 0.021 to 0.018 kg/procedure. Many improvements have been observed, and now the PHC complies with most of legal requirements, offers periodic training and better biosafety conditions to workers, has reduced the volume of waste sent to sanitary landfills, and has introduced indicators for monitoring its own performance. This evaluation method might subsidize the creation and evaluation of medical waste management plans in similar heath institutions.« less

NORM management in the oil and gas industry.

PubMed

Cowie, M; Mously, K; Fageeha, O; Nassar, R

2012-01-01

It has been established that naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) may accumulate at various locations along the oil and gas production process. Components such as wellheads, separation vessels, pumps, and other processing equipment can become contaminated with NORM, and NORM can accumulate in the form of sludge, scale, scrapings, and other waste media. This can create a potential radiation hazard to workers, the general public, and the environment if certain controls are not established. Saudi Aramco has developed NORM management guidelines, and is implementing a comprehensive strategy to address all aspects of NORM management that aim to enhance NORM monitoring; control of NORM-contaminated equipment; control of NORM waste handling and disposal; and protection, awareness, and training of workers. The benefits of shared knowledge, best practice, and experience across the oil and gas industry are seen as key to the establishment of common guidance. This paper outlines Saudi Aramco's experience in the development of a NORM management strategy, and its goals of establishing common guidance throughout the oil and gas industry. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Conditioning Procedure for Spent Cs-137 Sealed Sources in Egypt

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mohamed, Y.T.; Hasan, M.A.; Lasheen, Y.F.

2006-07-01

It is the duty of the Hot Laboratories and Waste Management Center, Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority to mange the radioactive waste generated from any user for radioactive materials in Egypt. The most hazardous or dangerous radioactive waste we collect is spent radioactive sealed sources that have to be managed safely to protect human, workers and environment from any undue burden for radiation. Through the Integrated Management Program Of Radioactive Sealed Sources In Egypt, IMPRSS all spent Cs-137 sources with low activity will be retrievable conditioned in 200 L drum with special lead shield to keep the surface dose rate lowermore » than 200 merm/h according to US regulations and IAEA guidelines. Using this procedure the EAEA will condition about 243 sources in 9 drums. (authors)« less

Monitoring OH-PCBs in PCB transport worker's urine as a non-invasive exposure assessment tool.

PubMed

Haga, Yuki; Suzuki, Motoharu; Matsumura, Chisato; Okuno, Toshihiro; Tsurukawa, Masahiro; Fujimori, Kazuo; Kannan, Narayanan; Weber, Roland; Nakano, Takeshi

2018-06-01

In this study, we analyzed hydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyls (OH-PCBs) in urine of both PCB transport workers and PCB researchers. A method to monitor OH-PCB in urine was developed. Urine was solid-phase extracted with 0.1% ammonia/ methanol (v/v) and glucuronic acid/sulfate conjugates and then decomposed using β-glucuronidase/arylsulfatase. After alkaline digestion/derivatization, the concentration of OH-PCBs was determined by HRGC/HRMS-SIM. In the first sampling campaign, the worker's OH-PCB levels increased several fold after the PCB waste transportation work, indicating exposure to PCBs. The concentration of OH-PCBs in PCB transport workers' urine (0.55~11 μg/g creatinine (Cre)) was higher than in PCB researchers' urine (< 0.20 μg/g Cre). However, also a slight increase of OH-PCBs was observed in the researchers doing the air sampling at PCB storage area. In the second sampling, after recommended PCB exposure reduction measures had been enacted, the worker's PCB levels did not increase during handling of PCB equipment. This suggests that applied safety measures improved the situation. Hydroxylated trichlorobiphenyls (OH-TrCBs) were identified as a major homolog of OH-PCBs in urine. Also, hydroxylated tetrachlorobiphenyls (OH-TeCBs) to hydroxylated hexachlorobiphenyls (OH-HxCBs) were detected. For the sum of ten selected major indicators, a strong correlation to total OH-PCBs were found and these can possibly be used as non-invasive biomarkers of PCB exposure in workers managing PCB capacitors and transformer oils. We suggest that monitoring of OH-PCBs in PCB management projects could be considered a non-invasive way to detect exposure. It could also be used as a tool to assess and improve PCB management. This is highly relevant considering the fact that in the next 10 years, approx. 14 million tons of PCB waste need to be managed. Also, the selected populations could be screened to assess whether exposure at work, school, or home has taken place.

Awareness and practices regarding bio-medical waste management among health care workers in a tertiary care hospital in Delhi.

PubMed

Bhagawati, G; Nandwani, S; Singhal, S

2015-01-01

Health care institutions are generating large amount of Bio-Medical Waste (BMW), which needs to be properly segregated and treated. With this concern, a questionnaire based cross-sectional study was done to determine the current status of awareness and practices regarding BMW Management (BMWM) and areas of deficit amongst the HCWs in a tertiary care teaching hospital in New Delhi, India. The correct responses were graded as satisfactory (more than 80%), intermediate (50-80%) and unsatisfactory (less than 50%). Some major areas of deficit found were about knowledge regarding number of BMW categories (17%), mercury waste disposal (37.56%) and definition of BMW (47%).

Healthcare waste management practices and risk perceptions: findings from hospitals in the Algarve region, Portugal.

PubMed

Ferreira, Vera; Teixeira, Margarida Ribau

2010-12-01

The management of healthcare wastes is receiving greater attention because of the risks to both human health and the environment caused by inadequate waste management practices. In that context, the objective of this study was to analyse the healthcare waste management practices in hospitals of the Algarve region, Portugal, and in particular to assess the risk perceptions of, and actual risk to, healthcare staff. The study included three of the six hospitals in the region, covering 41% of the bed capacity. Data were collected via surveys, interviews, and on-site observations. The results indicate that waste separation is the main deficiency in healthcare waste practice, with correct separation being positively related to the degree of daily contact with the waste. Risk perceptions of healthcare staff show the highest levels for the environment (4.24) and waste workers (4.08), and the lowest for patients (3.29) and visitors (2.80), again being positively associated with the degree of daily contact. Risk perceptions of healthcare staff are related to the difficulties of the correct separation of wastes and the lack of knowledge concerning the importance of that separation. The risk of infection with needlesticks/sharps is higher during patient care than during waste handling, and the frequency of these injuries is related to the daily tasks of each healthcare group (doctors, nurses, and housekeepers). Furthermore, legislative definitions and classifications of healthcare wastes appear to have conditioned the management practices associated with, and the perceptions of risk concerning, healthcare wastes. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quality Management for Educational Technology Services: A Guide to Application of the Deming Management Method for District, University and Regional Media and Technology Centers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richie, Mark L.

This book shows how the quality management approach pioneered in Japan by Dr. W. Edwards Deming allows educational service centers to expand services and be more flexible by reducing waste and rework. Deming's method shows how to change from reactive management to a dynamic system of continuous improvement that restores worker pride, increases…

[Seroprevalence of brucelosis in the workers of a plant of treatment of sanitary wastes].

PubMed

López Hernández, Begoña; Almagro Nievas, Diego; Cabrera Castillo, María José

2003-03-22

The management of biosanitary (hospital) waste, while being a key issue in the prevention of public health risks, involves professional risks as well. The objective of this study was to analyze the risks of infection and their relation with the various works within a cluster of brucellosis detected in an infectious waste plant. Cross-descriptive study of the total of 24 employees at the waste plant. A survey was carried out taking into account personal as well as professional items and serological tests. Both bivariant (contingency charts and mean comparison) and multivariant (logistic regression) analyses were carried out. The seroprevalence of brucella infection was 45.93% (CI95%, 26.17-66.76). The estimated risk (OR) for processing workers was 33.72 (CI95%, 2.73-415.96). The permanence within the posts was not different among groups. Infection seroprevalence was higher than that found in endemic populations. The post of processing was found to hold a relation with the contact with Brucella sp.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Paul, Johannes G., E-mail: jp.aht.p3@gmail.com; Arce-Jaque, Joan; Ravena, Neil

The integration of the informal sector into municipal solid waste management is a challenge many developing countries face. In Iloilo City, Philippines around 220 tons of municipal solid waste are collected every day and disposed at a 10 ha large dumpsite. In order to improve the local waste management system the Local Government decided to develop a new Waste Management Center with integrated landfill. However, the proposed area is adjacent to the presently used dumpsite where more than 300 waste pickers dwell and depend on waste picking as their source of livelihood. The Local Government recognized the hidden threat imposedmore » by the waste picker's presence for this development project and proposed various measures to integrate the informal sector into the municipal solid waste management (MSWM) program. As a key intervention a Waste Workers Association, called USWAG Calahunan Livelihood Association Inc. (UCLA) was initiated and registered as a formal business enterprise in May 2009. Up to date, UCLA counts 240 members who commit to follow certain rules and to work within a team that jointly recovers wasted materials. As a cooperative they are empowered to explore new livelihood options such as the recovery of Alternative Fuels for commercial (cement industry) and household use, production of compost and making of handicrafts out of used packages. These activities do not only provide alternative livelihood for them but also lessen the generation of leachate and Greenhouse Gases (GHG) emissions from waste disposal, whereby the life time of the proposed new sanitary landfill can be extended likewise.« less

Using Dynamic Value Stream Mapping and Lean Accounting Box Scores to Support Lean Implementation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woehrle, Stephen L.; Abou-Shady, Louay

2010-01-01

Lean has proven to be an effective management philosophy for improving businesses in a competitive market by eliminating waste and improving operations. An impact of implementing lean projects is the rapid reduction in inventory levels, which gives management the false impression that profits are decreasing while workers on the shop floor observe…

Heat stress management program improving worker health and operational effectiveness: a case study.

PubMed

Huss, Rosalyn G; Skelton, Scott B; Alvis, Kimberly L; Shane, Leigh A

2013-03-01

Heat stress monitoring is a vital component of an effective health and safety program when employees work in exceptionally warm environments. Workers at hazardous waste sites often wear personal protective equipment (PPE), which increases the body heat stress load. No specific Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations address heat stress; however, OSHA does provide several guidance documents to assist employers in addressing this serious workplace health hazard. This article describes a heat stress and surveillance plan implemented at a hazardous waste site as part of the overall health and safety program. The PPE requirement for work at this site, coupled with extreme environmental temperatures, made heat stress a significant concern. Occupational health nurses and industrial hygienists developed a monitoring program for heat stress designed to prevent the occurrence of significant heat-related illness in site workers. The program included worker education on the signs of heat-related illness and continuous physiologic monitoring to detect early signs of heat-related health problems. Biological monitoring data were collected before workers entered the exclusion zone and on exiting the zone following decontamination. Sixty-six site workers were monitored throughout site remediation. More than 1,700 biological monitoring data points were recorded. Outcomes included improved worker health and safety, and increased operational effectiveness. Copyright 2013, SLACK Incorporated.

An empirical investigation of construction and demolition waste generation rates in Shenzhen city, South China.

PubMed

Lu, Weisheng; Yuan, Hongping; Li, Jingru; Hao, Jane J L; Mi, Xuming; Ding, Zhikun

2011-04-01

The construction and demolition waste generation rates (C&D WGRs) is an important factor in decision-making and management of material waste in any construction site. The present study investigated WGRs by conducting on-site waste sorting and weighing in four ongoing construction projects in Shenzhen city of South China. The results revealed that WGRs ranged from 3.275 to 8.791 kg/m(2) and miscellaneous waste, timber for formwork and falsework, and concrete were the three largest components amongst the generated waste. Based on the WGRs derived from the research, the paper also discussed the main causes of waste in the construction industry and attempted to connect waste generation with specific construction practices. It was recommended that measures mainly including performing waste sorting at source, employing skilful workers, uploading and storing materials properly, promoting waste management capacity, replacing current timber formwork with metal formwork and launching an incentive reward program to encourage waste reduction could be potential solutions to reducing current WGRs in Shenzhen. Although these results were derived from a relatively small sample and so cannot justifiably be generalized, they do however add to the body of knowledge that is currently available for understanding the status of the art of C&D waste management in China. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Occupational exposure to the municipal solid waste workers in Chandigarh, India.

PubMed

Ravindra, Khaiwal; Kaur, Kamalpreet; Mor, Suman

2016-11-01

Manual handling of municipal solid waste is of serious concern owing to emerging occupational risks. Considering this, health risks of municipal solid waste workers involved in street sweeping, waste collection, waste processing and rag picking were assessed in Chandigarh, India, using an interview schedule as a study tool. Result shows that the waste worker profession is mainly dominated by males, except in rag pickers, and with a lower literacy rate. Age distribution shows that 16% of waste collectors and 11% of rag pickers were below 18 years of age. Daily income of the waste workers ranges from ₹100 to ₹200. It was observed that 22.2% of waste collectors, 43.2% of street sweepers and 25.5% of rag pickers do not use any type of protective gears owing to their casual attitude, which results in various types of injuries. The major occupational health issues reported by various categories of waste workers were respiratory disorders, injuries and allergies having prevalence of 12.3%-17.6%, 4.9%-44.4% and 35.3%-48.9%, respectively. Waste workers are vulnerable to occupational health hazards and hence there is a need to safeguard them through formulation of new laws and policies. © The Author(s) 2016.

Bio-Medical Waste Managment in a Tertiary Care Hospital: An Overview.

PubMed

Pandey, Anita; Ahuja, Sanjiv; Madan, Molly; Asthana, Ajay Kumar

2016-11-01

Bio-Medical Waste (BMW) management is of utmost importance as its improper management poses serious threat to health care workers, waste handlers, patients, care givers, community and finally the environment. Simultaneously, the health care providers should know the quantity of waste generated in their facility and try to reduce the waste generation in day-to-day work because lesser amount of BMW means a lesser burden on waste disposal work and cost saving. To have an overview of management of BMW in a tertiary care teaching hospital so that effective interventions and implementations can be carried out for better outcome. The observational study was carried out over a period of five months from January 2016 to May 2016 in Chhatrapati Shivaji Subharti Hospital, Meerut by the Infection Control Team (ICT). Assessment of knowledge was carried out by asking set of questions individually and practice regarding awareness of BMW Management among the Health Care Personnel (HCP) was carried out by direct observation in the workplace. Further, the total BMW generated from the present setup in kilogram per bed per day was calculated by dividing the mean waste generated per day by the number of occupied beds. Segregation of BMW was being done at the site of generation in almost all the areas of the hospital in color coded polythene bags as per the hospital protocol. The different types of waste being collected were infectious solid waste in red bag, soiled infectious waste in yellow bag and sharp waste in puncture proof container and blue bag. Though awareness (knowledge) about segregation of BMW was seen in 90% of the HCP, 30%-35% did not practice. Out of the total waste generated (57912 kg.), 8686.8 kg. (15%) was infectious waste. Average infectious waste generated was 0.341 Kg per bed per day. The transport, treatment and disposal of each collected waste were outsourced and carried out by 'Synergy' waste management Pvt. Ltd. The practice of BMW Management was lacking in 30-35% HCP which may lead to mixing of the 15% infectious waste with the remaining non-infectious. Therefore, training courses and awareness programs about BMW management will be carried out every month targeting smaller groups.

Assessment of medical waste management in seven hospitals in Lagos, Nigeria.

PubMed

Awodele, Olufunsho; Adewoye, Aishat Abiodun; Oparah, Azuka Cyril

2016-03-15

Medical waste (MW) can be generated in hospitals, clinics and places where diagnosis and treatment are conducted. The management of these wastes is an issue of great concern and importance in view of potential public health risks associated with such wastes. The study assessed the medical waste management practices in selected hospitals and also determined the impact of Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) intervention programs. A descriptive cross-sectional survey method was used. Data were collected using three instrument (questionnaire, site visitation and in -depth interview). Two public (hospital A, B) and five private (hospital C, D, E, F and G) which provide services for low, middle and high income earners were used. Data analysis was done with SPSS version 20. Chi-squared test was used to determine level of significance at p < 0.05. The majority 56 (53.3%) of the respondents were females with mean age of 35.46 (±1.66) years. The hospital surveyed, except hospital D, disposes both general and medical waste separately. All the facilities have the same process of managing their waste which is segregation, collection/on-site transportation, on-site storage and off-site transportation. Staff responsible for collecting medical waste uses mainly hand gloves as personal protective equipment. The intervention programs helped to ensure compliance and safety of the processes; all the hospitals employ the services of LAWMA for final waste disposal and treatment. Only hospital B offered on-site treatment of its waste (sharps only) with an incinerator while LAWMA uses hydroclave to treat its wastes. There are no policies or guidelines in all investigated hospitals for managing waste. An awareness of proper waste management amongst health workers has been created in most hospitals through the initiative of LAWMA. However, hospital D still mixes municipal and hazardous wastes. The treatment of waste is generally done by LAWMA using hydroclave, to prevent environmental hazards except hospital B that treats its sharp with an incinerator. In order to enhance uniform and appropriate waste management practices in the entire State, there is need for capacity building at all levels and also policies and guidelines formulations.

Structured identification of response options to address environmental health risks at the Agbogbloshie electronic waste site.

PubMed

Cazabon, Danielle; Fobil, Julius N; Essegbey, George; Basu, Niladri

2017-11-01

Electronic waste (e-waste) is a growing problem across low- and middle-income countries. Agbogbloshie (Accra, Ghana) is among the world's largest and most notorious e-waste sites, with an increasing number of studies documenting a range of environmental health risks. The present study aimed to provide national, regional, and international stakeholders with a summary of expert opinion on the most pressing problems arising from e-waste activities at Agbogbloshie, as well as suggested solutions to address these problems. Structured interviews were performed between April and September 2015 that used a Logical Framework Approach as a scoping exercise to gauge problems and benefits of e-waste recycling, and the Delphi methodology to identify response options. Stakeholders (n = 19) from 15 institutions were interviewed with 2 rounds of a Delphi Poll: open-ended interviews followed by an electronic questionnaire in which experts ranked various proposed response options based on health, environmental, social, and economic benefit and feasibility. The goal was to prioritize potential interventions that would address identified problems at Agbogbloshie. Experts identified the most beneficial and feasible options in decreasing rank order as follows and prefaced by the statement "it is recommended that": 1) there be further research on the health effects; 2) e-waste workers be given appropriate personal protective equipment; 3) the Ministry of the Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation re-visit Ghana's Hazardous Waste Bill; 4) e-waste workers be involved in the planning process of interventions and are be kept informed of any results; and 5) there be increased education and sensitization on hazards related to e-waste for both workers and the general public. These solutions are discussed in relation to ongoing dialogue at the international level concerning e-waste recycling interventions, with strengths and weaknesses examined for the Ghanaian context. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2017;13:980-991. ©2017 SETAC. © 2017 SETAC.

Risk of Potential Exposure Incident in Non-healthcare Workers in Contact with Infectious and Municipal Waste

PubMed Central

Kanisek, Sanja; Gmajnić, Rudika; Barać, Ivana

2018-01-01

Abstract Introduction The proper classification of sharp and infectious waste in situ by the healthcare workers is an important measure of prevention of sharps and other exposure incidents in non-healthcare workers, who handle such waste. The aim was to examine the practice of classifying sharp and infectious waste in family and dental practices. Methods An analysis of 50 bags of infectious and 50 bags of municipal waste from five family and five dental practices for five days in October 2016 at the Health centre Osijek. Results Healthcare workers in 70% of the practices deposited sharps in infectious waste. In 56% of infectious waste bags, sharp object were found. More risky bags of infectious waste were produced by family practices (64%), but with no significant differences in relation to dental practices (48%), (P=0.143). Disposing of infectious into municipal waste was the case in 90% of the practitioners, where in 60% of municipal waste bags, infectious waste was disposed. Dental practices produced more risky bags of municipal waste (76%) in relation to family practices (44%), but with no significant difference (P=0.714). Conclusions The results of this research point to importance of performing audits of proper disposal of sharps and infectious waste to reduce the risks of injury to non-healthcare workers who come into contact with the said waste. Given results could be used for framing written protocols of proper disposal of sharps and infectious waste that should be visibly available in family and dental practices and for education of healthcare workers. PMID:29651317

Waste management, informal recycling, environmental pollution and public health.

PubMed

Yang, Hong; Ma, Mingguo; Thompson, Julian R; Flower, Roger J

2018-03-01

With rapid population growth, especially in low-income and middle-income countries, the generation of waste is increasing at an unprecedented rate. For example, annual global waste arising from waste electrical and electronic equipment alone will have increased from 33.8 to 49.8 million tonnes between 2010 and 2018. Despite incineration and other waste treatment techniques, landfill still dominates waste disposal in low-income and middle-income countries. There is usually insufficient funding for adequate waste management in these countries and uptake of more advanced waste treatment technologies is poor. Without proper management, many landfills represent serious hazards as typified by the landslide in Shenzhen, China on 20 December 2015. In addition to formal waste recycling systems, approximately 15million people around the world are involved in informal waste recycling, mainly for plastics, metals, glass and paper. This review examines emerging public health challenges, in particular within low-income and middle-income countries, associated with the informal sector. While informal recyclers contribute to waste recycling and reuse, the relatively primitive techniques they employ, combined with improper management of secondary pollutants, exacerbate environmental pollution of air, soil and water. Even worse, insufficient occupational health measures expose informal waste workers to a range of pollutants, injuries, respiratory and dermatological problems, infections and other serious health issues that contribute to low life expectancy. Integration of the informal sector with its formal counterparts could improve waste management while addressing these serious health and livelihood issues. Progress in this direction has already been made notably in several Latin American countries where integrating the informal and formal sectors has had a positive influence on both waste management and poverty alleviation. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Pilot study on the internal exposure to heavy metals of informal-level electronic waste workers in Agbogbloshie, Accra, Ghana.

PubMed

Wittsiepe, Jürgen; Feldt, Torsten; Till, Holger; Burchard, Gerd; Wilhelm, Michael; Fobil, Julius N

2017-01-01

Informal-level electronic waste (e-waste)-processing activities are performed at hotspots in developing countries such as India, China, and Ghana. These activities increase the ambient burden of heavy metals and contribute to the toxic exposure of the general population. However, few data exist on the internal exposure of populations involved in these informal activities and in close contact with fumes from the direct combustion of electronic waste products in these countries. Therefore, in a cross-sectional study design, we analyzed blood, urine, and hair samples from 75 e-waste workers residing in and/or working on a large e-waste recycling site in Agbogbloshie, Accra, Ghana, and compared the results against those of 40 individuals living in a suburb of Accra without direct exposure to e-waste recycling activities. A comparative analysis using the Mann-Whitney U test showed significantly higher median concentrations of blood lead (88.5 vs. 41.0 μg/l, p < 0.001), cadmium (0.12 vs. 0.10 μg/g crea , p = 0.023), chromium (0.34 vs. 0.23 μg/g crea , p < 0.001), and nickel (3.18 vs. 2.03 μg/g crea , p < 0.001) in the urine of e-waste workers than those of controls. There was no difference in blood cadmium concentrations between the groups (0.51 vs. 0.57 μg/l, p = 0.215) or in urine mercury levels (0.18 vs. 0.18 μg/g crea , p = 0.820). Hair mercury levels were higher in the controls than in the e-waste workers (0.43 vs. 0.72, p < 0.001). We compared our data with those from European populations, specifically using the German reference values, and found that the internal concentrations of the participants exceeded the German reference values in 59.3 vs. 3.1% (e-waste workers vs. controls) for blood lead, 56.9 vs. 52.5% for urine nickel, 22.2 vs. 20.0% for urine chromium, and 17.8 vs. 62.2% for hair mercury. In particular, the high blood lead levels of up to several hundred micrograms per liter are a cause for concern because many of the workers in Agbogbloshie are children or adolescents who are in developmental stages and are at a particular risk for negative health effects. We conclude that exposure to some of the heavy metals tended to be a citywide phenomenon, but populations directly exposed to e-waste recycling are experiencing higher exposure levels and have concentration levels much higher than those of the general population and much higher than those found in European populations. To achieve environmental sustainability and to minimize the impact of e-waste-processing activities in developing countries, national authorities must formalize the rapidly growing informal-level e-waste management sector in these countries by deploying cleaner and easy-to-operate e-waste processing technologies.

Current perspectives on biomedical waste management: Rules, conventions and treatment technologies.

PubMed

Capoor, Malini R; Bhowmik, Kumar Tapas

2017-01-01

Unregulated biomedical waste management (BMWM) is a public health problem. This has posed a grave threat to not only human health and safety but also to the environment for the current and future generations. Safe and reliable methods for handling of biomedical waste (BMW) are of paramount importance. Effective BMWM is not only a legal necessity but also a social responsibility. This article reviews the current perspectives on BMWM and rules, conventions and the treatment technologies used worldwide. BMWM should ideally be the subject of a national strategy with dedicated infrastructure, cradle-to-grave legislation, competent regulatory authority and trained personnel. Improving the management of biomedical waste begins with waste minimisation. These standards, norms and rules on BMWM in a country regulate the disposal of various categories of BMW to ensure the safety of the health-care workers, patients, public and environment. Furthermore, developing models for the monitoring of hospital health-care waste practices and research into non-burn eco-friendly sustainable technologies, recycling and polyvinyl chloride-free devices will go in long way for safe carbon environment. Globally, greater research in BMWM is warranted to understand its growing field of public health importance.

Constraints to healthcare waste treatment in low-income countries - a case study from Somaliland.

PubMed

Di Bella, Veronica; Ali, Mansoor; Vaccari, Mentore

2012-06-01

In low-income countries, healthcare waste is mixed with the municipal waste stream and rarely receives special attention. This paper presents the lessons learned from a pilot project targeted to improve healthcare waste management in Hargeisa (Somaliland). The interventions were carried out in three of the main hospitals in the city. Consideration was also given to improve the overall situation regarding the management of healthcare waste. Three De Montfort incinerators were built and training was provided to operators, waste workers and healthcare personnel. Although the incinerators were constructed in accordance with the required standards, major constraints were identified in the operational phase: irregular de-ashing procedures, misuse of safety equipment, and ineffective separation of healthcare waste were seen in this phase. The paper concludes that in other small hospitals in the developing world, such as those in Hargeisa, on-site incineration by use of low-cost, small-scale incinerators could be successfully applied as an interim solution, provided that an agreed and acceptable plan of operation and maintenance is in place and responsibilities for the management of the facility are clearly identified. Moreover, when replicating this experience in other settings even greater importance should be given to the technical capacity building of operators and pressure should be exercised on local administrations in order to control and supervise the whole management system.

Bioaerosols, Noise, and Ultraviolet Radiation Exposures for Municipal Solid Waste Handlers

PubMed Central

Ncube, Esper Jacobeth; Voyi, Kuku

2017-01-01

Few studies have investigated the occupational hazards of municipal solid waste workers, particularly in developing countries. Resultantly these workers are currently exposed to unknown and unabated occupational hazards that may endanger their health. We determined municipal solid waste workers' work related hazards and associated adverse health endpoints. A multifaceted approach was utilised comprising bioaerosols sampling, occupational noise, thermal conditions measurement, and field based waste compositional analysis. Results from our current study showed highest exposure concentrations for Gram-negative bacteria (6.8 × 103 cfu/m3) and fungi (12.8 × 103 cfu/m3), in the truck cabins. Significant proportions of toxic, infectious, and surgical waste were observed. Conclusively, municipal solid waste workers are exposed to diverse work related risks requiring urgent sound interventions. A framework for assessing occupational risks of these workers must prioritize performance of exposure assessment with regard to the physical, biological, and chemical hazards of the job. PMID:28167969

Bioaerosols, Noise, and Ultraviolet Radiation Exposures for Municipal Solid Waste Handlers.

PubMed

Ncube, France; Ncube, Esper Jacobeth; Voyi, Kuku

2017-01-01

Few studies have investigated the occupational hazards of municipal solid waste workers, particularly in developing countries. Resultantly these workers are currently exposed to unknown and unabated occupational hazards that may endanger their health. We determined municipal solid waste workers' work related hazards and associated adverse health endpoints. A multifaceted approach was utilised comprising bioaerosols sampling, occupational noise, thermal conditions measurement, and field based waste compositional analysis. Results from our current study showed highest exposure concentrations for Gram-negative bacteria (6.8 × 10 3  cfu/m 3 ) and fungi (12.8 × 10 3  cfu/m 3 ), in the truck cabins. Significant proportions of toxic, infectious, and surgical waste were observed. Conclusively, municipal solid waste workers are exposed to diverse work related risks requiring urgent sound interventions. A framework for assessing occupational risks of these workers must prioritize performance of exposure assessment with regard to the physical, biological, and chemical hazards of the job.

Safe disposal of cytotoxic waste: an evaluation of an air-tight system.

PubMed

Craig, Gemma; Wadey, Charlotte

2017-09-07

A 3-month evaluation was undertaken at the Kent Oncology Centre's chemotherapy day unit (CDU) to trial an air-tight sealing disposal system for cytotoxic waste management. Research has identified the potential risk to staff who handle waste products that are hazardous to health. Staff safety was a driving force behind a trial of a new way of working. This article provides an overview of the evaluation of the Pactosafe system in one clinical area, examining reviews by oncology healthcare workers, the practicalities in the clinical setting, training, cost effectiveness and the environmental benefits.

HEALTH AND SAFETY ORGANIZING: OCAW’S WORKER-TO-WORKER HEALTH AND SAFETY TRAINING PROGRAM*

PubMed Central

SLATIN, CRAIG

2018-01-01

In 1987, the Oil, Chemical, and Atomic Workers International Union (OCAW) was funded as one of the original eleven awardees of the Superfund Worker Training Program of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. The OCAW, with the Labor Institute, developed a hazardous waste worker and hazardous materials emergency responder health and safety training program that was specific to its members in the represented industries. A social history is developed to explore a union-led, worker health education intervention. The program sought to develop worker-trainers who would conduct the training, using the Small-Group Activity Method, participate in curriculum development, and ultimately use health and safety training as a vehicle for identifying, developing, and mobilizing health and safety activists among the membership. Although the direction for this effort came from progressive leadership, it arose from the political economy of labor/management relations within specific industrial sectors. PMID:17208754

Bio-Medical Waste Managment in a Tertiary Care Hospital: An Overview

PubMed Central

Ahuja, Sanjiv; Madan, Molly; Asthana, Ajay Kumar

2016-01-01

Introduction Bio-Medical Waste (BMW) management is of utmost importance as its improper management poses serious threat to health care workers, waste handlers, patients, care givers, community and finally the environment. Simultaneously, the health care providers should know the quantity of waste generated in their facility and try to reduce the waste generation in day-to-day work because lesser amount of BMW means a lesser burden on waste disposal work and cost saving. Aim To have an overview of management of BMW in a tertiary care teaching hospital so that effective interventions and implementations can be carried out for better outcome. Materials and Methods The observational study was carried out over a period of five months from January 2016 to May 2016 in Chhatrapati Shivaji Subharti Hospital, Meerut by the Infection Control Team (ICT). Assessment of knowledge was carried out by asking set of questions individually and practice regarding awareness of BMW Management among the Health Care Personnel (HCP) was carried out by direct observation in the workplace. Further, the total BMW generated from the present setup in kilogram per bed per day was calculated by dividing the mean waste generated per day by the number of occupied beds. Results Segregation of BMW was being done at the site of generation in almost all the areas of the hospital in color coded polythene bags as per the hospital protocol. The different types of waste being collected were infectious solid waste in red bag, soiled infectious waste in yellow bag and sharp waste in puncture proof container and blue bag. Though awareness (knowledge) about segregation of BMW was seen in 90% of the HCP, 30%-35% did not practice. Out of the total waste generated (57912 kg.), 8686.8 kg. (15%) was infectious waste. Average infectious waste generated was 0.341 Kg per bed per day. The transport, treatment and disposal of each collected waste were outsourced and carried out by ‘Synergy’ waste management Pvt. Ltd. Conclusion The practice of BMW Management was lacking in 30-35% HCP which may lead to mixing of the 15% infectious waste with the remaining non-infectious. Therefore, training courses and awareness programs about BMW management will be carried out every month targeting smaller groups. PMID:28050362

Health Care Waste Segregation Behavior among Health Workers in Uganda: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior.

PubMed

Akulume, Martha; Kiwanuka, Suzanne N

2016-01-01

Objective . The goal of this study was to assess the appropriateness of the theory of planned behavior in predicting health care waste segregation behaviors and to examine the factors that influence waste segregation behaviors. Methodology . One hundred and sixty-three health workers completed a self-administered questionnaire in a cross-sectional survey that examined the theory of planned behavior constructs (attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and intention) and external variables (sociodemographic factors, personal characteristics, organizational characteristics, professional characteristics, and moral obligation). Results . For their most recent client 21.5% of the health workers reported that they most definitely segregated health care waste while 5.5% did not segregate. All the theory of planned behavior constructs were significant predictors of health workers' segregation behavior, but intention emerged as the strongest and most significant ( r = 0.524, P < 0.001). The theory of planned behavior model explained 52.5% of the variance in health workers' segregation behavior. When external variables were added, the new model explained 66.7% of the variance in behavior. Conclusion . Generally, health workers' health care waste segregation behavior was high. The theory of planned behavior significantly predicted health workers' health care waste segregation behaviors.

Formal recycling of e-waste leads to increased exposure to toxic metals: an occupational exposure study from Sweden.

PubMed

Julander, Anneli; Lundgren, Lennart; Skare, Lizbet; Grandér, Margaretha; Palm, Brita; Vahter, Marie; Lidén, Carola

2014-12-01

Electrical and electronic waste (e-waste) contains multiple toxic metals. However, there is currently a lack of exposure data for metals on workers in formal recycling plants. The objective of this study was to evaluate workers' exposure to metals, using biomarkers of exposure in combination with monitoring of personal air exposure. We assessed exposure to 20 potentially toxic metals among 55 recycling workers and 10 office workers at three formal e-waste recycling plants in Sweden. Workers at two of the plants were followed-up after 6 months. We collected the inhalable fraction and OFC (37-mm) fraction of particles, using personal samplers, as well as spot samples of blood and urine. We measured metal concentrations in whole blood, plasma, urine, and air filters using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry following acid digestion. The air sampling indicated greater airborne exposure, 10 to 30 times higher, to most metals among the recycling workers handling e-waste than among the office workers. The exposure biomarkers showed significantly higher concentrations of chromium, cobalt, indium, lead, and mercury in blood, urine, and/or plasma of the recycling workers, compared with the office workers. Concentrations of antimony, indium, lead, mercury, and vanadium showed close to linear associations between the inhalable particle fraction and blood, plasma, or urine. In conclusion, our study of formal e-waste recycling shows that workers performing recycling tasks are exposed to multiple toxic metals. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Environmental Management

ScienceCinema

None

2018-01-16

Another key aspect of the NNSS mission is Environmental Management program, which addresses the environmental legacy from historic nuclear weapons related activities while also ensuring the health and safety of present day workers, the public, and the environment as current and future missions are completed. The Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management site receives low-level and mixed low-level waste from some 28 different generators from across the DOE complex in support of the legacy clean-up DOE Environmental Management project. Without this capability, the DOE would not be able to complete the clean up and proper disposition of these wastes. The program includes environmental protection, compliance, and monitoring of the air, water, plants, animals, and cultural resources at the NNSS. Investigation and implementation of appropriate corrective actions to address the contaminated ground water facilities and soils resulting from historic nuclear testing activities, the demolition of abandoned nuclear facilities, as well as installation of ground water wells to identify and monitor the extent of ground water contamination.

Working conditions and environmental exposures among electronic waste workers in Ghana.

PubMed

Akormedi, Matthew; Asampong, Emmanuel; Fobil, Julius N

2013-01-01

To investigate and describe informal e-waste recycling and working conditions at Agbogbloshie, Accra, Ghana. We conducted in-depth interviews which were qualitatively analysed from a grounded theory perspective. Workers obtained e-waste from the various residential areas in Accra, then dismantled and burned them in open air to recover copper, aluminum, steel, and other products for sale to customers on-site or at the nearby Agbogbloshie market. The processers worked under unhealthy conditions often surrounded by refuse and human excreta without any form of protective gear and were thus exposed to frequent burns, cuts, and inhalation of highly contaminated fumes. We observed no form of social security/support system for the workers, who formed informal associations to support one another in times of difficulty. e-waste recycling working conditions were very challenging and presented serious hazards to worker health and wellbeing. Formalizing the e-waste processing activities requires developing a framework of sustainable financial and social security for the e-waste workers, including adoption of low-cost, socially acceptable, easy-to-operate, and cleaner technologies that would safeguard the health of the workers and the general public.

Healthcare waste generation and management practice in government health centers of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

PubMed

Tadesse, Menelik Legesse; Kumie, Abera

2014-11-25

Healthcare wastes are hazardous organic and inorganic wastes. The waste disposal management in Addis Ababa city is seen unscientific manner. The waste management practice in the health facilities are poor and need improvement. This study will help different organizations, stakeholders and policy makers to correct and improve the existing situation of healthcare waste legislation and enforcement and training of staff in the healthcare facilities in Addis Ababa. The study aimed to assess the existing generation and management practice of healthcare waste in selected government health centers of Addis Ababa. The cross-sectional study was conducted to quantify waste generation rate and evaluate its management system. The study area was Addis Ababa. The sample size was determined by simple random sampling technique, the sampling procedure involved 10 sub-cities of Addis Ababa. Data were collected using both waste collecting and measuring equipment and check list. The Data was entered by EPI INFO version 6.04d and analyzed by and SPSS for WINDOW version15. The mean (±SD) healthcare waste generation rate was 9.61 ± 3.28 kg/day of which (38%) 3.64 ± 1.45 kg/day was general or non-hazardous waste and (62%) 5.97 ± 2.31 kg/day was hazardous. The mean healthcare waste generation rate between health centers was a significant different with Kurskal-Wallis test (χ2 = 21.83, p-value = 0.009). All health centers used safety boxes for collection of sharp wastes and all health centers used plastic buckets without lid for collection and transportation of healthcare waste. Pre treatment of infectious wastes was not practiced by any of the health centers. All health centers used incinerators and had placenta pit for disposal of pathological waste however only seven out of ten pits had proper covering material. Segregation of wastes at point of generation with appropriate collection materials and pre- treatment of infectious waste before disposal should be practiced. Training should be given to healthcare workers and waste handlers. Incinerators must be constructed in a manner that facilitates complete combustion and the lining of placenta pit should be constructed in water tight material.

Health seeking behaviours among electronic waste workers in Ghana.

PubMed

Asampong, Emmanuel; Dwuma-Badu, Kwaku; Stephens, Judith; Srigboh, Roland; Neitzel, Richard; Basu, Niladri; Fobil, Julius N

2015-10-16

Electronic waste workers are prone to various illnesses and injuries from numerous hazards thus the need for them to seek health care. The aim of this study was to describe health-seeking behavior, and social and other factors affecting this behavior, among electronic waste workers at Agbogbloshie, Accra, Ghana. In-depth interviews were conducted and analyzed qualitatively from a grounded theory perspective. Workers experienced various kinds of ailments. These included physical injuries, chest and respiratory tract associated symptoms, malaria, headaches, body pains and stomach discomfort. They reported seeking health care from multiple sources, and the main determinants of health seeking behaviour were severity of illness, perceived benefit of treatment, accessibility of service, quality of service, ease of communication with service provider and cost of health care. Multiple sources of health care were used by the e-waste workers. As cost was a major barrier to accessing formal health care, most of the workers did not subscribe to health insurance. Since enrollment in health insurance is low amongst the workers, education campaigns on the need to register with the National Health Insurance Scheme would facilitate access to formal health care and could result in improved health outcomes among e-waste workers.

Informal processing of electronic waste at Agbogbloshie, Ghana: workers' knowledge about associated health hazards and alternative livelihoods.

PubMed

Yu, Emily A; Akormedi, Matthew; Asampong, Emmanuel; Meyer, Christian G; Fobil, Julius N

2017-12-01

This study was conducted to investigate the electronic waste workers' knowledge about the potential health hazards associated with their work as well as the livelihood alternatives that they would prefer if they were given the opportunity. A qualitative cross-sectional study was conducted to gather empirical information on e-waste workers' knowledge about the potential hazards associated with their work and the livelihood alternatives to e-waste recycling with a sample consisting of twenty all-male electronic waste workers at the Agbogbloshie scrap metal yard in Accra, Ghana. Electronic waste workers at Agbogbloshie were found to be exposed to a variety of injuries and illnesses. The workers' knowledge of the association between their health status and their work was generally poor. Apart from the physical injuries, they did not believe their work played any negative role in their health conditions. They preferred occupations such as farming or professional driving located in the northern region of Ghana to be closer to their families. The study concludes that the low knowledge level of the workers on the hazards that are associated with their work has implications for them accepting technologies to protect them and the natural environment from contamination. It is therefore imperative for any intervention to consider the current low level of knowledge and actively educate the workers to raise their awareness level, taking into account the provision of opportunities for workers to acquire applicable skills for future employment in other fields.

Evaluating Results of Human Resources Programs/Practices.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blai, Boris Jr.

1989-01-01

Contends that wise management human resources decisions may yield direct payroll savings in fewer workers for compatible production; controllable personnel turnover; greater flexibility to achieve new and emergency jobs; low waste, reject and accident programs; and low sick absences. Systematic follow-up must be integral part of effort to achieve…

3 CFR 8453 - Proclamation 8453 of November 13, 2009. America Recycles Day, 2009

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... industry, employing 1.1 million workers nationwide in 56,000 businesses. On America Recycles Day, we celebrate the individuals, communities, local governments, and businesses that recycle their waste and... manage materials and products on a life-cycle basis, we must responsibly use and reuse our resources...

Study of status of safe injection practice and knowledge regarding injection safety among primary health care workers in Baglung district, western Nepal.

PubMed

Gyawali, Sudesh; Rathore, Devendra S; Kc, Bhuvan; Shankar, P Ravi

2013-01-03

Unsafe injection practices and injection overuse are widespread in developing countries harming the patient and inviting risks to the health care workers. In Nepal, there is a dearth of documented information about injection practices so the present study was carried out: a) to determine whether the selected government health facilities satisfy the conditions for safe injections in terms of staff training, availability of sterile injectable equipment and their proper disposal after use and b) to assess knowledge and attitudes of healthcare workers in these health care facilities with regard to injection safety. A descriptive cross-sectional mixed type (qualitative and quantitative) survey was carried out from 18th May to 16th June 2012. In-depth interviews with the in-charges were conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire. Observation of the health facilities using a structured observation tool was done. The data were analysed manually by summarizing, tabulating and presenting in various formats. The in-charges (eight males, two females) who participated in the study ranged in age from 30 to 50 years with a mean age of 37.8 years. Severe infection followed by pain was the most important cause for injection use with injection Gentamicin being most commonly prescribed. New single use (disposable) injections and auto-disable syringes were used to inject curative drugs and vaccines respectively. Sufficient safety boxes were also supplied to dispose the used syringe. All health care workers had received full course of Hepatitis B vaccine and were knowledgeable about at least one pathogen transmitted through unsafe injection practices. Injection safety management policy and waste disposal guideline was not available for viewing in any of the facilities. The office staff who disposed the bio-medical wastes did so without taking any safety measures. Moreover, none of these staff had received any formal training in waste management. Certain safe injection practices were noticed in the studied health care facilities but there remain a number of grey areas where unsafe practices still persists placing patient and health workers at risk of associated hazards. Training concentrating on injection safety, guidelines to dispose biomedical waste and monitoring of the activity is needed.

Study of status of safe injection practice and knowledge regarding injection safety among primary health care workers in Baglung district, western Nepal

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Unsafe injection practices and injection overuse are widespread in developing countries harming the patient and inviting risks to the health care workers. In Nepal, there is a dearth of documented information about injection practices so the present study was carried out: a) to determine whether the selected government health facilities satisfy the conditions for safe injections in terms of staff training, availability of sterile injectable equipment and their proper disposal after use and b) to assess knowledge and attitudes of healthcare workers in these health care facilities with regard to injection safety. Methodology A descriptive cross-sectional mixed type (qualitative and quantitative) survey was carried out from 18th May to 16th June 2012. In-depth interviews with the in-charges were conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire. Observation of the health facilities using a structured observation tool was done. The data were analysed manually by summarizing, tabulating and presenting in various formats. Results The in-charges (eight males, two females) who participated in the study ranged in age from 30 to 50 years with a mean age of 37.8 years. Severe infection followed by pain was the most important cause for injection use with injection Gentamicin being most commonly prescribed. New single use (disposable) injections and auto-disable syringes were used to inject curative drugs and vaccines respectively. Sufficient safety boxes were also supplied to dispose the used syringe. All health care workers had received full course of Hepatitis B vaccine and were knowledgeable about at least one pathogen transmitted through unsafe injection practices. Injection safety management policy and waste disposal guideline was not available for viewing in any of the facilities. The office staff who disposed the bio-medical wastes did so without taking any safety measures. Moreover, none of these staff had received any formal training in waste management. Conclusions Certain safe injection practices were noticed in the studied health care facilities but there remain a number of grey areas where unsafe practices still persists placing patient and health workers at risk of associated hazards. Training concentrating on injection safety, guidelines to dispose biomedical waste and monitoring of the activity is needed. PMID:23286907

77 FR 66852 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Hazardous Waste Worker Training

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-07

...; Comment Request; Hazardous Waste Worker Training AGENCY: National Institute of Environmental Health... Sciences (NIEHS) was given major responsibility for initiating a worker safety and health training program... workers and their communities by delivering high-quality, peer-reviewed safety and health curricula to...

A system dynamics approach for healthcare waste management: a case study in Istanbul Metropolitan City, Turkey.

PubMed

Ciplak, Nesli; Barton, John R

2012-06-01

Healthcare waste consists of various types of waste materials generated at hospitals, medical research centres, clinics and laboratories. Although 75-90% of this waste is classified as 'domestic' in nature, 20-25% is deemed to be hazardous, which if not disposed of appropriately, poses a risk to healthcare workers, patients, the environment and even the whole community. As long as healthcare waste is mixed with municipal waste and not segregated prior to disposal, costs will increase substantially. In this study, healthcare waste increases along with the potential to decrease the amounts by implementing effective segregation at healthcare facilities are projected to 2040. Our long-term aim is to develop a system to support selection and planning of the future treatment capacity. Istanbul in Turkey was used as the case study area. In order to identify the factors affecting healthcare waste generation in Istanbul, observations were made and interviews conducted in Istanbul over a 3 month period. A system dynamics approach was adopted to build a healthcare waste management model using a software package, Vensim Ple Plus. Based on reported analysis, the non-hazardous municipal fraction co-disposed with healthcare waste is around 65%. Using the projected waste generation flows, reducing a municipal fraction to 30% has the potential to avoid some 8000 t year(-1) of healthcare waste by 2025 and almost 10 000 t year(-1) by 2035. Furthermore, if segregation practices ensured healthcare waste requiring incineration was also selectively managed, 77% of healthcare waste could be diverted to alternative treatment technologies. As the throughput capacity of the only existing healthcare waste treatment facility in Istanbul, Kemerburgaz Incinerator, has already been exceeded, it is evident that improved management could not only reduce overall flows and costs but also permit alternative and cheaper treatment systems (e.g. autoclaving) to be adopted for the healthcare waste.

Situation analysis and issues in management of biomedical waste in select small health care facilities in a ward under Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, Bangalore, India.

PubMed

Chethana, Thirthahalli; Thapsey, Hemanth; Gautham, Melur Sukumar; Sreekantaiah, Pruthvish; Suryanarayana, Suradhenupura Puttajois

2014-04-01

Smaller health care facilities especially clinics though believed to generate lesser quantum/categories of medical waste, the number of clinics/small health care settings are considerable. The movement to manage biomedical waste in a safe and scientific manner has gathered momentum among the medium and large hospitals in Bangalore, but there has been a little understanding and focus on the smaller health care facilities/clinics in this aspect. It is important to gather evidence regarding the current situation of bio-medical waste (BMW) management and issues in smaller health care settings, so as to expand the safe management to all points of generation in Bangalore and will also help to plan relevant interventional strategies for the same. Hence an exploratory study was conducted to assess the current situation and issues in management of BMW among small health care facilities (sHCF). This cross sectional study was conducted in T. Dasarahalli (ward number 15) under Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palike (BBMP) of Bangalore. Data was collected from a convenient sample of 35 nursing homes (<50 beds) and clinics in December 2011. The results of this study indicate that 3 (20 %) of nursing homes had a Policy for Health Care Waste Management, though committees for Infection control and Hospital waste management were absent. Recording system like injury and waste management registers were non-existent. In our study the Common Bio-medical Waste Treatment Facility operator collected waste from 28 (80 %) of the sHCF. Segregation at the point of generation was present in 22 (62.9 %) of the sHCF. Segregation process was compliant as per BMW rules 1998 among 5 (16.1 %) of the sHCF. 18 sHCF workers were vaccinated with hepatitis B and tetanus. Deficiencies were observed in areas of containment, sharps management and disinfection. It was observed that though the quantum and category of waste generated was limited there exist deficiencies which warrant initiation of system development measures including capacity building.

Seroepidemiology of infection with Toxoplasma gondii in waste pickers and waste workers in Durango, Mexico.

PubMed

Alvarado-Esquivel, C; Liesenfeld, O; Márquez-Conde, J A; Cisneros-Camacho, A; Estrada-Martínez, S; Martínez-García, S A; González-Herrera, A; García-Corral, N

2008-08-01

Municipal waste is a potential source of infection for Toxoplasma gondii as it may contain contaminated meat with parasite tissue cysts and cat excrement with parasite oocysts. Therefore, we sought to determine the prevalence of T. gondii infection and associated characteristics in two populations exposed to municipal solid waste in Durango, Mexico. Ninety waste pickers and 83 waste workers of Durango City, Mexico were examined for T. gondii infection. They were tested for anti-T. gondii IgG and IgM antibodies using enzyme-linked immunoassays. In addition, socio-demographic and behavioural characteristics from each participant were obtained. Nineteen (21.1%) of the 90 waste pickers and seven (8.4%) of the 83 waste workers were positive for anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies. The difference in prevalence among the groups was statistically significant (P =0.03). Waste pickers aged 31-50 years showed a significantly higher prevalence (40.9%) than waste workers of the same age group (2.9%, P < 0.001). Anti-T. gondii IgM antibodies were found in two (2.2%) of the waste pickers but in none of the waste workers. The seroprevalence of T. gondii was significantly higher in workers of the waste transfer station (25.0%) than in drivers or helpers of waste vehicles (2.5%) (P =0.03). Multivariate analysis showed that T. gondii infection was associated with consuming food found in the garbage [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 4.4; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.6-11.8] and with lack of education (adjusted OR = 3.2; 95% CI 1.1-8.8). From this study, we conclude: (i) waste pickers may represent a risk group for T. gondii infection; (ii) lack of education might be a contributing factor for T. gondii infection; (iii) the higher the exposure to garbage, the higher the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection; (iv) Eating food products from the garbage may represent an important route for T. gondii infection.

Development of consistent hazard controls for DOE transuranic waste operations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Woody, W.J.

2007-07-01

This paper describes the results of a re-engineering initiative undertaken with the Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) in order to standardize hazard analysis assumptions and methods and resulting safety controls applied to multiple transuranic (TRU) waste operations located across the United States. A wide range of safety controls are historically applied to transuranic waste operations, in spite of the fact that these operations have similar operational characteristics and hazard/accident potential. The re-engineering effort supported the development of a DOE technical standard with specific safety controls designated for accidents postulated during waste container retrieval, staging/storage, venting, onsitemore » movements, and characterization activities. Controls cover preventive and mitigative measures; include both hardware and specific administrative controls; and provide protection to the facility worker, onsite co-located workers and the general public located outside of facility boundaries. The Standard development involved participation from all major DOE sites conducting TRU waste operations. Both safety analysts and operations personnel contributed to the re-engineering effort. Acknowledgment is given in particular to the following individuals who formed a core working group: Brenda Hawks, (DOE Oak Ridge Office), Patrice McEahern (CWI-Idaho), Jofu Mishima (Consultant), Louis Restrepo (Omicron), Jay Mullis (DOE-ORO), Mike Hitchler (WSMS), John Menna (WSMS), Jackie East (WSMS), Terry Foppe (CTAC), Carla Mewhinney (WIPP-SNL), Stephie Jennings (WIPP-LANL), Michael Mikolanis (DOESRS), Kraig Wendt (BBWI-Idaho), Lee Roberts (Fluor Hanford), and Jim Blankenhorn (WSRC). Additional acknowledgment is given to Dae Chung (EM) and Ines Triay (EM) for leadership and management of the re-engineering effort. (authors)« less

Results of a hospital waste survey in private hospitals in Fars province, Iran

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Askarian, Mehrdad; Vakili, Mahmood; Kabir, Gholamhosein

2004-07-01

Hospital waste is considered dangerous because it may possess pathogenic agents and can cause undesirable effects on human health and the environment. In Iran, neither rules have been compiled nor does exact information exist regarding hospital waste management. The survey presented in this article was carried out in all 15 private hospitals of Fars province (Iran) from the total numbers of 50 governmental and private hospitals located in this province, in order to determine the amount of different kinds of waste produced and the present situation of waste management. The results indicated that the waste generation rate is 4.45 kg/bed/day,more » which includes 1830 kg (71.44%) of domestic waste, 712 kg (27.8%) of infectious waste, and 19.6 kg (0.76%) of sharps. Segregation of the different types of waste is not carried out perfectly. Two (13.3%) of the hospitals use containers without lids for on-site transport of wastes. Nine (60%) of the hospitals are equipped with an incinerator and six of them (40%) have operational problems with the incinerators. In all hospitals municipal workers transport waste outside the hospital premises daily or at the most on alternative days. In the hospitals under study, there aren't any training courses about hospital waste management and the hazards associated with them. The training courses that are provided are either ineffective or unsuitable. Performing extensive studies all over the country, compiling and enacting rules, establishing standards and providing effective personnel training are the main challenges for the concerned authorities and specialists in this field.« less

Clinical solid waste management practices and its impact on human health and environment - A review

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hossain, Md. Sohrab; Santhanam, Amutha; Nik Norulaini, N.A.

2011-04-15

Research highlights: > Appropriate waste management technology for safe handling and disposal of clinical solid waste. > Infectious risk assessment on unsafe handling of clinical solid waste. > Recycling-reuse program of clinical solid waste materials. > Effective sterilization technology to reduce exposure of infectious risk. - Abstract: The management of clinical solid waste (CSW) continues to be a major challenge, particularly, in most healthcare facilities of the developing world. Poor conduct and inappropriate disposal methods exercised during handling and disposal of CSW is increasing significant health hazards and environmental pollution due to the infectious nature of the waste. This articlemore » summarises a literature review into existing CSW management practices in the healthcare centers. The information gathered in this paper has been derived from the desk study of open literature survey. Numerous researches have been conducted on the management of CSW. Although, significant steps have been taken on matters related to safe handling and disposal of the clinical waste, but improper management practice is evident from the point of initial collection to the final disposal. In most cases, the main reasons of the mismanagement of CSW are the lack of appropriate legislation, lack of specialized clinical staffs, lack of awareness and effective control. Furthermore, most of the healthcare centers of the developing world have faced financial difficulties and therefore looking for cost effective disposal methods of clinical waste. This paper emphasizes to continue the recycle-reuse program of CSW materials after sterilization by using supercritical fluid carbon dioxide (SF-CO2) sterilization technology at the point of initial collection. Emphasis is on the priority to inactivate the infectious micro-organisms in CSW. In that case, waste would not pose any threat to healthcare workers. The recycling-reuse program would be carried out successfully with the non-specialized clinical staffs. Therefore, the adoption of SF-CO2 sterilization technology in management of clinical solid waste can reduce exposure to infectious waste, decrease labor, lower costs, and yield better compliance with regulatory. Thus healthcare facilities can both save money and provide a safe environment for patients, healthcare staffs and clinical staffs.« less

Revolutionary advances in medical waste management. The Sanitec system.

PubMed

Edlich, Richard F; Borel, Lise; Jensen, H Gordon; Winters, Kathryne L; Long, William B; Gubler, K Dean; Buschbacher, Ralph M; Becker, Daniel G; Chang, Dillon E; Korngold, Jonathan; Chitwood, W Randolph; Lin, Kant Y; Nichter, Larry S; Berenson, Susan; Britt, L D; Tafel, John A

2006-01-01

It is the purpose of this collective review to provide a detailed outline of a revolutionary medical waste disposal system that should be used in all medical centers in the world to prevent pollution of our planet from medical waste. The Sanitec medical waste disposal system consists of the following seven components: (1) an all-weather steel enclosure of the waste management system, allowing it to be used inside or outside of the hospital center; (2) an automatic mechanical lift-and-load system that protects the workers from devastating back injuries; (3) a sophisticated shredding system designed for medical waste; (4) a series of air filters including the High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter; (5) microwave disinfection of the medical waste material; (6) a waste compactor or dumpster; and (7) an onboard microprocessor. It must be emphasized that this waste management system can be used either inside or outside the hospital. From start to finish, the Sanitec Microwave Disinfection system is designed to provide process and engineering controls that assure complete disinfection and destruction, while minimizing the operator's exposure to risk. There are numerous technologic benefits to the Sanitec systems, including environmental, operational, physical, and disinfection efficiency as well as waste residue disinfection. Wastes treated through the Sanitec system are thoroughly disinfected, unrecognizable, and reduced in volume by approximately 80% (saving valuable landfill space and reducing hauling requirements and costs). They are acceptable in any municipal solid waste program. Sanitec's Zero Pollution Advantage is augmented by a complete range of services, including installation, startup, testing, training, maintenance, and repair, over the life of this system. The Sanitec waste management system has essentially been designed to provide the best overall solution to the customer, when that customer actually looks at the total cost of dealing with the medical waste issue. The Sanitec system is the right choice for healthcare and medical waste professionals around the world.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Singledecker, Steven John

The purpose of this document is to describe the waste stream from Z-Pinch Residual Waste Project that due to worker safety concerns and operational efficiency is a candidate for blending Transuranic and low level waste together and can be safely packaged as low-level waste consistent with DOE Order 435.1 requirements and NRC guidance 10 CFR 61.42. This waste stream consists of the Pu-ICE post-shot containment systems, including plutonium targets, generated from the Z Machine experiments requested by LANL and conducted by SNL/NM. In the past, this TRU waste was shipped back to LANL after Sandia sends the TRU data packagemore » to LANL to certify the characterization (by CCP), transport and disposition at WIPP (CBFO) per LANL MOU-0066. The Low Level Waste is managed, characterized, shipped and disposed of at NNSS by SNL/NM per Sandia MOU # 11-S-560.« less

Scenario of solid waste reuse in Khulna city of Bangladesh

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bari, Quazi H., E-mail: qhbari@yahoo.com; Mahbub Hassan, K.; Haque, R.

2012-12-15

The reuse and recycling of waste materials are now sincerely considered to be an integral part of solid waste management in many parts of the world. In this context, a vast number of options ranging from small scale decentralized to larger scale centralized plants have been adopted. This study aimed at investigating the waste reuse schemes in Khulna city located in the southern part of Bangladesh and ranked third largest city in the country. The shops for reusable material (SRM) were mostly situated around railway, waterway, and truck station markets which provided easy transportation to further locations. For the reusesmore » of waste materials and products, a chain system was found to collect reusable wastes under a total number of 310 identified SRM with 859 persons directly or indirectly involved in the scheme. This was a decentralized waste management system with self sufficient (autonomous) management. According to mass balance, about 38.52 tons d{sup -1} solid wastes were reused in Khulna city area, accounting for 7.65% of the total generated wastes. This study revealed that apparently a silent, systematic, smooth, and clean reuse chain has been established in Khulna city area under private initiatives, whose sustainability was confirmed over the years in the country without any official or formal funds. However, proper adjustment between the higher and lower chain in the materials flow path, as well as personal hygiene training for the workers, would further improve the achievements of the established reuse scheme.« less

Scenario of solid waste reuse in Khulna city of Bangladesh.

PubMed

Bari, Quazi H; Mahbub Hassan, K; Haque, R

2012-12-01

The reuse and recycling of waste materials are now sincerely considered to be an integral part of solid waste management in many parts of the world. In this context, a vast number of options ranging from small scale decentralized to larger scale centralized plants have been adopted. This study aimed at investigating the waste reuse schemes in Khulna city located in the southern part of Bangladesh and ranked third largest city in the country. The shops for reusable material (SRM) were mostly situated around railway, waterway, and truck station markets which provided easy transportation to further locations. For the reuses of waste materials and products, a chain system was found to collect reusable wastes under a total number of 310 identified SRM with 859 persons directly or indirectly involved in the scheme. This was a decentralized waste management system with self sufficient (autonomous) management. According to mass balance, about 38.52 tons d(-1) solid wastes were reused in Khulna city area, accounting for 7.65% of the total generated wastes. This study revealed that apparently a silent, systematic, smooth, and clean reuse chain has been established in Khulna city area under private initiatives, whose sustainability was confirmed over the years in the country without any official or formal funds. However, proper adjustment between the higher and lower chain in the materials flow path, as well as personal hygiene training for the workers, would further improve the achievements of the established reuse scheme. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

SEM Model Medical Solid Waste Hospital Management In Medan City

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simarmata, Verawaty; Pandia, Setiaty; Mawengkang, Herman

2018-01-01

In daily activities, hospitals, as one of the important health care unit, generate both medical solid waste and non-medical solid waste. The occurrence of medical solid waste could be from the results of treatment activities, such as, in the treatment room for a hospital inpatient, general clinic, a dental clinic, a mother and child clinic, laboratories and pharmacies. Most of the medical solid waste contains infectious and hazardous materials. Therefore it should be managed properly, otherwise it could be a source of new infectious for the community around the hospital as well as for health workers themselves. Efforts surveillance of various environmental factors need to be applied in accordance with the principles of sanitation focuses on environmental cleanliness. One of the efforts that need to be done in improving the quality of the environment is to undertake waste management activities, because with proper waste management is the most important in order to achieve an optimal degree of human health. Health development in Indonesian aims to achieve a future in which the Indonesian people live in a healthy environment, its people behave clean and healthy, able to reach quality health services, fair and equitable, so as to have optimal health status, health development paradigm anchored to the healthy. The healthy condition of the individual and society can be influenced by the environment. Poor environmental quality is a cause of various health problems. Efforts surveillance of various environmental factors need to be applied in accordance with the principles of sanitation focuses on environmental cleanliness. This paper proposes a model for managing the medical solid waste in hospitals in Medan city, in order to create healthy environment around hospitals.

Assessment of workers' exposure to aflatoxin B1 in a Portuguese waste industry.

PubMed

Viegas, Susana; Veiga, Luisa; Figueiredo, Paula; Almeida, Ana; Carolino, Elisabete; Viegas, Carla

2015-03-01

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is considered by different International Agencies as a genotoxic and potent hepatocarcinogen. However, despite the fact that the fungi producing this compound are detected in some work environments, AFB1 is rarely monitored in occupational settings. The aim of the present investigation was to assess exposure to AFB1 of workers from one Portuguese waste company located in the outskirt of Lisbon. Occupational exposure assessment to AFB1 was done with a biomarker of internal dose that measures AFB1 in the serum by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Forty-one workers from the waste company were enrolled in this study (26 from sorting; 9 from composting; 6 from incineration). A control group (n = 30) was also considered in order to know the AFB1 background levels for the Portuguese population. All the workers showed detectable levels of AFB1 with values ranging from 2.5ng ml(-1) to 25.9ng ml(-1) with a median value of 9.9±5.4ng ml(-1). All of the controls showed values below the method's detection limit. Results obtained showed much higher (8-fold higher) values when compared with other Portuguese settings already studied, such as poultry and swine production. Besides this mycotoxin, other mycotoxins are probably present in this occupational setting and this aspect should be taken into consideration for the risk assessment process due to possible synergistic reactions. The data obtained suggests that exposure to AFB1 occurs in a waste management setting and claims attention for the need of appliance of preventive and protective safety measures. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Occupational Hygiene Society.

Global challenges for e-waste management: the societal implications.

PubMed

Magalini, Federico

2016-03-01

Over the last decades the electronics industry and ICT Industry in particular has revolutionized the world: electrical and electronic products have become ubiquitous in today's life around the planet. After use, those products are discarded, sometimes after re-use cycles in countries different from those where they were initially sold; becoming what is commonly called e-waste. Compared to other traditional waste streams, e-waste handling poses unique and complex challenges. e-Waste is usually regarded as a waste problem, which can cause environmental damage and severe human health consequences if not safely managed. e-Waste contains significant amounts of toxic and environmentally sensitive materials and is, thus, extremely hazardous to humans and the environment if not properly disposed of or recycled. On the other hand, e-waste is often seen as a potential source of income for individuals and entrepreneurs who aim to recover the valuable materials (metals in particular) contained in discarded equipment. Recently, for a growing number of people, in developing countries in particular, recycling and separation of e-waste has become their main source of income. In most cases, this is done informally, with no or hardly any health and safety standards, exposing workers and the surrounding neighborhoods to extensive health dangers as well as leading to substantial environmental pollution. Treatment processes of e-waste aim to remove the hazardous components and recover as much reusable material (e.g. metals, glass and plastics) as possible; achieving both objectives is most desired. The paper discuss societal implications of proper e-waste management and key elements to be considered in the policy design at country level.

Perspectives of policy-makers and stakeholders about health care waste management in community-based care in South Africa: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Hangulu, Lydia; Akintola, Olagoke

2017-04-19

In South Africa, a new primary health care (PHC) re-engineering initiative aims to scale up the provision of community-based care (CBC). A central element in this initiative is the use of outreach teams comprising nurses and community health workers to provide care to the largely poor and marginalised communities across the country. The provision of care will inevitably lead to an increase in the amount of health care waste (HCW) generated in homes and suggests the need to pay more attention to the HCW that emanates from homes where there is care of a patient. CBC in South Africa is guided by the home-based care policy. However, this policy does not deal with issues about how HCW should be managed in CBC. This study sought to explore health care waste management (HCWM) in CBC in South Africa from the policy-makers' and stakeholders' perspective. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 9 policy-makers and 21 stakeholders working in 29 communities in Durban, South Africa. Interviews were conducted in English; were guided by an interview guide with open-ended questions. Data was analysed thematically. The Durban Solid waste (DSW) unit of the eThekwini municipality is responsible for overseeing all waste management programmes in communities. Lack of segregation of waste and illegal dumping of waste were the main barriers to proper management practices of HCW at household level while at the municipal level, corrupt tender processes and inadequate funding for waste management programmes were identified as the main barriers. In order to address these issues, all the policy-makers and stakeholders have taken steps to collaborate and develop education awareness programmes. They also liaise with various government offices to provide resources aimed at waste management programmes. HCW is generated in CBC and it is poorly managed and treated as domestic waste. With the rollout of the new primary health care model, there is a greater need to consider HCWM in CBC. There is need for the Department of Health to work together with the municipality to ensure that they devise measures that will help to deal with improper HCWM in the communities.

Robotics crosscutting program: Technology summary

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

The Office of Environmental Management (EM) is responsible for cleaning up the legacy of radioactive and chemically hazardous waste at contaminated sites and facilities throughout the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) nuclear weapons complex, preventing further environmental contamination, and instituting responsible environmental management. Initial efforts to achieve this mission resulted in the establishment of environmental restoration and waste management programs. However, as EM began to execute its responsibilities, decision makers became aware that the complexity and magnitude of this mission could not be achieved efficiently, affordably, safely, or reasonably with existing technology. Once the need for advanced cleanup technologies becamemore » evident, EM established an aggressive, innovative program of applied research and technology development. The Office of Technology Development (OTD) was established in November 1989 to advance new and improved environmental restoration and waste management technologies that would reduce risks to workers, the public, and the environment; reduce cleanup costs; and devise methods to correct cleanup problems that currently have no solutions. In 1996, OTD added two new responsibilities - management of a Congressionally mandated environmental science program and development of risk policy, requirements, and guidance. OTD was renamed the Office of Science and Technology (OST). This documents presents information concerning robotics tank waste retrieval overview, robotic chemical analysis automation, robotics decontamination and dismantlement, and robotics crosscutting and advanced technology.« less

Protecting Contract Workers: Case Study of the US Department of Energy’s Nuclear and Chemical Waste Management

PubMed Central

Gochfeld, Michael; Mohr, Sandra

2007-01-01

Increased reliance on subcontractors in all economic sectors is a serious occupational health and safety challenge. Short-term cost savings are offset by long-term liability. Hiring subcontractors brings specialized knowledge but also young, inexperienced, inadequately trained workers onto industrial and hazardous waste sites, which leads to increased rates of accidents and injuries. Reliable data on subcontractor occupational health and safety programs and performance are sparse. The US Department of Energy has an excellent safety culture on paper, but procurement practices and contract language deliver a mixed message—including some safety disincentives. Its biphasic safety outcome data are consistent with underreporting by some subcontractors and underachievement by others. These observations are relevant to the private and public sectors. Occupational health and safety should be viewed as an asset, not merely a cost. PMID:17666686

Protecting contract workers: case study of the US Department of Energy's nuclear and chemical waste management.

PubMed

Gochfeld, Michael; Mohr, Sandra

2007-09-01

Increased reliance on subcontractors in all economic sectors is a serious occupational health and safety challenge. Short-term cost savings are offset by long-term liability. Hiring subcontractors brings specialized knowledge but also young, inexperienced, inadequately trained workers onto industrial and hazardous waste sites, which leads to increased rates of accidents and injuries. Reliable data on subcontractor occupational health and safety programs and performance are sparse. The US Department of Energy has an excellent safety culture on paper, but procurement practices and contract language deliver a mixed message--including some safety disincentives. Its biphasic safety outcome data are consistent with underreporting by some subcontractors and underachievement by others. These observations are relevant to the private and public sectors. Occupational health and safety should be viewed as an asset, not merely a cost.

Elevated concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans and polybrominated diphenyl ethers in hair from workers at an electronic waste recycling facility in eastern China.

PubMed

Ma, Jing; Cheng, Jinping; Wang, Wenhua; Kunisue, Tatsuya; Wu, Minghong; Kannan, Kurunthachalam

2011-02-28

Hair samples collected from e-waste recycling workers (n=23 males, n=4 females) were analyzed to assess occupational exposures to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) at a large e-waste recycling facility in Taizhou, eastern China. Hair samples from a reference population composed of residents of Shanghai (n=11) were analyzed for comparison. The mean concentration of ∑PBDEs (range, 22.8-1020 ng/g dw; mean, 157 ng/g dw) found in hair samples from e-waste recycling workers was approximately 3 times higher than the mean determined for the reference samples. The congener profiles of PBDEs in hair from e-waste recycling workers were dominated by BDE 209, whereas the profiles in the reference-population samples showed comparable levels of BDE 47 and BDE 209. Total PCDD/F concentrations in hair from e-waste workers (range, 126-5820 pg/g dw; mean, 1670 pg/g dw) were approximately 18-fold greater than the concentrations measured in hair from the reference population. Concentrations of PCDFs were greater than concentrations of PCDDs, in all of the hair samples analyzed (samples from e-waste and non-e-waste sites). Tetrachlorodibenzofurans (TCDFs) were the major homologues in hair samples. Overall, e-waste recycling workers had elevated concentrations of both PBDEs and PCDD/Fs, indicating that they are exposed to high levels of multiple persistent organic pollutants. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Regulatory Supervision of Radiological Protection in the Russian Federation as Applied to Facility Decommissioning and Site Remediation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sneve, M.K.; Shandala, N.K.

2007-07-01

The Russian Federation is carrying out major work to manage the legacy of exploitation of nuclear power and use of radioactive materials. This paper describes work on-going to provide enhanced regulatory supervision of these activities as regards radiological protection. The scope includes worker and public protection in routine operation; emergency preparedness and response; radioactive waste management, including treatment, interim storage and transport as well as final disposal; and long term site restoration. Examples examined include waste from facilities in NW Russia, including remediation of previous shore technical bases (STBs) for submarines, spent fuel and radioactive waste management from ice-breakers, andmore » decommissioning of Radio-Thermal-Generators (RTGs) used in navigational devices. Consideration is given to the identification of regulatory responsibilities among different regulators; development of necessary regulatory instruments; and development of regulatory procedures for safety case reviews and compliance monitoring and international cooperation between different regulators. (authors)« less

Biomedical waste management in India: Critical appraisal.

PubMed

Datta, Priya; Mohi, Gursimran Kaur; Chander, Jagdish

2018-01-01

The safe and sustainable management of biomedical waste (BMW) is social and legal responsibility of all people supporting and financing health-care activities. Effective BMW management (BMWM) is mandatory for healthy humans and cleaner environment. This article reviews the recent 2016 BMWM rules, practical problems for its effective implementation, the major drawback of conventional techniques, and the latest eco-friendly methods for BMW disposal. The new rules are meant to improve the segregation, transportation, and disposal methods, to decrease environmental pollution so as to change the dynamic of BMW disposal and treatment in India. For effective disposal of BMWM, there should be a collective teamwork with committed government support in terms of finance and infrastructure development, dedicated health-care workers and health-care facilities, continuous monitoring of BMW practices, tough legislature, and strong regulatory bodies. The basic principle of BMWM is segregation at source and waste reduction. Besides, a lot of research and development need to be in the field of developing environmental friendly medical devices and BMW disposal systems for a greener and cleaner environment.

Risks to health care workers from nano-enabled medical products.

PubMed

Murashov, Vladimir; Howard, John

2015-01-01

Nanotechnology is rapidly expanding into the health care industry. However, occupational safety and health risks of nano-enabled medical products have not been thoroughly assessed. This manuscript highlights occupational risk mitigation practices for nano-enabled medical products throughout their life cycle for all major workplace settings including (1) medical research laboratories, (2) pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities, (3) clinical dispensing pharmacies, (4) health care delivery facilities, (5) home health care, (6) health care support, and (7) medical waste management. It further identifies critical research needs for ensuring worker protection in the health care industry.

Health risk reduction behaviors model for scavengers exposed to solid waste in municipal dump sites in Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand

PubMed Central

Thirarattanasunthon, Phiman; Siriwong, Wattasit; Robson, Mark; Borjan, Marija

2012-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of comprehensive health risk protection behaviors, knowledge, attitudes, and practices among scavengers in open dump sites. A control group of 44 scavengers and an intervention group of 44 scavengers participated in this study. Interventions included the use of personal protective equipment, health protection training, and other measures. The analysis showed significant differences before and after the intervention program and also between the control and intervention groups. These observations suggest that further action should be taken to reduce adverse exposure during waste collection. To reduce health hazards to workers, dump site scavenging should be incorporated into the formal sector program. Solid waste and the management of municipal solid waste has become a human and environmental health issue and future research should look at constructing a sustainable model to help protect the health of scavengers and drive authorities to adopt safer management techniques. PMID:22969307

Occupational Exposure to Infection: A study on Healthcare Waste Handlers of a Tertiary Care Hospital in South India.

PubMed

Shivalli, Siddharudha; Sowmyashree, H

2015-11-01

Occupational exposure to infection is an important public health concern. Such accidents are associated with a few, but pose significant risk to worker's health, family and the community. 1) To assess the knowledge and attitude of waste handlers regarding healthcare waste management in tertiary care hospital of Mangalore. 2) To assess the occupational risk of exposure to infection in their work setting. A cross-sectional study was conducted among healthcare waste handlers (involved in collection, storage and safe disposal) in a tertiary care hospital of Mangalore, India. A semi-structured and pre-tested proforma was used to assess respondents' knowledge and percentage score was calculated based on a scoring system. Chi square and independent sample t tests were applied to judge the association of study variables with knowledge and occupational risk of infection. A total of 43 healthcare waste handlers participated in the study and all were females. Almost half of them had poor knowledge (< 50% score) about healthcare waste management. As much as 41.8% of them had exposure to healthcare waste and 'needle stick injury' was the most common type. Age, literacy and experience did not significantly (p>0.05) influence the knowledge and occupational risk of infection. Respondents' knowledge regarding healthcare waste management was unsatisfactory. They were at high risk of occupational exposure to infection. It emphasizes the need of refresher training and reinforcement of personal protection measures in their work setting. © Journal of the Association of Physicians of India 2011.

Tanks Focus Area annual report FY2000

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

2000-12-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) continues to face a major radioactive waste tank remediation effort with tanks containing hazardous and radioactive waste resulting from the production of nuclear materials. With some 90 million gallons of waste in the form of solid, sludge, liquid, and gas stored in 287 tanks across the DOE complex, containing approximately 650 million curies, radioactive waste storage tank remediation is the nation's highest cleanup priority. Differing waste types and unique technical issues require specialized science and technology to achieve tank cleanup in an environmentally acceptable manner. Some of the waste has been stored for overmore » 50 years in tanks that have exceeded their design lives. The challenge is to characterize and maintain these contents in a safe condition and continue to remediate and close each tank to minimize the risks of waste migration and exposure to workers, the public, and the environment. In 1994, the DOE's Office of Environmental Management (EM) created a group of integrated, multiorganizational teams focusing on specific areas of the EM cleanup mission. These teams have evolved into five focus areas managed within EM's Office of Science and Technology (OST): Tanks Focus Area (TFA); Deactivation and Decommissioning Focus Area; Nuclear Materials Focus Area; Subsurface Contaminants Focus Area; and Transuranic and Mixed Waste Focus Area.« less

Risk Factors Associated with Parasitic Infection Among Municipality Solid-Waste Workers in an Egyptian Community.

PubMed

Eassa, Safaa M; El-Wahab, Ekram W Abd; Lotfi, Sameh E; El Masry, Sanaa A; Shatat, Hanan Z; Kotkat, Amira M

2016-04-01

Solid-waste management is associated with several health hazards, particularly parasitic infection. The objective of the study was to determine the association between risk factors and the occurrence of intestinal parasitic infections (potentially pathogenic) among municipal waste collectors in Alexandria, Egypt. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the main municipality company in Alexandria. A total of 346 municipality solid-waste workers (MSWWs) was interviewed using an in-depth questionnaire. The type of parasitic infections among waste handlers was determined using formol-ether concentration and modified Ziehl-Neelsen technique. About half of the workers were infected with parasites. The profile of parasitic infection revealed 12 parasitic species. These were comprised of the following helminths: Schistosoma mansoni (13.3%), Enterobius vermicularis (1.7%), Ascaris lumbricoides (1.4%), and Hymenolepis nana ova (0.6%). Among protozoa were pathogenic Entamoeba histolytica (3.2%), Giardia intestinalis (2.9%), nonpathogenic protozoa such as Entamoeba coli (1.7%), and potentially pathogenic or opportunistic ones as Cryptosporidium (23.4%), Microsporidia (20.25%), Cyclospora (2.0%), Blastocystis hominis (1.7%), and Cystoisospora belli (1.2%). About 1.4% of MSWWs have pediculosis and phthiriasis in their scalp and eyelashes respectively. Risk factors for infection were associated with direct exposure to solid fecal waste (odds ratio [OR] = 1.8, confidence interval [CI] = 1.1-3.0) and occupational activities that allowed for direct exposure to solid fecal waste (OR = 2.3, CI = 1.4-4.0). Logistic regression model has revealed that educational level and residence were the factors that contribute to parasitic infection among MSWWs (P < 0.05). MSWWs are at high risk of acquiring parasitic infections. Data of the present study highlighted the need for greater biomonitoring of MSWWs and the improvement of environmental conditions and health care in such marginalized communities to prevent parasitic infection and associated morbidities.

Health Risks to Ecological Workers on Contaminated Sites - the Department of Energy as a Case Study

PubMed Central

Burger, Joanna; Gochfeld, Michael

2016-01-01

Background At most contaminated sites the risk to workers focuses on those ‘hazardous waste workers’ directly exposed to chemicals or radionuclides, and to the elaborate approaches implemented to protecting their health and safety. Ecological workers generally are not considered. Objectives To explore the risks to the health and safety of ecological workers on sites with potential chemical and radiological exposures before, during or after remediation of contamination. To use the U.S. Department of Energy as a case study, and to develop concepts that apply generally to sites contaminated with hazardous or nuclear wastes, Methods Develop categories of ecological workers, describe their usual jobs, and provide information on the kinds of risks they face. Ecological activities include continued surveillance and monitoring work on any sites with residual contamination, subject to institutional controls and engineered barriers following closure as well as the restoration. Results The categories of ecological workers and their tasks include 1) Ecological characterization, mapping and monitoring, 2) biodiversity studies, 2) Contaminant fate and transport, 3) On-going industrial activities 4) Remediation activities (environmental management), 5) Environmental restoration, 6) Post-cleanup surveillance and monitoring, and 7) Post-closure future site activities. There are a set of functional activities that can occur with different frequencies and intensities, including visual inspection, collecting biological samples, collecting media physical samples, collecting biological debris, restoration planting, and maintaining ecosystems. Conclusions Ecological workers face different exposures and risks than other environmental cleanup workers. Many of their tasks mimic shift work with long hours leading to fatigue, and they are exposed to biological as well as chemical/radiological hazards. DOE and other entities need to examine the risks to ecological workers on site with an eye to risk reduction. PMID:27668128

A pilot survey of the U.S. medical waste industry to determine training needs for safely handling highly infectious waste.

PubMed

Le, Aurora B; Hoboy, Selin; Germain, Anne; Miller, Hal; Thompson, Richard; Herstein, Jocelyn J; Jelden, Katelyn C; Beam, Elizabeth L; Gibbs, Shawn G; Lowe, John J

2018-02-01

The recent Ebola outbreak led to the development of Ebola virus disease (EVD) best practices in clinical settings. However, after the care of EVD patients, proper medical waste management and disposal was identified as a crucial component to containing the virus. Category A waste-contaminated with EVD and other highly infectious pathogens-is strictly regulated by governmental agencies, and led to only several facilities willing to accept the waste. A pilot survey was administered to determine if U.S. medical waste facilities are prepared to handle or transport category A waste, and to determine waste workers' current extent of training to handle highly infectious waste. Sixty-eight percent of survey respondents indicated they had not determined if their facility would accept category A waste. Of those that had acquired a special permit, 67% had yet to modify their permit since the EVD outbreak. This pilot survey underscores gaps in the medical waste industry to handle and respond to category A waste. Furthermore, this study affirms reports a limited number of processing facilities are capable or willing to accept category A waste. Developing the proper management of infectious disease materials is essential to close the gaps identified so that states and governmental entities can act accordingly based on the regulations and guidance developed, and to ensure public safety. Copyright © 2018 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Outcome of 7-S, TQM technique for healthcare waste management.

PubMed

Ullah, Junaid Habib; Ahmed, Rashid; Malik, Javed Iqbal; Khan, M Amanullah

2011-12-01

To assess the present waste management system of healthcare facilities (HCFs) attached with Shalamar Hospital, Lahore by applying the 7-S technique of Total Quality Management (TQM) and to find out the outcome after imparting training. Interventional quasi-experimental study. The Shalamar Hospital, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, November, 2009 to November, 2010. Mckinsey's 7-S, technique of TQM was applied to assess the 220 HCFs from Lahore, Gujranwala and Sheikhupura districts for segregation, collection, transportation and disposal (SCTD) of hospital waste. Direct interview method was applied. Trainings were provided in each institution. After one year action period, the status of four areas of concern was compared before and after training. The parameters studied were segregation, collection, transportation and disposal systems in the 220 HCFs. Each of these were further elaborated by strategy, structure, system, staff, skill, style and stakeholder/shared value factors. Standard error of difference of proportion was applied to assess significance using 95% confidence level. There was marked improvement in all these areas ranging from 20% to 77% following a training program of 3 months. In case of disposal of the waste strategy, structure and system an increase of 60%, 65% and 75% was observed after training. The 7-S technique played a vital role in assessing the hospital waste management system. Training for the healthcare workers played a significant role in healthcare facilities.

Health risk assessment of migrant workers' exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls in air and dust in an e-waste recycling area in China: Indication for a new wealth gap in environmental rights.

PubMed

Wang, Yalin; Hu, Jinxing; Lin, Wei; Wang, Ning; Li, Cheng; Luo, Peng; Hashmi, Muhammad Zaffar; Wang, Wenbo; Su, Xiaomei; Chen, Chen; Liu, Yindong; Huang, Ronglang; Shen, Chaofeng

2016-02-01

Migrant workers who work and live in polluted environment are a special vulnerable group in the accelerating pace of urbanization and industrialization in China. In the electronic waste (e-waste) recycling area, for example, migrant workers' exposure to pollutants, such as PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), is the result of an informal e-waste recycling process. A village in an electronic waste recycling area where migrant workers gather was surveyed. The migrant workers' daily routines were simulated according to the three-space transition: work place-on the road-home. Indoor air and dust in the migrant workers' houses and workplaces and the ambient air on the roads were sampled. The PCB levels of the air and dust in the places corresponding to the migrant workers are higher than those for local residents. The migrant workers have health risks from PCBs that are 3.8 times greater than those of local residents. This is not only caused by the exposure at work but also by their activity patterns and the environmental conditions of their dwellings. These results revealed the reason for the health risk difference between the migrant workers and local residents, and it also indicated that lifestyle and economic status are important factors that are often ignored compared to occupational exposure. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Radon exposure at a radioactive waste storage facility.

PubMed

Manocchi, F H; Campos, M P; Dellamano, J C; Silva, G M

2014-06-01

The Waste Management Department of Nuclear and Energy Research Institute (IPEN) is responsible for the safety management of the waste generated at all internal research centers and that of other waste producers such as industry, medical facilities, and universities in Brazil. These waste materials, after treatment, are placed in an interim storage facility. Among them are (226)Ra needles used in radiotherapy, siliceous cake arising from conversion processes, and several other classes of waste from the nuclear fuel cycle, which contain Ra-226 producing (222)Rn gas daughter.In order to estimate the effective dose for workers due to radon inhalation, the radon concentration at the storage facility has been assessed within this study. Radon measurements have been carried out through the passive method with solid-state nuclear track detectors (CR-39) over a period of nine months, changing detectors every month in order to determine the long-term average levels of indoor radon concentrations. The radon concentration results, covering the period from June 2012 to March 2013, varied from 0.55 ± 0.05 to 5.19 ± 0.45 kBq m(-3). The effective dose due to (222)Rn inhalation was further assessed following ICRP Publication 65.

Mercury Exposure among Garbage Workers in Southern Thailand

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Objectives 1) To determine mercury levels in urine samples from garbage workers in Southern Thailand, and 2) to describe the association between work characteristics, work positions, behavioral factors, and acute symptoms; and levels of mercury in urine samples. Methods A case-control study was conducted by interviewing 60 workers in 5 hazardous-waste-management factories, and 60 matched non-exposed persons living in the same area of Southern Thailand. Urine samples were collected to determine mercury levels by cold-vapor atomic absorption spectrometer mercury analyzer. Results The hazardous-waste workers' urinary mercury levels (10.07 µg/g creatinine) were significantly higher than the control group (1.33 µg/g creatinine) (p < 0.001). Work position, duration of work, personal protective equipment (PPE), and personal hygiene, were significantly associated with urinary mercury level (p < 0.001). The workers developed acute symptoms - of headaches, nausea, chest tightness, fatigue, and loss of consciousness at least once a week - and those who developed symptoms had significantly higher urinary mercury levels than those who did not, at p < 0.05. A multiple regression model was constructed. Significant predictors of urinary mercury levels included hours worked per day, days worked per week, duration of work (years), work position, use of PPE (mask, trousers, and gloves), and personal hygiene behavior (ate snacks or drank water at work, washed hands before lunch, and washed hands after work). Conclusion Changing garbage workers' hygiene habits can reduce urinary mercury levels. Personal hygiene is important, and should be stressed in education programs. Employers should institute engineering controls to reduce urinary mercury levels among garbage workers. PMID:23251842

Hospital workers' perceptions of waste: a qualitative study involving photo-elicitation

PubMed Central

Goff, Sarah L.; Kleppel, Reva; Lindenauer, Peter K.; Rothberg, Michael B.

2015-01-01

Objectives To elicit sources of waste as viewed by hospital workers Design Qualitative study using photo-elicitation, an ethnographic technique for prompting in-depth discussion Setting U.S. academic tertiary care hospital Participants Physicians, nurses, pharmacists, administrative support personnel, administrators and respiratory therapists Methods A purposive sample of personnel at an academic tertiary care hospital was invited to take up to 10 photos of waste. Participants discussed their selections using photos as prompts during in-depth interviews. Transcripts were analyzed in an iterative process using grounded theory; open and axial coding was performed, followed by selective and thematic coding to develop major themes and sub-themes. Results Twenty-one participants (9 women, average number of years in field=19.3) took 159 photos. Major themes included types of waste and recommendations to reduce waste. Types of waste comprised four major categories: Time, Materials, Energy and Talent. Participants emphasized time wastage (50% of photos) over other types of waste such as excess utilization (2.5%). Energy and Talent were novel categories of waste. Recommendations to reduce waste included interventions at the micro-level (e.g. individual/ward), meso-level (e.g. institution) and macro-level (e.g., payor/public policy). Conclusions The waste hospital workers identified differed from previously described waste both in the types of waste described and the emphasis placed on wasted time. The findings of this study represent a possible need for education of hospital workers about known types of waste, an opportunity to assess the impact of novel types of waste described and an opportunity to intervene to reduce the waste identified. PMID:23748192

Hospital workers' perceptions of waste: a qualitative study involving photo-elicitation.

PubMed

Goff, Sarah L; Kleppel, Reva; Lindenauer, Peter K; Rothberg, Michael B

2013-10-01

To elicit sources of waste as viewed by hospital workers. Qualitative study using photo-elicitation, an ethnographic technique for prompting in-depth discussion. U.S. academic tertiary care hospital. Physicians, nurses, pharmacists, administrative support personnel, administrators and respiratory therapists. A purposive sample of personnel at an academic tertiary care hospital was invited to take up to 10 photos of waste. Participants discussed their selections using photos as prompts during in-depth interviews. Transcripts were analysed in an iterative process using grounded theory; open and axial coding was performed, followed by selective and thematic coding to develop major themes and subthemes. Twenty-one participants (nine women, average number of years in field=19.3) took 159 photos. Major themes included types of waste and recommendations to reduce waste. Types of waste comprised four major categories: Time, Materials, Energy and Talent. Participants emphasised time wastage (50% of photos) over other types of waste such as excess utilisation (2.5%). Energy and Talent were novel categories of waste. Recommendations to reduce waste included interventions at the micro-level (eg, individual/ward), meso-level (eg, institution) and macro-level (eg, payor/public policy). The waste hospital workers identified differed from previously described waste both in the types of waste described and the emphasis placed on wasted time. The findings of this study represent a possible need for education of hospital workers about known types of waste, an opportunity to assess the impact of novel types of waste described and an opportunity to intervene to reduce the waste identified.

Domestic solid waste management and its impacts on human health and the environment in Sharg El Neel Locality, Khartoum State, Sudan.

PubMed

Abdellah, A M; Balla, Q I

2013-11-15

Due to rapid urbanization in Khartoum State, Domestic Solid Waste (DSW) management remains the biggest obsession that recurrently attracts the attention of the concern authorities and stakeholders. As one of the seven localities comprised the state, the Sharg El Neel Locality was chosen to study the DSW management efficiency. The materials and methods employed in collection of data is a package of techniques, one of which was by conducting interviews using structured and unstructured questions mainly directed to appropriate persons i.e., householders and particular government employees directly engaged in DSW management operations. The main findings reached in this study were that local authorities lack the necessary capacities to handle the immense problems of DSW management. Shortages of funds, inadequate number of workers, lack of transport and facilities and weakness of attitudes of respondents found to be among factors hindering the DSW management. Accordingly, proper scheduled and timing, well-trained public health officers and sanitary overseers and strict sustainable program to controlling flies, rodents, cockroach and other disease vectors are essential to properly managing DSW. Otherwise, problems resulting from solid waste generation in the study area will be magnitudized and the surrounding environment will definitely be deteriorated.

Managers' perceptions of the value and impact of HAZWOPER worker health and safety training.

PubMed

Riley, Kevin; Slatin, Craig; Rice, Carol; Rosen, Mitchel; Weidner, B Louise; Fleishman, Jane; Alerding, Linda; Delp, Linda

2015-07-01

Worker training is a core component of the OSHA Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) standard, but few studies have considered what motivates managers to provide HAZWOPER training to employees or what they value in that training. In 2012, four university-based programs conducted an exploratory survey of managers who sent employees to HAZWOPER courses. Results from 109 respondents were analyzed. Forty-two percent of respondents cited regulations as the most important reason to provide HAZWOPER training; many indicated they would provide less training if there were no standard in place. Three-quarters (74%) reported training had improved workplace conditions. Fewer than half said they were likely to involve trained employees in aspects of the organization's H&S program. Compliance with regulatory requirements is an important factor shaping managers' training delivery decisions. Managers recognize positive impacts of training. These impacts could be enhanced by further leveraging employee H&S knowledge and skills. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Different profiles of anthropogenic and naturally produced organohalogen compounds in serum from residents living near a coastal area and e-waste recycling workers in India.

PubMed

Eguchi, Akifumi; Nomiyama, Kei; Devanathan, Gnanasekaran; Subramanian, Annamalai; Bulbule, Kesav A; Parthasarathy, Peethambaram; Takahashi, Shin; Tanabe, Shinsuke

2012-10-15

We determined the contamination status and accumulation profiles of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), hydroxylated PCB congeners (OH-PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), hydroxylated PBDEs (OH-PBDEs), methoxylated PBDEs (MeO-PBDEs), and bromophenols (BPhs) in serum from e-waste recycling workers and residents near a coastal area in India. Residue levels of penta- to octa-chlorinated PCBs, penta- to octa-chlorinated OH-PCBs, 6MeO-BDE47, 6OH-BDE47, and 2,4,6-tri-BPh in serum from residents living near the coastal area were significantly higher than those in serum from e-waste recycling workers. Residue levels of tri- to tetra-chlorinated PCBs, tri- to tetra-chlorinated OH-PCBs, PBDEs, octa-brominated OH-PBDEs, and tetra-BPhs in serum from e-waste recycling workers were higher than those in serum from residents living near the coastal area. Principal component analysis revealed that residents living near the coastal area and e-waste recycling workers had different serum profiles of chlorinated and brominated compounds. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Environmental management in North American mining sector.

PubMed

Asif, Zunaira; Chen, Zhi

2016-01-01

This paper reviews the environmental issues and management practices in the mining sector in the North America. The sustainable measures on waste management are recognized as one of the most serious environmental concerns in the mining industry. For mining activities, it will be no surprise that the metal recovery reagents and acid effluents are a threat to the ecosystem as well as hazards to human health. In addition, poor air quality and ventilation in underground mines can lead to occupational illness and death of workers. Electricity usage and fuel consumption are major factors that contribute to greenhouse gases. On the other hand, many sustainability challenges are faced in the management of tailings and disposal of waste rock. This paper aims to highlight the problems that arise due to poor air quality and acid mine drainage. The paper also addresses some of the advantages and limitations of tailing and waste rock management that still have to be studied in context of the mining sector. This paper suggests that implementation of suitable environmental management tools like life cycle assessment (LCA), cleaner production technologies (CPTs), and multicriteria decision analysis (MCD) are important as it ultimately lead to improve environmental performance and enabling a mine to focus on the next stage of sustainability.

Injuries among solid waste collectors in the private versus public sectors.

PubMed

Bunn, Terry L; Slavova, Svetla; Tang, Minao

2011-10-01

Solid waste collection is among the occupations with the highest risk for injuries and illnesses. Solid waste collector injuries were characterized in terms of injury risk and employment industry sector (public versus private) using Kentucky workers' compensation first reports of injury and claims data. When compared to 35-44-year-old workers, solid waste collectors who were under 35 years of age were less likely to have a workers' compensation first report of injury or claim that resulted in awarded benefits. The probability that a workers' compensation first report of injury or claim would result in an awarded benefit was higher if the worker was employed as a solid waste collector in the private sector compared to the public sector, or was injured due to a motor vehicle-related injury or a push-or-pull type of injury. A better understanding of the differences in the contributing factors for an injury that results in a first report of injury or claim with awarded benefits (e.g., job activities, new and refresher worker safety training, type of equipment used, differences in collection vehicle automation, and differential reporting of injuries on the job) between the public and private sectors is necessary to target injury prevention strategies in this high-risk occupation.

The Effects of Data Collection Method and Monitoring of Workers’ Behavior on the Generation of Demolition Waste

PubMed Central

Cha, Gi-Wook; Kim, Young-Chan; Moon, Hyeun Jun; Hong, Won-Hwa

2017-01-01

The roles of both the data collection method (including proper classification) and the behavior of workers on the generation of demolition waste (DW) are important. By analyzing the effect of the data collection method used to estimate DW, and by investigating how workers’ behavior can affect the total amount of DW generated during an actual demolition process, it was possible to identify strategies that could improve the prediction of DW. Therefore, this study surveyed demolition waste generation rates (DWGRs) for different types of building by conducting on-site surveys immediately before demolition in order to collect adequate and reliable data. In addition, the effects of DW management strategies and of monitoring the behavior of workers on the actual generation of DW were analyzed. The results showed that when monitoring was implemented, the estimates of DW obtained from the DWGRs that were surveyed immediately before demolition and the actual quantities of DW reported by the demolition contractors had an error rate of 0.63% when the results were compared. Therefore, this study has shown that the proper data collection method (i.e., data were collected immediately before demolition) applied in this paper and monitoring on the demolition site have a significant impact on waste generation. PMID:29023378

Biomedical waste management in India: Critical appraisal

PubMed Central

Datta, Priya; Mohi, Gursimran Kaur; Chander, Jagdish

2018-01-01

The safe and sustainable management of biomedical waste (BMW) is social and legal responsibility of all people supporting and financing health-care activities. Effective BMW management (BMWM) is mandatory for healthy humans and cleaner environment. This article reviews the recent 2016 BMWM rules, practical problems for its effective implementation, the major drawback of conventional techniques, and the latest eco-friendly methods for BMW disposal. The new rules are meant to improve the segregation, transportation, and disposal methods, to decrease environmental pollution so as to change the dynamic of BMW disposal and treatment in India. For effective disposal of BMWM, there should be a collective teamwork with committed government support in terms of finance and infrastructure development, dedicated health-care workers and health-care facilities, continuous monitoring of BMW practices, tough legislature, and strong regulatory bodies. The basic principle of BMWM is segregation at source and waste reduction. Besides, a lot of research and development need to be in the field of developing environmental friendly medical devices and BMW disposal systems for a greener and cleaner environment. PMID:29403196

Q Fever Outbreak among Workers at a Waste-Sorting Plant

PubMed Central

Alonso, Eva; Lopez-Etxaniz, Idoia; Hurtado, Ana; Liendo, Paloma; Urbaneja, Felix; Aspiritxaga, Inmaculada; Olaizola, Jose Ignacio; Piñero, Alvaro; Arrazola, Iñaki; Barandika, Jesús F.; Hernáez, Silvia; Muniozguren, Nerea; García- Pérez, Ana L.

2015-01-01

An outbreak of Q fever occurred in February–April 2014 among workers at a waste-sorting plant in Bilbao (Spain). The outbreak affected 58.5% of investigated employees, 47.2% as confirmed cases (PCR and/or serology) and 11.3% as probable cases (symptoms without laboratory confirmation). Only employees who had no-access to the waste processing areas of the plant were not affected and incidence of infection was significantly higher among workers not using respiratory protection masks. Detection by qPCR of Coxiella burnetii in dust collected from surfaces of the plant facilities confirmed exposure of workers inside the plant. Animal remains sporadically detected among the residues received for waste-sorting were the most probable source of infection. After cleaning and disinfection, all environmental samples tested negative. Personal protection measures were reinforced and made compulsory for the staff and actions were taken to raise farmers’ awareness of the biological risk of discharging animal carcasses as urban waste. PMID:26398249

Formulating a VET roadmap for the waste and recycling sector: A case study from Queensland, Australia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Davis, G., E-mail: gudavis@cytanet.com.cy

2012-10-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Existing qualifications do not meet the needs of the sector in Queensland. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Businesses may not be best positioned to identify training needs. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Companies are developing training internally to meet their own specific needs. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Smaller companies lack the resources to develop internal training are disadvantaged. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer There is industry support for an entry-level, minimum industry qualification. - Abstract: Vocational Education and Training (VET) is an essential tool for providing waste management and recycling workers with the necessary skills and knowledge needed to beneficially influence their own employment and career development; and to also ensure productivity andmore » safe working conditions within the organisations in which they are employed. Current training opportunities within Queensland for the sector are limited and not widely communicated or marketed; with other States, particularly Victoria and New South Wales, realising higher numbers of VET enrollments for waste management courses. This paper presents current VET opportunities and trends for the Queensland waste management sector. Results from a facilitated workshop to identify workforce requirements and future training needs organised by the Waste Contractors and Recyclers Association of Queensland (WCRAQ) are also presented and discussion follows on the future training needs of the industry within Queensland.« less

E-waste interventions in Ghana.

PubMed

Asante, Kwadwo Ansong; Pwamang, John A; Amoyaw-Osei, Yaw; Ampofo, Joseph Addo

2016-03-01

Electrical and electronic waste (e-waste) has become an emerging environmental and human health problem in the world in the 21st century. Recently, the developing nations of West Africa (e.g. Ghana and Nigeria) have become a major destination for e-waste worldwide. In Ghana, the e-waste recyclers use primitive methods (mechanical shredding and open burning) to remove plastic insulation from copper cables. This technique can release highly toxic chemicals and severely affect the environment and human health if improperly managed. It is as a result of the adverse impact on human health that some interventions are being made in Ghana to reduce exposure. The present mode of recycling/dismantling, which happens at Agbogbloshie must be replaced by official receiving/recycling centers to be established. Currently, equipment to strip both large and small cables are available in the country via the Blacksmith Institute (USA) and it is expected that the e-waste workers will embrace the use of these machines. This technology will go a long way to help prevent the burning of e-waste and will be replicated in other smaller e-waste centers in the country.

Sorting and recycling of domestic waste. Review of occupational health problems and their possible causes.

PubMed

Poulsen, O M; Breum, N O; Ebbehøj, N; Hansen, A M; Ivens, U I; van Lelieveld, D; Malmros, P; Matthiasen, L; Nielsen, B H; Nielsen, E M

1995-05-19

In order to reduce the strain on the environment from the deposition of waste in landfills and combustion at incineration plants, several governments throughout the industrialized world have planned greatly increased recycling of domestic waste by the turn of the millennium. To implement the plans, new waste recycling facilities are to be built and the number of workers involved in waste sorting and recycling will increase steadily during the next decade. Several studies have reinforced the hypothesis that exposure to airborne microorganisms and the toxic products thereof are important factors causing a multitude of health problems among workers at waste sorting and recycling plants. Workers at transfer stations, landfills and incineration plants may experience an increased risk of pulmonary disorders and gastrointestinal problems. High concentrations of total airborne dust, bacteria, faecal coliform bacteria and fungal spores have been reported. The concentrations are considered to be sufficiently high to cause adverse health effects. In addition, a high incidence of lower back injuries, probably due to heavy lifting during work, has been reported among workers at landfills and incineration plants. Workers involved in manual sorting of unseparated domestic waste, as well as workers at compost plants experience more or less frequent symptoms of organic dust toxic syndrome (ODTS) (cough, chest-tightness, dyspnoea, influenza-like symptoms such as chills, fever, muscle ache, joint pain, fatigue and headache), gastrointestinal problems such as nausea and diarrhoea, irritation of the skin, eye and mucous membranes of the nose and upper airways, etc. In addition cases of severe occupational pulmonary diseases (asthma, alveolitis, bronchitis) have been reported. Manual sorting of unseparated domestic waste may be associated with exposures to large quantities of airborne bacteria and endotoxin. Several work functions in compost plants can result in very high exposure to airborne fungal spores and thermophilic actinomycetes. At plants sorting separated domestic waste, e.g. the combustible fraction of waste composed of paper, cardboard and plastics, the workers may have an increased risk of gastrointestinal symptoms and irritation of the eyes and skin. At such plants the bioaerosol exposure levels are in general low, but at some work tasks, e.g. manual sorting and work near the balers, exposure levels may occasionally be high enough to be potentially harmful. Workers handling the source-sorted paper or cardboard fraction do not appear to have an elevated risk of occupational health problems related to bioaerosol exposure, and the bioaerosol exposure is generally low.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Dose rate prediction methodology for remote handled transuranic waste workers at the waste isolation pilot plant.

PubMed

Hayes, Robert

2002-10-01

An approach is described for estimating future dose rates to Waste Isolation Pilot Plant workers processing remote handled transuranic waste. The waste streams will come from the entire U.S. Department of Energy complex and can take on virtually any form found from the processing sequences for defense-related production, radiochemistry, activation and related work. For this reason, the average waste matrix from all generator sites is used to estimate the average radiation fields over the facility lifetime. Innovative new techniques were applied to estimate expected radiation fields. Non-linear curve fitting techniques were used to predict exposure rate profiles from cylindrical sources using closed form equations for lines and disks. This information becomes the basis for Safety Analysis Report dose rate estimates and for present and future ALARA design reviews when attempts are made to reduce worker doses.

Urinary metabolites of phosphate flame retardants in workers occupied with e-waste recycling and incineration.

PubMed

Yan, Xiao; Zheng, Xiaobo; Wang, Meihuan; Zheng, Jing; Xu, Rongfa; Zhuang, Xi; Lin, Ying; Ren, Mingzhong

2018-06-01

Urinary metabolites of phosphate flame retardants (PFRs) were determined in workers from an electronic waste (e-waste) recycling site and an incineration plant, in order to assess the PFR exposure risks of workers occupied with e-waste recycling and incineration. Bis(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (BCEP), bis(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (BDCIPP), and diphenyl phosphate (DPHP) were the most frequently detected chemicals (82-93%). The median concentrations of BCEP, BDCIPP, and DPHP were 1.77, 0.23, and 0.70 ng/mL, and 1.44, 0.22, and 0.11 ng/mL in samples from the e-waste site and the incineration plant, respectively. Dibutyl phosphate (DBP) was detected in all samples from the incineration plant, with a median level of 0.30 ng/mL. The concentrations of BDCIPP (r = -0.31, p < 0.05) were significantly correlated with the occupational exposure time rather than age in workers from the e-waste site. Negative and significant correlations were also observed between the concentrations of BCEP (r = -0.42, p < 0.05), BDCIPP (r = -0.37, p < 0.05), and DPHP (r = -0.37, p < 0.05) and occupational exposure time rather than age in workers from the incineration plant. No gender differences were observed in levels of PFR metabolites in urine samples (p > 0.05). Concentrations of BDCIPP in female were significantly correlated with occupational exposure time (r = -0.507, p < 0.01). Concentrations of PFR metabolites in male were not significantly correlated with age or occupational exposure time (p > 0.05). Overall, the workers with occupational exposure to PFRs had different profiles of urinary PFR metabolites. The age, occupational exposure time, and gender seemed not to be main factors mediating the exposure to PFRs for workers occupied with e-waste recycling and incineration. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Knowledge and Risk Perceptions of Occupational Infections Among Health-care Workers in Malaysia.

PubMed

Subramanian, Ganesh Chidambar; Arip, Masita; Saraswathy Subramaniam, T S

2017-09-01

Health-care workers are at risk of exposure to occupational infections with subsequent risk of contracting diseases, disability, and even death. A systematic collection of occupational disease data is useful for monitoring current trends in work situations and disease exposures; however, these data are usually limited due to under-reporting. The objective of this study was to review literature related to knowledge, risk perceptions, and practices regarding occupational exposures to infectious diseases in Malaysian health-care settings, in particular regarding blood-borne infections, universal precautions, use of personal protective equipment, and clinical waste management. The data are useful for determining improvements in knowledge and risk perceptions among health-care workers with developments of health policies and essential interventions for prevention and control of occupational diseases.

Effect of exposure to solid wastes in relation to employment duration on some important markers of health and disease in waste management workers of Ogun State in southwest Nigeria.

PubMed

Odewabi, Adesina O; Ogundahunsi, Omobola A; Ekor, Martins

2013-12-01

Waste management workers (WMWs) around the world are at risk of work-related health disorders. The influence of employment duration on individuals occupationally exposed to solid waste was investigated in this study. The study comprised (n = 280) 180 WMWs and 100 controls. Employment duration was obtained from questionnaire survey and categorized into three groups: group I (0.5-2 years), group II (>2-4 years) and group III (>4-6 years). Blood sample (10 ml) was collected from the antecubital vein of subjects for analysis. WMWs exhibited significantly (p < 0.001) elevated inflammatory markers (erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP) and ceruloplasmin (Cp)) relative to control. While Cp increased, ESR and CRP decreased with increasing WMWs' employment duration. Alteration in oxidant/antioxidant markers was characterized by significant (p < 0.001) decrease in ferric-reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) and catalase activity together with marked (p < 0.01) elevation of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and uric acid (UA). TBARS, UA and FRAP increased while catalase decreased with WMWs' employment duration. In addition, WMWs exhibited significantly (p < 0.01) elevated immunoglobulin A (IgA) and IgG, which also increased and decreased, respectively, with job duration. The significantly (p < 0.01) decreased haemoglobin and haematocrit levels as well as the significantly (p < 0.001) elevated total leukocytes in WMWs increased with employment duration. Alanine aminotransferase increased and albumin decreased significantly (p < 0.05) in WMWs, and these changes also increased and decreased, respectively, with job duration. Data suggest that levels of alteration of important systemic markers of health/disease are related to WMWs' employment or exposure duration.

A study of tritium in municipal solid waste leachate and gas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mutch Jr, R. D.; Manhattan College, Riverdale, NY; Columbia Univ., New York, NY

2008-07-15

It has become increasingly clear in the last few years that the vast majority of municipal solid waste landfills produce leachate that contains elevated levels of tritium. The authors recently conducted a study of landfills in New York and New Jersey and found that the mean concentration of tritium in the leachate from ten municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills was 33,800 pCi/L with a peak value of 192,000 pCi/L. A 2003 study in California reported a mean tritium concentration of 99,000 pCi/L with a peak value of 304,000 pCi/L. Studies in Pennsylvania and the UK produced similar results. The USEPAmore » MCL for tritium is 20,000 pCi/L. Tritium is also manifesting itself as landfill gas and landfill gas condensate. Landfill gas condensate samples from landfills in the UK and California were found to have tritium concentrations as high as 54,400 and 513,000 pCi/L, respectively. The tritium found in MSW leachate is believed to derive principally from gaseous tritium lighting devices used in some emergency exit signs, compasses, watches, and even novelty items, such as 'glow stick' key chains. This study reports the findings of recent surveys of leachate from a number of municipal solid waste landfills, both open and closed, from throughout the United States and Europe. The study evaluates the human health and ecological risks posed by elevated tritium levels in municipal solid waste leachate and landfill gas and the implications to their safe management. We also assess the potential risks posed to solid waste management facility workers exposed to tritium-containing waste materials in transfer stations and other solid waste management facilities. (authors)« less

Protecting Lake Ontario - Treating Wastewater from the Remediated Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Facility - 13227

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Freihammer, Till; Chaput, Barb; Vandergaast, Gary

2013-07-01

The Port Granby Project is part of the larger Port Hope Area Initiative, a community-based program for the development and implementation of a safe, local, long-term management solution for historic low level radioactive waste (LLRW) and marginally contaminated soils (MCS). The Port Granby Project involves the relocation and remediation of up to 0.45 million cubic metres of such waste from the current Port Granby Waste Management Facility located in the Municipality of Clarington, Ontario, adjacent to the shoreline of Lake Ontario. The waste material will be transferred to a new suitably engineered Long-Term Waste Management Facility (LTWMF) to be locatedmore » inland approximately 700 m from the existing site. The development of the LTWMF will include construction and commissioning of a new Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) designed to treat wastewater consisting of contaminated surface run off and leachate generated during the site remediation process at the Port Granby Waste Management Facility as well as long-term leachate generated at the new LTWMF. Numerous factors will influence the variable wastewater flow rates and influent loads to the new WWTP during remediation. The treatment processes will be comprised of equalization to minimize impacts from hydraulic peaks, fine screening, membrane bioreactor technology, and reverse osmosis. The residuals treatment will comprise of lime precipitation, thickening, dewatering, evaporation and drying. The distribution of the concentration of uranium and radium - 226 over the various process streams in the WWTP was estimated. This information was used to assess potential worker exposure to radioactivity in the various process areas. A mass balance approach was used to assess the distribution of uranium and radium - 226, by applying individual contaminant removal rates for each process element of the WTP, based on pilot scale results and experience-based assumptions. The mass balance calculations were repeated for various flow and load scenarios. (authors)« less

Multi-trace element levels and arsenic speciation in urine of e-waste recycling workers from Agbogbloshie, Accra in Ghana.

PubMed

Asante, Kwadwo Ansong; Agusa, Tetsuro; Biney, Charles Augustus; Agyekum, William Atuobi; Bello, Mohammed; Otsuka, Masanari; Itai, Takaaki; Takahashi, Shin; Tanabe, Shinsuke

2012-05-01

To understand human contamination by multi-trace elements (TEs) in electrical and electronic waste (e-waste) recycling site at Agbogbloshie, Accra in Ghana, this study analyzed TEs and As speciation in urine of e-waste recycling workers. Concentrations of Fe, Sb, and Pb in urine of e-waste recycling workers were significantly higher than those of reference sites after consideration of interaction by age, indicating that the recycling workers are exposed to these TEs through the recycling activity. Urinary As concentration was relatively high, although the level in drinking water was quite low. Speciation analysis of As in human urine revealed that arsenobetaine and dimethylarsinic acid were the predominant As species and concentrations of both species were positively correlated with total As concentration as well as between each other. These results suggest that such compounds may be derived from the same source, probably fish and shellfish and greatly influence As exposure levels. To our knowledge, this is the first study on human contamination resulting from the primitive recycling of e-waste in Ghana. This study will contribute to the knowledge about human exposure to trace elements from an e-waste site in a less industrialized region so far scantly covered in the literature. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A descriptive study on evaluation of bio-medical waste management in a tertiary care public hospital of North India

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Proper management of Biomedical waste (BMW) generated in a healthcare facility is one of the most important functions of a healthcare worker (HCW) as its improper management not only poses risk to human beings and environment, but may also invite legal action against HCW as well as hospital administration. This study was carried out to evaluate quality of BMW management in 1100-bedded hospital attached to a tertiary care public institute in North India. Methods A checklist, including 29 parameters related to various functions to be carried out at source of generation by a HCW for BMW management was prepared by researcher and used after validation to record observations in all the 70 areas of hospital. A total of 6 visits were made to each area and mean percentage score was calculated for each area and each category of waste management. Results It was found that summated mean percentage score of ‘Treatment Room of Wards’, which were used exclusively by resident doctors, was significantly lower than Operation Theatres (p value: 0.033) and ‘Central Waste Collection Points of Wards’ (p value: 0.018) for the function of ‘mutilation of recyclable waste’ and it was significantly lower than all other areas (p value: 0.006 to 0.017) for the function of ‘disinfection of waste’. Conclusion It is concluded that more emphasis needs to be laid on ‘mutilation of recyclable waste’ and disinfection of waste’ by HCWs especially resident doctors. PMID:24742274

Macroergonomic intervention for work design improvement and raw materials waste reduction in a small footwear components company in Rio Grande do Sul-Brazil.

PubMed

Cornelli, Renata; Guimarães, Lia Buarque de Macedo

2012-01-01

This article presents a macroergonomic intervention carried out in a small footwear components company located in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The company's demand was related to the waste of the expensive raw-material (thermoplastic polyurethane or TPU) used to manufacture the components (high heels pegs). According to the managerial staff, the waste was workers responsibility due to the craft characteristic of the process. A participative method was used to evaluate the problems, propose and implement solutions, as well as evaluate their impact on the workers and the Company. Improvements in the work conditions resulted in increase of workers' satisfaction with the work and in 31.5% waste reduction.

Heart Rate, Stress, and Occupational Noise Exposure among Electronic Waste Recycling Workers

PubMed Central

Burns, Katrina N.; Sun, Kan; Fobil, Julius N.; Neitzel, Richard L.

2016-01-01

Electronic waste (e-waste) is a growing occupational and environmental health issue around the globe. E-waste recycling is a green industry of emerging importance, especially in low-and middle-income countries where much of this recycling work is performed, and where many people’s livelihoods depend on this work. The occupational health hazards of e-waste recycling have not been adequately explored. We performed a cross-sectional study of noise exposures, heart rate, and perceived stress among e-waste recycling workers at a large e-waste site in Accra, Ghana. We interviewed 57 workers and continuously monitored their individual noise exposures and heart rates for up to 24 h. More than 40% of workers had noise exposures that exceeded recommended occupational (85 dBA) and community (70 dBA) noise exposure limits, and self-reported hearing difficulties were common. Workers also had moderate to high levels of perceived stress as measured via Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale, and reported a variety of symptoms that could indicate cardiovascular disease. Noise exposures were moderately and significantly correlated with heart rate (Spearman’s ρ 0.46, p < 0.001). A mixed effects linear regression model indicated that a 1 dB increase in noise exposure was associated with a 0.17 increase in heart rate (p-value = 0.01) even after controlling for work activities, age, smoking, perceived stress, and unfavorable physical working conditions. These findings suggest that occupational and non-occupational noise exposure is associated with elevations in average heart rate, which may in turn predict potential cardiovascular damage. PMID:26797626

Heart Rate, Stress, and Occupational Noise Exposure among Electronic Waste Recycling Workers.

PubMed

Burns, Katrina N; Sun, Kan; Fobil, Julius N; Neitzel, Richard L

2016-01-19

Electronic waste (e-waste) is a growing occupational and environmental health issue around the globe. E-waste recycling is a green industry of emerging importance, especially in low-and middle-income countries where much of this recycling work is performed, and where many people's livelihoods depend on this work. The occupational health hazards of e-waste recycling have not been adequately explored. We performed a cross-sectional study of noise exposures, heart rate, and perceived stress among e-waste recycling workers at a large e-waste site in Accra, Ghana. We interviewed 57 workers and continuously monitored their individual noise exposures and heart rates for up to 24 h. More than 40% of workers had noise exposures that exceeded recommended occupational (85 dBA) and community (70 dBA) noise exposure limits, and self-reported hearing difficulties were common. Workers also had moderate to high levels of perceived stress as measured via Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale, and reported a variety of symptoms that could indicate cardiovascular disease. Noise exposures were moderately and significantly correlated with heart rate (Spearman's ρ 0.46, p < 0.001). A mixed effects linear regression model indicated that a 1 dB increase in noise exposure was associated with a 0.17 increase in heart rate (p-value = 0.01) even after controlling for work activities, age, smoking, perceived stress, and unfavorable physical working conditions. These findings suggest that occupational and non-occupational noise exposure is associated with elevations in average heart rate, which may in turn predict potential cardiovascular damage.

Treatment and disposal alternatives for health-care waste in developing countries--a case study in Istanbul, Turkey.

PubMed

Alagöz, B Aylin Zeren; Kocasoy, Günay

2007-02-01

Efficient health-care waste management is crucial for the prevention of the exposure of health-care workers, patients, and the community to infections, toxic wastes and injuries as well as the protection of the environment (Safe Management of Wastes from Health-care Activities. World Health Organization, Geneva). The amount of health-care waste produced in the Istanbul Metropolitan City in Turkey is 30 ton day(-1) in total. The method used for the final disposal of most of the health-care waste of Istanbul is incineration. However, a great portion of the infectious waste is disposed of with the domestic waste into the sanitary landfill because of improper segregation practices applied in the health-care institutions. Therefore the alternatives for the treatment and disposal of health-care waste were evaluated. The technical information related to the available treatment technologies including incineration, microwave irradiation, mobile or stationary sterilization, etc. were also investigated. The capital investment cost, transportation/operational costs for each alternative method and the different locations for installation were compared. When the data collected were evaluated, it was found that separate handling and disposal of health-care waste generated on the European and the Asian sides of the city was the most economic and practicable solution. As a result, it was concluded that the capacity of the Kemerburgaz-Odayeri incineration plant is enough to incinerate the health-care waste generated on the European side of Istanbul, the construction of a new incineration plant or a stationary sterilization unit for the disposal of health-care waste generated on the Asian side was the most effective alternative.

Prevalence and injury patterns among electronic waste workers in the informal sector in Nigeria.

PubMed

Ohajinwa, Chimere May; van Bodegom, Peter M; Vijver, Martina G; Olumide, Adesola O; Osibanjo, Oladele; Peijnenburg, Willie J G M

2018-06-01

Despite the large volume of e-waste recycled informally, the prevalence of work-related injuries among e-waste workers is unknown. Therefore, this study assessed the prevalence, patterns and factors associated with occupational injuries among e-waste workers in the informal sector in Nigeria. This cross-sectional study adopted a multistage sampling method to select 279 respondents from three cities (Ibadan, Lagos and Aba) in Nigeria. A questionnaire was used to obtain information on sociodemographics, work practices and injury occurrences from the respondents in 2015. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and standard logistic regression. We found high injury prevalence of 38% and 68% in 1-2 weeks and 6 months preceding the study, respectively. The most common injuries were cuts (59%). Injuries were mainly caused by sharp objects (77%). The majority (82%) of the injuries occurred on the hands/fingers. Despite the high occurrence of injury, only 18% of the workers use personal protective equipment (PPE) and 51% of those that use PPE got at least an injury in 1-2 weeks and 88% got at least an injury in 6 months preceding the study. The factors associated with injury in 1-2 weeks were job designation and the geographical location, while the factors associated with injury in 6 months were job designation, geographical location and age. There is a high prevalence of injury and low use of PPE among the e-waste workers in Nigeria. Occupational injury can be reduced through health education and safety promotion programmes for e-waste workers. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Effects of prevailing conditions during second Palestinian uprising on solid waste management system in Nablus city in Palestine.

PubMed

Arafat, Hassan A; Al-Khatib, Issam A; Zahra, Abdulsalam Abu

2006-08-01

Since the start of the second Palestinian uprising (Al-Aqsa Intifada), and due to the Israeli activities, curfews, closures, and military checkpoints imposed since 2000, the quality of social services rendered by Nablus city has been gradually deteriorating. Solid waste management in Nablus city was badly affected by these conditions, and this situation is negatively affecting health and damaging the environment. Most of these cases were due to reasons beyond the capability of the municipality with its limited resources. This study revealed that some of the important municipal solid waste (MSW) equipment had been damaged during the uprising. The workforce in the MSW system was reduced and certain MSW-related development projects and activities have been frozen due to the current conditions. The city's medical waste incinerator had been phased out and the number of special medical containers had been reduced from 16 to 10. Some MSW compressing trucks had been out of use with no substitute. Another important figure is the number of waste collection workers which decreased from 420 to 301, although the city is growing in premises as well as population. The created unsanitary solid waste transfer station is now a pollution source on its own, causing an ugly scene at the eastern entrance of Nablus city. There should be a comprehensive and urgent solution for this problem and the needed resources should be invested.

Managers’ Perceptions of the Value and Impact of HAZWOPER Worker Health and Safety Training

PubMed Central

Riley, Kevin; Slatin, Craig; Rice, Carol; Rosen, Mitchel; Weidner, B. Louise; Fleishman, Jane; Alerding, Linda; Delp, Linda

2018-01-01

Background Worker training is a core component of the OSHA Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) standard, but few studies have considered what motivates managers to provide HAZWOPER training to employees or what they value in that training. Methods In 2012, four university-based programs conducted an exploratory survey of managers who sent employees to HAZWOPER courses. Results from 109 respondents were analyzed. Results Forty-two percent of respondents cited regulations as the most important reason to provide HAZWOPER training; many indicated they would provide less training if there were no standard in place. Three-quarters (74%) reported training had improved workplace conditions. Fewer than half said they were likely to involve trained employees in aspects of the organization’s H&S program. Discussion Compliance with regulatory requirements is an important factor shaping managers’ training delivery decisions. Managers recognize positive impacts of training. These impacts could be enhanced by further leveraging employee H&S knowledge and skills. PMID:26010141

The Office of Technology Development technical reports. A bibliography

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1994-09-01

The US Department of Energy`s Office of Technology Development (OTD) within the Office of Environmental Management was established in 1989 to conduct an aggressive national program of applied research, development, demonstration, testing, and evaluation (RDDT&E) for innovative environmental cleanup solutions that are safer and more time- and cost-effective than those currently available. In many cases, the development of new technology presents the best hope for ensuring a substantive reduction in risk to the environment and improved worker/public safety within realistic financial constraints. Five major remediation and waste management problem areas have been identified to date within the DOE weapons complex;more » Contaminant Plume Containment and Remediation; Mixed Waste Characterization, Treatment, and Disposal; High-Level Waste Tank Remediation; Landfill Stabilization; and Facility Transitioning, Decommissioning, and Final Disposition. New technologies to address these problem areas are demonstrated to the point that they are proven to work and that they can be transferred to the private sector end-users. This bibliography contains information on scientific and technical reports sponsored by the Office of Environmental Management from its inception in 1989 through June 1994. Future issues contain reports from Technology Development activities and will be published biannually.« less

Health hazards to waste management workers in Denmark.

PubMed

Sigsgaard, T

1999-01-01

This paper deals with the Danish investigations of garbage recycling workers (GRW) in the beginning of the 90ties. The studies are summarized here showing a wide range of symptoms and diseases, from occupational asthma to gastrointestinal and skin symptoms. From the Danish experiences it seems that under normal circumstances with a good hygiene and use of the proper protective equipment by an educated work force, garbage handling induces a small but significant risk of occupational asthma. The majority of the asthma cases we have experienced in Denmark have been due to a poor perception of the risks related to organic dust exposure. However, there is still an increased prevalence of respiratory symptoms such as chest tightness and toxic alveolitis. Furthermore gastrointestinal and skin symptoms are more frequent among GRW compared to other blue-collar workers.

Multiple Elemental Exposures Amongst Workers at the Agbogbloshie Electronic Waste (E-Waste) Site in Ghana

PubMed Central

Srigboh, Roland Kofi; Basu, Niladri; Stephens, Judith; Asampong, Emmanuel; Perkins, Marie; Neitzel, Richard L.; Fobil, Julius

2016-01-01

Electronic waste (e-waste) recycling is growing worldwide and raising a number of environmental health concerns. One of the largest e-waste sites is Agbogbloshie (Ghana). While several toxic elements have been reported in Agbogbloshie’s environment, there is limited knowledge of human exposures there. The objectives of this study were to characterize exposures to several essential (copper, iron, manganese, selenium, zinc) and toxic (arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, mercury, nickel, lead) elements in the urine and blood of male workers (n=58) at Agbogbloshie, as well as females (n=11) working in activities that serve the site, and to relate these exposures to sociodemographic and occupational characteristics. The median number of years worked at the site was 5, and the average worker indicated being active in 6.8 tasks (of 9 key e-waste job categories). Additionally, we categorized four main e-waste activities (in brackets % of population self-reported main activity): dealing (22.4%), sorting (24.1%), dismantling (50%), and burning (3.4%) e-waste materials. Many blood and urinary elements (including essential ones) were within biomonitoring reference ranges. However, blood cadmium (1.2 ug/L median) and lead (6.4 ug/dl; 67% above U.S. CDC/NIOSH reference level), and urinary arsenic (38.3 ug/L; 39% above U.S. ATSDR value) levels were elevated compared to background populations elsewhere. Workers who burned e-waste tended to have the highest biomarker levels. The findings of this study contribute to a growing body of work at Agbogbloshie (and elsewhere) to document that individuals working within e-waste sites are exposed to a number of toxic elements, some at potentially concerning levels. PMID:27580259

Multiple elemental exposures amongst workers at the Agbogbloshie electronic waste (e-waste) site in Ghana.

PubMed

Srigboh, Roland Kofi; Basu, Niladri; Stephens, Judith; Asampong, Emmanuel; Perkins, Marie; Neitzel, Richard L; Fobil, Julius

2016-12-01

Electronic waste (e-waste) recycling is growing worldwide and raising a number of environmental health concerns. One of the largest e-waste sites is Agbogbloshie (Ghana). While several toxic elements have been reported in Agbogbloshie's environment, there is limited knowledge of human exposures there. The objectives of this study were to characterize exposures to several essential (copper, iron, manganese, selenium, zinc) and toxic (arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, mercury, nickel, lead) elements in the urine and blood of male workers (n = 58) at Agbogbloshie, as well as females (n = 11) working in activities that serve the site, and to relate these exposures to sociodemographic and occupational characteristics. The median number of years worked at the site was 5, and the average worker indicated being active in 6.8 tasks (of 9 key e-waste job categories). Additionally, we categorized four main e-waste activities (in brackets % of population self-reported main activity): dealing (22.4%), sorting (24.1%), dismantling (50%), and burning (3.4%) e-waste materials. Many blood and urinary elements (including essential ones) were within biomonitoring reference ranges. However, blood cadmium (1.2 μg/L median) and lead (6.4 μg/dl; 67% above U.S. CDC/NIOSH reference level), and urinary arsenic (38.3 μg/L; 39% above U.S. ATSDR value) levels were elevated compared to background populations elsewhere. Workers who burned e-waste tended to have the highest biomarker levels. The findings of this study contribute to a growing body of work at Agbogbloshie (and elsewhere) to document that individuals working within e-waste sites are exposed to a number of toxic elements, some at potentially concerning levels. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Occupational exposure to municipal solid wastes and development of toxic neuropathies: possible role of nutrient supplementation, complementary and alternative medicines in chemoprevention.

PubMed

Ekor, Martins; Odewabi, Adesina O

2014-09-01

Achieving effective municipal solid waste (MSW) management remains a major challenge and waste generation and accumulation continue to constitute important environmental and public health concern, particularly in most developing countries. Although the general population is at risk of adverse health consequences and hazards associated with exposure to MSW, the waste management workers (WMWs) are the most vulnerable because of their direct involvement in the disposal of waste, with increasing evidence of work-related health and safety risks among these individuals. Among the numerous work-related health hazards prevalent in WMWs, development of toxic neuropathies following chronic occupational exposure remains poorly recognized. However, the risk or predisposition to toxic neuropathies is becoming evident considering the increasing recognition of large amount of neurotoxic heavy metals and hazardous industrial materials present in MSW in most parts of the world. The present review seeks to draw attention to the continuous vulnerability of the WMWs to developing toxic neuropathies. This is aimed at facilitating conscious efforts by relevant governmental and nongovernmental agencies towards promoting risk reduction and ensuring adequate protection against possible toxic polyneuropathies associated with occupational exposure to solid wastes. While continuous education of the WMWs on the need for adequate compliance to safety regulations and practice remains sacrosanct towards achieving significant reduction in toxic neuropathies and related adverse health consequences of waste handling, it is also our intention in this review to underscore the possible relevance of nutrient supplementation and alternative medicines in chemoprevention.

PLUTONIUM FINISHING PLANT (PFP) 241-Z LIQUID WASTE TREATMENT FACILITY DEACTIVATION AND DEMOLITION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

JOHNSTON GA

2008-01-15

Fluor Hanford, Inc. (FH) is proud to submit the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) 241-Z liquid Waste Treatment Facility Deactivation and Demolition (D&D) Project for consideration by the Project Management Institute as Project of the Year for 2008. The decommissioning of the 241-Z Facility presented numerous challenges, many of which were unique with in the Department of Energy (DOE) Complex. The majority of the project budget and schedule was allocated for cleaning out five below-grade tank vaults. These highly contaminated, confined spaces also presented significant industrial safety hazards that presented some of the most hazardous work environments on the Hanford Site.more » The 241-Z D&D Project encompassed diverse tasks: cleaning out and stabilizing five below-grade tank vaults (also called cells), manually size-reducing and removing over three tons of process piping from the vaults, permanently isolating service utilities, removing a large contaminated chemical supply tank, stabilizing and removing plutonium-contaminated ventilation ducts, demolishing three structures to grade, and installing an environmental barrier on the demolition site . All of this work was performed safely, on schedule, and under budget. During the deactivation phase of the project between November 2005 and February 2007, workers entered the highly contaminated confined-space tank vaults 428 times. Each entry (or 'dive') involved an average of three workers, thus equaling approximately 1,300 individual confined -space entries. Over the course of the entire deactivation and demolition period, there were no recordable injuries and only one minor reportable skin contamination. The 241-Z D&D Project was decommissioned under the provisions of the 'Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order' (the Tri-Party Agreement or TPA), the 'Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976' (RCRA), and the 'Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980' (CERCLA). The project completed TPA Milestone M-083-032 to 'Complete those activities required by the 241-Z Treatment and Storage Unit's RCRA Closure Plan' four years and seven months ahead of this legally enforceable milestone. In addition, the project completed TPA Milestone M-083-042 to 'Complete transition and dismantlement of the 241-2 Waste Treatment Facility' four years and four months ahead of schedule. The project used an innovative approach in developing the project-specific RCRA closure plan to assure clear integration between the 241-Z RCRA closure activities and ongoing and future CERCLA actions at PFP. This approach provided a regulatory mechanism within the RCRA closure plan to place segments of the closure that were not practical to address at this time into future actions under CERCLA. Lessons learned from th is approach can be applied to other closure projects within the DOE Complex to control scope creep and mitigate risk. A paper on this topic, entitled 'Integration of the 241-Z Building D and D Under CERCLA with RCRA Closure at the PFP', was presented at the 2007 Waste Management Conference in Tucson, Arizona. In addition, techniques developed by the 241-Z D&D Project to control airborne contamination, clean the interior of the waste tanks, don and doff protective equipment, size-reduce plutonium-contaminated process piping, and mitigate thermal stress for the workers can be applied to other cleanup activities. The project-management team developed a strategy utilizing early characterization, targeted cleanup, and close coordination with PFP Criticality Engineering to significantly streamline the waste- handling costs associated with the project . The project schedule was structured to support an early transition to a criticality 'incredible' status for the 241-Z Facility. The cleanup work was sequenced and coordinated with project-specific criticality analysis to allow the fissile material waste being generated to be managed in a bulk fashion, instead of individual waste packages. This approach negated the need for real-time assay of individual waste packages, greatly improving the efficiency of the cleanup operation. The cleanup and stabilization of the 241-2 Liquid Effluent Treatment Facility reduced radiological risks to the environment and Hanford site workers. It was recognized as a success by regulatory agencies, the media, the DOE-client, and stakeholders. The 241-Z D&D Project demonstrated management excellence in adapting to significant changes in project direction, fostered a safety culture that amassed impressive results on this high-hazard job, maintained excellent communications with the client and stakeholders, and developed and implemented unique cleanup techniques.« less

"Five hundred years of medicine gone to waste"? Negotiating the implementation of an intercultural health policy in the Ecuadorian Andes.

PubMed

Llamas, Ana; Mayhew, Susannah

2018-06-04

In Ecuador, indigenous women have poorer maternal health outcomes and access to maternity services. This is partly due to cultural barriers. A hospital in Ecuador implemented the Vertical Birth (VB) policy to address such inequities by adapting services to the local culture. This included conducting upright deliveries, introducing Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) and making physical adaptations to hospital facilities. Using qualitative methods, we studied the VB policy implementation in an Ecuadorian hospital to analyse the factors that affect effective implementation of intercultural health policies at the local level. We collected data through observation, in-depth interviews, a focus group discussion, and documentation review. We conducted 46 interviews with healthcare workers, managers, TBAs, key informants and policy-makers involved in maternal health. Data analysis was guided by grounded theory and drew heavily on concepts of "street-level bureaucracy" to interpret policy implementation. The VB policy was highly controversial; actors' values (including concerns over patient safety) motivated their support or opposition to the Vertical Birth policy. For those who supported the policy, managers, policy-makers, indigenous actors and a minority of healthcare workers supported the policy, it was critical to address ethnic discrimination to improve indigenous women's access to the health service. Most healthcare workers initially resisted the policy because they believed vertical births led to poorer clinical outcomes and because they resented working alongside TBAs. Healthcare workers developed coping strategies and effectively modified the policy. Managers accepted these as a compromise to enable implementation. Although contentious, intercultural health policies such as the VB policy have the potential to improve maternity services and access for indigenous women. Evidence-base medicine should be used as a lever to facilitate the dialogue between healthcare workers and TBAs and to promote best practice and patient safety. Actors' values influenced policy implementation; policy implementation resulted from an ongoing negotiation between healthcare workers and managers.

Chemical safety practice amongst the health workers of Fiji.

PubMed

Naduva, Adriu

2006-09-01

The National Health Service of Fiji includes private and public institutions that use a variety of chemicals of varying hazardousness. A survey was carried out to describe chemical safety issues amongst health workers in Fiji. Questionnaires were given to 133 private and Government health institutions. Most health facilities lack awareness on safe chemical waste management and do not have technical training on chemical safety. Most institutions do not have chemical handling, packaging and labelling procedure and equipment with a marked deficiency in the vector sector. Most facilities state that they have adequate chemical safety information from the suppliers, while a few alarmingly still resort to container labels and information from colleagues.

Grand rounds: an outbreak of toxic hepatitis among industrial waste disposal workers.

PubMed

Cheong, Hae-Kwan; Kim, Eun A; Choi, Jung-Keun; Choi, Sung-Bong; Suh, Jeong-Ill; Choi, Dae Seob; Kim, Jung Ran

2007-01-01

Industrial waste (which is composed of various toxic chemicals), changes to the disposal process, and addition of chemicals should all be monitored and controlled carefully in the industrial waste industry to reduce the health hazard to workers. Five workers in an industrial waste plant developed acute toxic hepatitis, one of whom died after 3 months due to fulminant hepatitis. In the plant, we detected several chemicals with hepatotoxic potential, including pyridine, dimethylformamide, dimethylacetamide, and methylenedianiline. The workers had been working in the high-vapor-generating area of the plant, and the findings of pathologic examination showed typical features of acute toxic hepatitis. Infectious hepatitis and drug-induced hepatitis were excluded by laboratory findings, as well as the clinical course of hepatitis. All cases of toxic hepatitis in this plant developed after the change of the disposal process to thermochemical reaction-type treatment using unslaked lime reacted with industrial wastes. During this chemical reaction, vapor containing several toxic materials was generated. Although we could not confirm the definitive causative chemical, we suspect that these cases of hepatitis were caused by one of the hepatotoxic agents or by a synergistic interaction among several of them. In the industrial waste treatment process, the danger of developing toxic hepatitis should be kept in mind, because any subtle change of the treatment process can generate various toxic materials and threaten the workers' health. A mixture of hepatotoxic chemicals can induce clinical manifestations that are quite different from those predicted by the toxic property of a single agent.

Annual Site Environmental Report Calendar Year 2010

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kayser, Dan

This report summarizes the environmental status of Ames Laboratory for calendar year 2010. It includes descriptions of the Laboratory site, its mission, the status of its compliance with applicable environmental regulations, its planning and activities to maintain compliance, and a comprehensive review of its environmental protection, surveillance and monitoring activities. In 2010, the Laboratory accumulated and disposed of waste under U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued generator numbers. All waste is handled according to all applicable EPA, State, Local regulations and DOE Orders. In 2006 the Laboratory reduced its generator status from a Large Quantity Generator (LQG) to a Smallmore » Quantity Generator (SQG). EPA Region VII was notified of this change. The Laboratory's RCRA hazardous waste management program was inspected by EPA Region VII in April 2006. There were no notices of violations. The inspector was impressed with the improvements of the Laboratory's waste management program over the past ten years. The Laboratory was in compliance with all applicable federal, state, local and DOE regulations and orders in 2010. There were no radiological air emissions or exposures to the general public due to Laboratory activities in 2010. See U.S. Department of Energy Air Emissions Annual Report in Appendix B. As indicated in prior SERs, pollution awareness, waste minimization and recycling programs have been in practice since 1990, with improvements implemented most recently in 2010. Included in these efforts were battery and CRT recycling, miscellaneous electronic office equipment, waste white paper and green computer paper-recycling and corrugated cardboard recycling. Ames Laboratory also recycles/reuses salvageable metal, used oil, foamed polystyrene peanuts, batteries, fluorescent lamps and telephone books. Ames Laboratory reported to DOE-Ames Site Office (AMSO), through the Laboratory's Performance Evaluation Measurement Plan, on its Affirmative Procurement Performance Measure. A performance level of 'A-' was achieved in 2010 for Integrated Safety, Health and Environmental Protection. As reported in Site Environmental Reports for prior years, the Laboratory's Environmental Management System (EMS) has been integrated into the Laboratory's Integrated Safety Management System since 2005. The integration of EMS into the way the Laboratory does business allows the Laboratory to systematically review, address and respond to the Laboratory's environmental impacts. The Laboratory's EMS was audited in April 2009 by DOE-CH. There were four 'Sufficiently in Conformity' findings as a result of the audit. All four findings were tracked in the Laboratory's corrective action database for completion. Beryllium was used routinely at Ames Laboratory in the 1940's and 1950's in processes developed for the production of highly pure uranium and thorium in support of the historic Manhattan Project. Laboratory metallurgists also worked on a process to produce pure beryllium metal from beryllium fluoride. In the early 1950's, beryllium oxide powder was used to produce shaped beryllium and crucibles. As a result of that work, beryllium contamination now exists in many interstitial spaces (e.g., utility chases) and ventilation systems in Wilhelm, Spedding and Metals Development buildings. Extensive characterization and remediation efforts have occurred in 2009 and 2010 in order to better understand the extent of the contamination. Analysis of extensive sampling data suggests that a fairly wide dispersion of beryllium occurred (most likely in the 1950's and 60's) in Wilhelm Hall and in certain areas of Spedding Hall and Metals Development. Area air-sampling results and work-area surface characterizations indicate the exposure potential to current workers, building visitors and the public remains extremely low. This information is now used to guide cleaning efforts and to provide worker protection during remodeling and maintenance activities. Results were shared with the DOE's Former Worker Program to support former worker medical testing and compensation programs. A complete discussion of the Laboratory's beryllium characterization and remediation efforts can be found at: http://www.ameslab.gov/operations/esha/beryllium-information.« less

Comparative assessment of respiratory and other occupational health effects among elementary workers.

PubMed

Hamid, Almas; Saleem, Wajeeha; Yaqub, Ghazala; Ghauri, Moin Ud Din

2017-12-14

This study was conducted to assess hazards faced by elementary workers. A questionnaire survey and a respiratory function test (spirometry) were carried out on 150 respondents. Major hazards identified related to sharp objects, heavy weight lifting, thermally harsh conditions, working at height, whole body vibration, chemicals, pathogens, increased noise levels and confined space entry. Workers suffered from upper and lower respiratory disorder symptoms, digestive problems, optical and musculoskeletal issues, etc. Spirometric measurement showed obstructive lung disorders to be highest among construction workers (CW) (48%) followed by sanitation workers (SW) (32%) and solid waste pickers (SWP) (28%). Restrictive lung pattern was dominant among SW (56%) followed by SWP (46%) and CW (42%). The observed FEV 1 /FVC in diseased SWP, SW and CW ranged from 51 to 96%, from 52 to 98% and from 31 to 99% respectively while observed mean FEV 1 was 2.15, 1.79 and 1.70 L, respectively. The study findings show that occupational exposure can significantly influence respiratory system impairment and contribute to other ailments among elementary workers. The study recommends use of appropriate protective equipment and regular medical examination for early recognition of any health risk so that timely interventions for effective management may be undertaken.

Environmental impact assessment of cottage industries of Kashmir, India.

PubMed

Wani, Khursheed Ahmad; Jaiswal, Y K

2011-07-01

Our objective was to carry out environmental impact assessment of small scale industries in Kashmir (India). A prepared questionnaire was circulated among the workers, owners and residents to assess the pros and cons of the small scale industries in Kashmir. The study revealed that most of the small scale industries in Kashmir valley have an impact on the quality of the environment and may cause discomfort to the people living very close to these industries. It has been observed that small scale industries lack efficient waste management system. However, the generated wastes from these units may be used effectively, as a raw material in various ways when managed properly and may minimize the impact on the quality of the environment and may also contribute in improving the economy of the State. The proliferation of small scale industries has caused an irreversible damage to the agricultural land of the area studied.

Heavy metals in hair of residents in an e-waste recycling area, south China: contents and assessment of bodily state.

PubMed

Zheng, Jing; Luo, Xiao-Jun; Yuan, Jian-Gang; He, Luo-Yiyi; Zhou, Yi-Hui; Luo, Yong; Chen, She-Jun; Mai, Bi-Xian; Yang, Zhong-Yi

2011-11-01

Heavy metals were measured in hair from occupationally and nonoccupationally exposed populations in an e-waste recycling area and from residents from a control rural town. The levels of five heavy metals were in the following order of Zn > Pb, Cu > Cd > Ni, with the highest levels found in the occupationally exposed workers. The levels of Cd, Pb, and Cu were significantly higher in residents from the e-waste recycling area than in the control area. Elevated Cd, Pb, and Cu contents along with significant positive correlations between them in hair from the e-waste recycling area indicated that these metals were likely to have originated from the e-waste recycling activities. The similarity in heavy metal pattern between children and occupationally exposed workers indicated that children are particularly vulnerable to heavy metal pollution caused by e-waste recycling activities. The increased Cu exposure might be a benefit for the insufficient intake of Cu in the studied area. However, the elevated hair Cd and Pb levels implied that the residents in the e-waste area might be at high risk of toxic metal, especially for children and occupationally exposed workers.

Quality assurance audits of medical surveillance programs for hazardous waste workers.

PubMed

Udasin, I G; Buckler, G; Gochfeld, M

1991-11-01

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Regulation (29 CFR 1910.120) requires medical surveillance examinations for hazardous waste workers. We investigated the consistency and appropriateness of the services provided under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.120 as part of a quality control audit. Our study revealed that in most cases the required paperwork including fitness for duty and restrictions or limitations was completed. However, it is also apparent that many of the components of a complete occupational history were not performed. Spirometric examinations often were performed incorrectly. Documentation of baseline tests was not uniformly done, nor were patients always informed of the findings of their examinations. Our study indicated there may be a lack of education, training, and experience of occupational health providers. This suggests that further efforts should be made to educate physicians and nurses providing medical surveillance and other services to hazardous waste workers.

Investigation of bioaerosols released from swine farms using conventional and alternative waste treatment and management technologies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ko, G.; Simmons, O. D.; Likirdopulos, C.A.; Worley-Davis, L.; Williams, M.; Sobsey, M.D.

2008-01-01

Microbial air pollution from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) has raised concerns about potential public health and environmental impacts. We investigated the levels of bioaerosols released from two swine farms using conventional lagoon-sprayfield technology and ten farms using alternative waste treatment and management technologies in the United States. In total, 424 microbial air samples taken at the 12 CAFOs were analyzed for several indicator and pathogenic microorganisms, including culturable bacteria and fungi, fecal coliform, Escherichia coli, Clostridium perfringens, bacteriophage, and Salmonella. At all of the investigated farms, bacterial concentrations at the downwind boundary were higher than those at the upwind boundary, suggesting that the farms are sources of microbial air contamination. In addition, fecal indicator microorganisms were found more frequently near barns and treatment technology sites than upwind or downwind of the farms. Approximately 4.5% (19/424), 1.2% (5/424), 22.2% (94/424), and 12.3% (53/424) of samples were positive for fecal coliform, E. coli, Clostridium, and total coliphage, respectively. Based on statistical comparison of airborne fecal indicator concentrations at alternative treatment technology farms compared to control farms with conventional technology, three alternative waste treatment technologies appear to perform better at reducing the airborne release of fecal indicator microorganisms during on-farm treatment and management processes. These results demonstrate that airborne microbial contaminants are released from swine farms and pose possible exposure risks to farm workers and nearby neighbors. However, the release of airborne microorganisms appears to decrease significantly through the use of certain alternative waste management and treatment technologies. ?? 2008 American Chemical Society.

Evaluating the operational risks of biomedical waste using failure mode and effects analysis.

PubMed

Chen, Ying-Chu; Tsai, Pei-Yi

2017-06-01

The potential problems and risks of biomedical waste generation have become increasingly apparent in recent years. This study applied a failure mode and effects analysis to evaluate the operational problems and risks of biomedical waste. The microbiological contamination of biomedical waste seldom receives the attention of researchers. In this study, the biomedical waste lifecycle was divided into seven processes: Production, classification, packaging, sterilisation, weighing, storage, and transportation. Twenty main failure modes were identified in these phases and risks were assessed based on their risk priority numbers. The failure modes in the production phase accounted for the highest proportion of the risk priority number score (27.7%). In the packaging phase, the failure mode 'sharp articles not placed in solid containers' had the highest risk priority number score, mainly owing to its high severity rating. The sterilisation process is the main difference in the treatment of infectious and non-infectious biomedical waste. The failure modes in the sterilisation phase were mainly owing to human factors (mostly related to operators). This study increases the understanding of the potential problems and risks associated with biomedical waste, thereby increasing awareness of how to improve the management of biomedical waste to better protect workers, the public, and the environment.

Design of patient rooms and automatic radioiodine-131 waste water management system for a thyroid cancer treatment ward: 'Suandok Model'.

PubMed

Vilasdechanon, N; Ua-Apisitwong, S; Chatnampet, K; Ekmahachai, M; Vilasdechanon, J

2014-09-01

The great benefit of (131)I radionuclide treatment for differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) was acknowledged by the long survival rate. The main requirements for (131)I therapy in hospital were treatment facilities and a radiation safety plan that assured radiation protection and safety to patient, hospital worker, public, and environment. To introduce the concepts and methods of radiation safety design for a patient's room in a (131)I treatment ward and a system of radioactive waste water management in hospital. The design was based on principles of external and internal radiation protection for unsealed source and radioactive waste management. Planning for treatment facilities was concluded from clinical evidence, physical and physiological information for (131)I, radiation safety criteria, hospital resources and budget. The three phases of the working process were: construction, software development, and radiation safety assessment. The (131)I treatment facility and automatic radioactive waste water management system was completely implemented in 2009. The radiation waste water management system known as the 'Suandok Model' was highly recommended by the national regulator to hospitals who desire to provide (131)I treatment for thyroid cancer. In 2011, the Nuclear Medicine Division, Chiang Mai University was rewarded by the national authority for a very good radiation practice in development of safe working conditions and environment. The Suandok Model was a facility design that fulfilled requirements for the safe use of high radiation (131)I doses for thyroid cancer treatment in hospital. The facility presented in this study may not be suitable for all hospitals but the design concepts could be applied according to an individual hospital context and resources. People who use or gain benefit from radiation applications have to emphasise the responsibility to control and monitor radiation effects on individuals, communities and the environment.

DISPOSE OF WASTES, AN AID TO EXTENSION AND VILLAGE WORKERS IN MANY COUNTRIES.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

HUGHES, KATHRYNE S.

THE BOOKLET DESCRIBES IN DETAIL THE CORRECT METHODS OF DISPOSING OF WASTE MATERIALS, INCLUDING TRASH, GARBAGE, WASTE WATER, HUMAN EXCRETA, AND ANIMAL WASTES. COMPLETE INSTRUCTIONS FOR DIGGING, BUILDING, AND CLEANING ARE GIVEN UNDER EACH TOPIC. (CL)

Composition profiles and health risk of PCDD/F in outdoor air and fly ash from municipal solid waste incineration and adjacent villages in East China.

PubMed

Li, Jiafu; Dong, Han; Sun, Jie; Nie, Jihua; Zhang, Shuyu; Tang, Jinshun; Chen, Zhihai

2016-11-15

In present study, composition profiles and health risk of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) in outdoor air and fly ash from domestic waste treatment center (DWTC) were studied. In addition, the composition profiles and health risk of PCDD/F in outdoor air from adjacent villages were researched and used to quantitatively analyze the difference between onsite workers and adjacent villagers. Moreover, the difference between old intake method and new inhalation dosimetry method in the process of assessing the health risk of PCDD/Fs in outdoor air was quantitatively compared and analyzed. The results of this study were summarized as follows. (1) The 95th percentile carcinogenic risk (CR) and non-carcinogenic risk (non-CR) for onsite workers and adjacent villagers were much lower than the threshold values of 10(-6) and 1.0, respectively, suggesting no potential health risk. (2) The 95th percentile CR for onsite workers was 1.27×10(-8) and was 64.8 times higher than that of adjacent villagers (1.99×10(-10)). (3) The 95th percentile non-CR for onsite workers and adjacent villagers were 1.37×10(-4) and 1.31×10(-7), respectively. (3) Accidental ingestion of fly ash was the largest contributor to CR and non-CR for onsite workers, contributing 62.98% and 64.04% to CR and non-CR, respectively. (4) The CR and non-CR of PCDD/Fs in outdoor air for onsite workers and adjacent villagers which calculated by old intake method was much higher than the results from new inhalation dosimetry method. The results quantitatively showed the levels and potential risks of PCDD/Fs posed by a DWTC site, which can be helpful to predict the influence from DWTC sites and promote the management of DWTC in China. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Work reintegration after long-term sick leave: domains of influence on co-workers' ability to be supportive.

PubMed

Petersen, Kirsten Schultz; Labriola, Merete; Nielsen, Claus Vinther; Larsen, Eva Ladekjær

2016-09-01

The purpose of the study is to identify domains of influence on co-workers' ability to be supportive of returning worker during the work reintegration (WR) process. An ethnographic study design was chosen involving fieldwork at four different workplaces, at an emergency care service, a waste disposal company and at two nursing homes. Qualitative methods for inquiry were used including participant observation, individual- and group interviews of 30 participants. Data were coded and analysed according to a grounded theory approach. Four themes were identified related to domains of influence on co-workers' ability to be supportive of returning worker during the WR process: (1) organisation of work and level of interaction; (2) disruption of work routines, (3) relationship with returning worker and (4) attitudes towards sick leave. The WR process after long-term sick leave is not only influenced by the WR's arrangements made, but also by the co-workers' responses to the process. Work arrangements not only affect the returning worker's ability to return-to-work (RTW) successfully, but also the co-workers' ability to be supportive and their ability to take active part in the process. Implications for Rehabilitation The process of WR after long-term sick leave involves interaction with co-workers. Domains of influence is in the co-workers' perspective influencing their ability to be supportive during reintegration of a returning worker. Future WR management could benefit from integrating the conditions for co-worker support. We encourage co-workers to be involved in the RTW planning, monitoring and evaluation with particular focus on how the WR arrangements are influencing their work and their ability to be supportive.

Green Jobs: Definition and Method of Appraisal of Chemical and Biological Risks.

PubMed

Cheneval, Erwan; Busque, Marc-Antoine; Ostiguy, Claude; Lavoie, Jacques; Bourbonnais, Robert; Labrèche, France; Bakhiyi, Bouchra; Zayed, Joseph

2016-04-01

In the wake of sustainable development, green jobs are developing rapidly, changing the work environment. However a green job is not automatically a safe job. The aim of the study was to define green jobs, and to establish a preliminary risk assessment of chemical substances and biological agents for workers in Quebec. An operational definition was developed, along with criteria and sustainable development principles to discriminate green jobs from regular jobs. The potential toxicity or hazard associated with their chemical and biological exposures was assessed, and the workers' exposure appraised using an expert assessment method. A control banding approach was then used to assess risks for workers in selected green jobs. A double entry model allowed us to set priorities in terms of chemical or biological risk. Among jobs that present the highest risk potential, several are related to waste management. The developed method is flexible and could be adapted to better appraise the risks that workers are facing or to propose control measures. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Occupational Hygiene Society.

New regulations for radiation protection for work involving radioactive fallout emitted by the TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi APP accident--disposal of contaminated soil and wastes.

PubMed

Yasui, Shojiro

2014-01-01

The accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Atomic Power Plant that accompanied the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011, released a large amount of radioactive material. To rehabilitate the contaminated areas, the government of Japan decided to carry out decontamination work and manage the waste resulting from decontamination. In the summer of 2013, the Ministry of the Environment planned to begin a full-scale process for waste disposal of contaminated soil and wastes removed as part of the decontamination work. The existing regulations were not developed to address such a large amount of contaminated wastes. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), therefore, had to amend the existing regulations for waste disposal workers. The amendment of the general regulation targeted the areas where the existing exposure situation overlaps the planned exposure situation. The MHLW established the demarcation lines between the two regulations to be applied in each situation. The amendment was also intended to establish provisions for the operation of waste disposal facilities that handle large amounts of contaminated materials. Deliberation concerning the regulation was conducted when the facilities were under design; hence, necessary adjustments should be made as needed during the operation of the facilities.

Disruption of thyroid hormone (TH) levels and TH-regulated gene expression by polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and hydroxylated PCBs in e-waste recycling workers.

PubMed

Zheng, Jing; He, Chun-Tao; Chen, She-Jun; Yan, Xiao; Guo, Mi-Na; Wang, Mei-Huan; Yu, Yun-Jiang; Yang, Zhong-Yi; Mai, Bi-Xian

2017-05-01

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are the primary toxicants released by electronic waste (e-waste) recycling, but their adverse effects on people working in e-waste recycling or living near e-waste sites have not been studied well. In the present study, the serum concentrations of PBDEs, PCBs, and hydroxylated PCBs, the circulating levels of thyroid hormones (THs), and the mRNA levels of seven TH-regulated genes in peripheral blood leukocytes of e-waste recycling workers were analyzed. The associations of the hormone levels and gene expression with the exposure to these contaminants were examined using multiple linear regression models. There were nearly no associations of the TH levels with PCBs and hydroxylated PCBs, whereas elevated hormone (T 4 and T 3 ) levels were associated with certain lower-brominated BDEs. While not statistically significant, we did observe a negative association between highly brominated PBDE congeners and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels in the e-waste workers. The TH-regulated gene expression was more significantly associated with the organohalogen compounds (OHCs) than the TH levels in these workers. The TH-regulated gene expression was significantly associated with certain PCB and hydroxylated PCB congeners. However, the expression of most target genes was suppressed by PBDEs (mostly highly brominated congeners). This is the first evidence of alterations in TH-regulated gene expression in humans exposed to OHCs. Our findings indicated that OHCs may interfere with TH signaling and/or exert TH-like effects, leading to alterations in related gene expression in humans. Further research is needed to investigate the mechanisms of action and associated biological consequences of the gene expression disruption by OHCs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Environmental cleaning and disinfection.

PubMed

Traverse, Michelle; Aceto, Helen

2015-03-01

The guidelines in this article provide veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and veterinary health care workers with an overview of evidence-based recommendations for the best practices associated with environmental cleaning and disinfection of a veterinary clinic that deals with small animals. Hospital-associated infections and the control and prevention programs necessary to alleviate them are addressed from an environmental perspective. Measures of hospital cleaning and disinfection include understanding mechanisms and types of contamination in veterinary settings, recognizing areas of potential concern, addressing appropriate decontamination techniques and selection of disinfectants, the management of potentially contaminated equipment, laundry, and waste management, and environmental surveillance strategies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The 1976 Hanford Americium Accident: Then and Now

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carbaugh, Eugene H.

2013-10-02

The 1976 chemical explosion of an 241Am ion exchange column at a Hanford Site waste management facility resulted in the extreme contamination of a worker with 241Am, nitric acid and debris. The worker underwent medical treatment for acid burns, as well as wound debridement, extensive personal skin decontamination and long-term DTPA chelation therapy for decorporation of americium-241. Because of the contamination levels and prolonged decontamination efforts, care was provided for the first three months at the unique Emergency Decontamination Facility with gradual transition to the patient’s home occurring over another two months. The medical treatment, management, and dosimetry of themore » patient have been well documented in numerous reports and journal articles. The lessons learned with regard to patient treatment and effectiveness of therapy still form the underlying philosophy of treatment for contaminated injuries. Changes in infrastructure and facilities as well as societal expectations make for interesting speculation as to how responses might differ today.« less

Development of occupational exposure limits for the Hanford tank farms.

PubMed

Still, Kenneth R; Gardner, Donald E; Snyder, Robert; Anderson, Thomas J; Honeyman, James O; Timchalk, Charles

2010-04-01

Production of plutonium for the United States' nuclear weapons program from the 1940s to the 1980s generated 53 million gallons of radioactive chemical waste, which is stored in 177 underground tanks at the Hanford site in southeastern Washington State. Recent attempts to begin the retrieval and treatment of these wastes require moving the waste to more modern tanks and result in potential exposure of the workers to unfamiliar odors emanating from headspace in the tanks. Given the unknown risks involved, workers were placed on supplied air respiratory protection. CH2MHILL, the managers of the Hanford site tank farms, asked an Independent Toxicology Panel (ITP) to assist them in issues relating to an industrial hygiene and risk assessment problem. The ITP was called upon to help determine the risk of exposure to vapors from the tanks, and in general develop a strategy for solution of the problem. This paper presents the methods used to determine the chemicals of potential concern (COPCs) and the resultant development of screening values and Acceptable Occupational Exposure Limits (AOELs) for these COPCs. A total of 1826 chemicals were inventoried and evaluated. Over 1500 chemicals were identified in the waste tanks headspaces and more than 600 of these were assigned screening values; 72 of these compounds were recommended for AOEL development. Included in this list of 72 were 57 COPCs identified by the ITP and of these 47 were subsequently assigned AOELs. An exhaustive exposure assessment strategy was developed by the CH2MHILL industrial hygiene department to evaluate these COPCs.

Grand Rounds: An Outbreak of Toxic Hepatitis among Industrial Waste Disposal Workers

PubMed Central

Cheong, Hae-Kwan; Kim, Eun A; Choi, Jung-Keun; Choi, Sung-Bong; Suh, Jeong-Ill; Choi, Dae Seob; Kim, Jung Ran

2007-01-01

Context Industrial waste (which is composed of various toxic chemicals), changes to the disposal process, and addition of chemicals should all be monitored and controlled carefully in the industrial waste industry to reduce the health hazard to workers. Case presentation Five workers in an industrial waste plant developed acute toxic hepatitis, one of whom died after 3 months due to fulminant hepatitis. In the plant, we detected several chemicals with hepatotoxic potential, including pyridine, dimethylformamide, dimethylacetamide, and methylenedianiline. The workers had been working in the high-vapor-generating area of the plant, and the findings of pathologic examination showed typical features of acute toxic hepatitis. Discussion Infectious hepatitis and drug-induced hepatitis were excluded by laboratory findings, as well as the clinical course of hepatitis. All cases of toxic hepatitis in this plant developed after the change of the disposal process to thermochemical reaction–type treatment using unslaked lime reacted with industrial wastes. During this chemical reaction, vapor containing several toxic materials was generated. Although we could not confirm the definitive causative chemical, we suspect that these cases of hepatitis were caused by one of the hepatotoxic agents or by a synergistic interaction among several of them. Relevance to clinical or professional practice In the industrial waste treatment process, the danger of developing toxic hepatitis should be kept in mind, because any subtle change of the treatment process can generate various toxic materials and threaten the workers’ health. A mixture of hepatotoxic chemicals can induce clinical manifestations that are quite different from those predicted by the toxic property of a single agent. PMID:17366828

Consumption patterns and household hazardous solid waste generation in an urban settlement in México.

PubMed

Otoniel, Buenrostro Delgado; Liliana, Márquez-Benavides; Francelia, Pinette Gaona

2008-01-01

Mexico is currently facing a crisis in the waste management field. Some efforts have just commenced in urban and in rural settlements, e.g., conversion of open dumps into landfills, a relatively small composting culture, and implementation of source separation and plastic recycling strategies. Nonetheless, the high heterogeneity of components in the waste, many of these with hazardous properties, present the municipal collection services with serious problems, due to the risks to the health of the workers and to the impacts to the environment as a result of the inadequate disposition of these wastes. A generation study in the domestic sector was undertaken with the aim of finding out the composition and the generation rate of household hazardous waste (HHW) produced at residences. Simultaneously to the generation study, a socioeconomic survey was applied to determine the influence of income level on the production of HHW. Results from the solid waste generation analysis indicated that approximately 1.6% of the waste stream consists of HHW. Correspondingly, it was estimated that in Morelia, a total amount of 442ton/day of domestic waste are produced, including 7.1ton of HHW per day. Furthermore, the overall amount of HHW is not directly related to income level, although particular byproducts do correlate. However, an important difference was observed, as the brands and the presentation sizes of goods and products used in each socioeconomic stratum varied.

Lead exposure in radiator repair workers: a survey of Washington State radiator repair shops and review of occupational lead exposure registry data.

PubMed

Whittaker, Stephen G

2003-07-01

Radiator repair workers in Washington State have the greatest number of very elevated (> or =60 microg/dL) blood lead levels of any other worker population. The goals of this study were to determine the number of radiator repair workers potentially exposed to lead; estimate the extent of blood lead data underreporting to the Occupational Lead Exposure Registry; describe current safety and health practices in radiator repair shops; and determine appropriate intervention strategies to reduce exposure and increase employer and worker awareness. Lead exposure in Washington State's radiator repair workers was assessed by reviewing Registry data and conducting a statewide survey of radiator repair businesses. This study revealed that a total of 226 workers in Washington State (including owner-operators and all employees) conduct repair activities that could potentially result in excessive exposures to lead. Approximately 26% of radiator repair workers with elevated blood lead levels (> or =25 microg/dL) were determined to report to Washington State's Registry. This study also revealed a lack of awareness of lead's health effects, appropriate industrial hygiene controls, and the requirements of the Lead Standard. Survey respondents requested information on a variety of workplace health and safety issues and waste management; 80% requested a confidential, free-of-charge consultation. Combining data derived from an occupational health surveillance system and a statewide mail survey proved effective at characterizing lead exposures and directing public health intervention in Washington State.

Biosafety and biosecurity measures: management of biosafety level 3 facilities.

PubMed

Zaki, Adel N

2010-11-01

With the increasing biological threat from emerging infectious diseases and bioterrorism, it has become essential for governments around the globe to increase awareness and preparedness for identifying and containing those agents. This article introduces the basic concepts of laboratory management, laboratory biosafety and laboratory biosecurity. Assessment criteria for laboratories' biorisk should include both biosafety and biosecurity measures. The assessment requires setting specific goals and selecting management approaches. In order to implement technologies at the laboratory working level, a management team should be created whose role is to implement biorisk policies, rules and regulations appropriate for that facility. Rules and regulations required by government authorities are presented, with special emphasis on methods for air control, and liquid and solid waste management. Management and biorisk measures and appropriate physical facilities must keep pace, ensuring efficient facilities that protect workers, the environment, the product (research, diagnostic and/or vaccine) and the biological pathogen. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Green Jobs: Definition and Method of Appraisal of Chemical and Biological Risks

PubMed Central

Cheneval, Erwan; Busque, Marc-Antoine; Ostiguy, Claude; Lavoie, Jacques; Bourbonnais, Robert; Labrèche, France; Bakhiyi, Bouchra; Zayed, Joseph

2016-01-01

In the wake of sustainable development, green jobs are developing rapidly, changing the work environment. However a green job is not automatically a safe job. The aim of the study was to define green jobs, and to establish a preliminary risk assessment of chemical substances and biological agents for workers in Quebec. An operational definition was developed, along with criteria and sustainable development principles to discriminate green jobs from regular jobs. The potential toxicity or hazard associated with their chemical and biological exposures was assessed, and the workers’ exposure appraised using an expert assessment method. A control banding approach was then used to assess risks for workers in selected green jobs. A double entry model allowed us to set priorities in terms of chemical or biological risk. Among jobs that present the highest risk potential, several are related to waste management. The developed method is flexible and could be adapted to better appraise the risks that workers are facing or to propose control measures. PMID:26718400

Assessment of the disposal of radioactive petroleum industry waste in nonhazardous landfills using risk-based modeling.

PubMed

Smith, Karen P; Arnish, John J; Williams, Gustavious P; Blunt, Deborah L

2003-05-15

Certain petroleum production activities cause naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) to accumulate in concentrations above natural background levels, making safe and cost-effective management of such technologically enhanced NORM (TENORM) a key issue for the petroleum industry. As a result, both industry and regulators are interested in identifying cost-effective disposal alternatives that provide adequate protection of human health and the environment One such alternative, currently allowed in Michigan with restrictions, is the disposal of TENORM wastes in nonhazardous waste landfills. The disposal of petroleum industry wastes containing radium-226 (Ra-226) in nonhazardous landfills was modeled to evaluate the potential radiological doses and health risks to workers and the public. Multiple scenarios were considered in evaluating the potential risks associated with landfill operations and the future use of the property. The scenarios were defined, in part, to evaluate the Michigan policy; sensitivity analyses were conducted to evaluate the impact of key parameters on potential risks. The results indicate that the disposal of petroleum industry TENORM wastes in nonhazardous landfills in accordance with the Michigan policy and existing landfill regulations presents a negligible risk to most of the potential receptors considered in this study.

Approaches to formalization of the informal waste sector into municipal solid waste management systems in low- and middle-income countries: Review of barriers and success factors.

PubMed

Aparcana, Sandra

2017-03-01

The Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) sector represents a major challenge for low-and middle-income countries due to significant environmental and socioeconomic issues involving rapid urbanization, their MSWM systems, and the existence of the informal waste sector. Recognizing its role, several countries have implemented various formalization measures, aiming to address the social problems linked to this sector. However, regardless of these initiatives, not all attempts at formalization have proved successful due to the existence of barriers preventing their implementation in the long term. Along with this, there is a frequent lack of knowledge or understanding regarding these barriers and the kind of measures that may enable formalization, thereby attaining a win-win situation for all the stakeholders involved. In this context, policy- and decision-makers in the public and private sectors are frequently confronted with the dilemma of finding workable approaches to formalization, adjusted to their particular MSWM contexts. Building on the review of frequently implemented approaches to formalization, including an analysis of the barriers to and enabling measures for formalization, this paper aims to address this gap by explaining to policy- and decision-makers, and to waste managers in the private sector, certain dynamics that can be observed and that should be taken into account when designing formalization strategies that are adapted to their particular socioeconomic and political-institutional context. This includes possible links between formalization approaches and barriers, the kinds of barriers that need to be removed, and enabling measures leading to successful formalization in the long term. This paper involved a literature review of common approaches to formalization, which were classified into three categories: (1) informal waste workers organized in associations or cooperatives; (2) organized in CBOs or MSEs; and (3) contracted as individual workers by the formal waste sector. This was followed by the identification and subsequent classification of measures for removing common barriers to formalization into five categories: policy/legal, institutional/organizational, technical, social, and economic/financial. The approaches to formalization, as well as the barrier categories, were validated through the assessment of twenty case studies of formalization. Building on the assessment, the paper discussed possible links between formalization approaches and barriers, the 'persistent' challenges that represent barriers to formalization, as well as key enabling factors improving the likelihood of successful formalization. Regardless of the type of approach adopted to formalization, the review identifies measures to remove barriers in all five categories, with a stronger link between the approaches 1 and 2 and the existence of measures in the policy, institutional, and financial categories. Regarding persistent barriers, the review identified ones arising from the absence of measures to address a particular issue before formalization or due to specific country- or sector-related conditions, and their interaction with the MSWM context. 75% of the case studies had persistent barriers in respect of policy/legal issues, 50% of institutional/organizational, 45% of financial/economic, and 40%, and 35% of social and technical issues respectively. This paper concludes that independently of the formalization approach, the lack of interventions or measures in any of the five categories of barriers may lead formalization initiatives to fail, as unaddressed barriers become 'persistent' after formalization is implemented. Furthermore, 'persistent barriers' may also appear due to unfavorable country-specific conditions. The success of a formalization initiative does not depend on a specific approach, but most likely on the inclusion of country-appropriate measures at the policy, economic and institutional levels. The empowerment of informal waste-workers is again confirmed as a further key success factor for their formalization. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relationship between e-waste recycling and human health risk in India: a critical review.

PubMed

Awasthi, Abhishek Kumar; Zeng, Xianlai; Li, Jinhui

2016-06-01

Informal recycling of waste (including e-waste) is an emerging source of environmental pollution in India. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and heavy metals, among other substances, are a major health concern for workers engaged in waste disposal and processing, and for residents living near these facilities, and are also a detriment to the natural environment. The main objective of this review article was to evaluate the status of these impacts. The review found that, huge quantity of e-waste/waste generated, only a small amount is treated formally; the remainder is processed through the informal sector. We also evaluated the exposure pathways, both direct and indirect, and the human body load markers (e.g., serum, blood, breast milk, urine, and hair), and assessed the evidence for the association between these markers and e-waste exposure. Our results indicated that the open dumping and informal e-waste recycling systems should be replaced by the best available technology and environmental practices, with proper monitoring and regular awareness programs for workers and residents. Further and more detailed investigation in this area is also recommended.

Human ergology that promotes participatory approach to improving safety, health and working conditions at grassroots workplaces: achievements and actions.

PubMed

Kawakami, Tsuyoshi

2011-12-01

Participatory approaches are increasingly applied to improve safety, health and working conditions of grassroots workplaces in Asia. The core concepts and methods in human ergology research such as promoting real work life studies, relying on positive efforts of local people (daily life-technology), promoting active participation of local people to identify practical solutions, and learning from local human networks to reach grassroots workplaces, have provided useful viewpoints to devise such participatory training programmes. This study was aimed to study and analyze how human ergology approaches were applied in the actual development and application of three typical participatory training programmes: WISH (Work Improvement for Safe Home) with home workers in Cambodia, WISCON (Work Improvement in Small Construction Sites) with construction workers in Thailand, and WARM (Work Adjustment for Recycling and Managing Waste) with waste collectors in Fiji. The results revealed that all the three programmes, in the course of their developments, commonly applied direct observation methods of the work of target workers before devising the training programmes, learned from existing local good examples and efforts, and emphasized local human networks for cooperation. These methods and approaches were repeatedly applied in grassroots workplaces by taking advantage of their the sustainability and impacts. It was concluded that human ergology approaches largely contributed to the developments and expansion of participatory training programmes and could continue to support the self-help initiatives of local people for promoting human-centred work.

Socio-economic integration of the informal recycling sector through an NGO intervention at the Andralanitra dumpsite in Antananarivo, Madagascar.

PubMed

Andrianisa, Harinaivo A; Randriatsiferana, Fanilo M; Rakotoson, Serge L; Rakotoaritera, Fanja

2018-01-01

The social status improvement and the degree of integration of the informal recycling sector, by using InteRa, made by the AKAMASOA association interventions at the Andralanitra dumpsite (Antananarivo, Madagascar) was assessed. 20% of the workers from the three activities at the site were interviewed: 325 scavengers, 12 compost producers and three soap manufacturers. It was found that the incomes of Andralanitra workers are relatively low compared to that of people working in the same field in other countries (30-60 USD/month). However, with the social support from AKAMASOA, their living conditions were greatly improved, allowing them to own their house, have access to water and sanitation facilities and send their children to school or subscribe to health insurance and bank savings. Though they do not experience the common socio-economic issues faced by informal workers at dumpsites and their works are highly appreciated by the solid waste management (SWM) stakeholders, there is no official planned intervention to formalise their situation. Thus, InteRa has shown low scores in SWM and organisational interfaces and high scores in materials/value chain and social interfaces. AKAMASOA actions are good examples of successful NGO interventions to improve the dumpsites' informal recycling social status. The findings suggest that full integration into the SWM system should be supported by municipalities through the setting of policy and regulations on the access to dumpsites and the exploitation of the wastes.

Emission of bacteria and fungi in the air from wastewater treatment plants - a review.

PubMed

Korzeniewska, Ewa

2011-01-01

An increase in global population, coupled with intensive development of industry and agriculture, has resulted in the generation and accumulation of large amounts of waste around the world. The spread of pathogenic microorganisms, endotoxins, odours and dust particles in the air is an inevitable consequence of waste production and waste management. Thus, the risk of infections associated with wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) has become of a particular importance in recent decades. Sewage and unstable sludge contain various pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, and human and animal parasites. These microorganisms can be transmitted to the ambient air in wastewater droplets, which are generated during aeration or mechanical moving of the sewage. Bioaerosols generated during wastewater treatment may therefore pose a potential health hazard to workers of these plants or to habitants of their surroundings. The degree of human exposure to airborne bacteria, fungi, endotoxin and other allergens may vary significantly depending upon the type and the capacity of a plant, kind of the facilities, performed activities and meteorological conditions.

Human migration activities drive the fluctuation of ARGs: Case study of landfills in Nanjing, eastern China.

PubMed

Sun, Mingming; Ye, Mao; Schwab, Arthur P; Li, Xu; Wan, Jinzhong; Wei, Zhong; Wu, Jun; Friman, Ville-Petri; Liu, Kuan; Tian, Da; Liu, Manqiang; Li, Huixin; Hu, Feng; Jiang, Xin

2016-09-05

Landfills are perfect sites to study the effect of human migration on fluctuation of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) as they are the final destination of municipal waste. For example, large-scale human migration during the holidays is often accompanied by changes in waste dumping having potential effects on ARG abundance. Three landfills were selected to examine fluctuation in the abundance of fifteen ARGs and Intl1 genes for 14 months in Nanjing, eastern China. Mass human migration, the amount of dumped waste and temperature exerted the most significant effects on bimonthly fluctuations of ARG levels in landfill sites. As a middle-sized cosmopolitan city in China, millions of college students and workers migrate during holidays, contributing to the dramatic increases in waste production and fluctuation in ARG abundances. In line with this, mass migration explained most of the variation in waste dumping. The waste dumping also affected the bioaccessibility of mixed-compound pollutants that further positively impacted the level of ARGs. The influence of various bioaccessible compounds on ARG abundance followed the order: antibiotics>nutrients>metals>organic pollutants. Concentrations of bioaccessible compounds were more strongly correlated with ARG levels compared to total compound concentrations. Improved waste classification and management strategies could thus help to decrease the amount of bioaccessible pollutants leading to more effective control for urban ARG dissemination. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of Occupational Exposure Limits for the Hanford Tank Farms

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Still, Kenneth; Gardner, Donald; Snyder, Robert

Production of plutonium for the United States’ nuclear weapons program from the 1940’s to the 1980’s generated 53 million gallons of radioactive chemical waste, which is storedin 177 underground tanks at the Hanford Site in southeastern W 18 ashington State. Recent 19 attempts to begin the retrieval and treatment of these wastes require moving the waste to 20 more modern tanks results in potential exposure of the workers to unfamiliar odors 21 emanating from headspace in the tanks. Given the unknown risks involved, workers 22 were placed on supplied air respiratory protection. CH2M HILL, the managers of the 23 Hanfordmore » Site Tank Farms, asked an Independent Toxicology Panel (ITP) to assist them in issues relating to an Industrial Hygiene and risk assessment problem. The ITP was called upon to help determine the risk of exposure to vapors from the tanks, and in general develop a strategy for solution of the problem. This paper presents the methods used to determine the chemicals of potential concern (COPC) and the resultant development of screening values and Acceptable Occupational Exposure Limits (AOELs) for these COPCs. A total of 1,826 chemicals were inventoried and evaluated. Over 1,500 chemicals were identified in the waste tanks headspaces and more than 600 of these were assigned screening values; 72 of these compounds were recommended for AOEL development. Included in this list of 72 were 57 COPCs identified by the ITP and of these 47 were subsequently assigned AOELs. An exhaustive exposure assessment strategy was developed by the CH2M HILL industrial hygiene department to evaluate these COPCs.« less

Implementation of Information Management System for Radiation Safety of Personnel at the Russian Northwest Center for Radioactive Waste Management 'SevRAO' - 13131

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chizhov, K.; Simakov, A.; Seregin, V.

2013-07-01

The report is an overview of the information-analytical system designed to assure radiation safety of workers. The system was implemented in the Northwest Radioactive Waste Management Center 'SevRAO' (which is a branch of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise 'Radioactive Waste Management Enterprise RosRAO'). The center is located in the Northwest Russia. In respect to 'SevRAO', the Federal Medical-Biological Agency is the regulatory body, which deals with issues of radiation control. The main document to regulate radiation control is 'Reference levels of radiation factors in radioactive wastes management center'. This document contains about 250 parameters. We have developed a software toolmore » to simplify control of these parameters. The software includes: input interface, the database, dose calculating module and analytical block. Input interface is used to enter radiation environment data. Dose calculating module calculates the dose on the route. Analytical block optimizes and analyzes radiation situation maps. Much attention is paid to the GUI and graphical representation of results. The operator can enter the route at the industrial site or watch the fluctuations of the dose rate field on the map. Most of the results are presented in a visual form. Here we present some analytical tasks, such as comparison of the dose rate in some point with control levels at this point, to be solved for the purpose of radiation safety control. The program helps to identify points making the largest contribution to the collective dose of the personnel. The tool can automatically calculate the route with the lowest dose, compare and choose the best route. The program uses several options to visualize the radiation environment at the industrial site. This system will be useful for radiation monitoring services during the operation, planning of works and development of scenarios. The paper presents some applications of this system on real data over three years - from March 2009 to February 2012. (authors)« less

Prototype apparatus for the measurement of tritium in expired air using plastic scintillator pellets.

PubMed

Furuta, Etsuko; Ito, Takeshi

2018-02-01

A new apparatus for measuring tritiated water in expired air was developed using plastic scintillator (PS) pellets and a low-background liquid scintillation counter. The sensitivity of the apparatus was sufficient when a large adapted Teflon vial was used. The measurement method generated low amounts of organic waste because the PS pellets were reusable by rinsing, and had adequate detection limits. The apparatus is useful for the safety management of workers that are exposed to radioactive materials. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Systematic Review: Occupational illness in the waste and recycling sector

PubMed Central

Poole, C J M; Basu, S

2017-01-01

Abstract Background The waste and recycling sector is a growing part of industry. Whether health surveillance is indicated and how it should be undertaken is unclear. Aims To undertake a review of the literature to identify hazards to health, biological effects and occupational illnesses for workers in the sector. Methods A systematic review of the published literature and two UK databases. Results Rates of fatal, non-fatal injuries and self-reported work-related illness were found to be higher in the waste and recycling sector than in UK industry as a whole. There was an increased prevalence of respiratory, gastro-intestinal and skin complaints in workers exposed to compost relative to controls. They may also be at increased risk of extrinsic allergic alveolitis, allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, occupational asthma and abnormalities of lung function. Workers involved with the recycling of batteries and cables may be at risk of lead poisoning and exposure to other heavy metals. There were case reports of mercury poisoning from the recycling of fluorescent lights. Cases of occupational asthma have been reported in association with wood and paper recycling. The recycling of e-waste may cause exposure to heavy metals and organic pollutants, such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers, dioxins and polyaromatic hydrocarbons, which have been associated with damage to DNA and adverse neonatal outcomes. Conclusions Ill-health and adverse biological effects have been described in waste and recycling workers, but their true prevalence has probably not been captured. Targeted health surveillance may be required to assess exposure and to identify occupational illness. PMID:29165683

Polychlorinated biphenyls and their hydroxylated metabolites in the serum of e-waste dismantling workers from eastern China.

PubMed

Ma, Shengtao; Ren, Guofa; Zeng, Xiangying; Yu, Zhiqiang; Sheng, Guoying; Fu, Jiamo

2017-05-05

A number of studies have reported on the exposure of e-waste dismantling workers to significantly high concentrations of halogenated organic pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers. Such exposure can have adverse health effects. However, little information on the metabolites of these contaminants exists. In this study, we investigated PCBs levels and their hydroxylated metabolites (OH-PCB) in the serum of e-waste workers in Taizhou in eastern China. Our results indicate elevated PCB and OH-PCB levels in the serum of the workers, with medians of 443.7 and 133.9 ng/g lw, respectively. Tri- to hexachlorinated PCB congeners were the dominant homologue groups in all of the samples. 4-OH-CB107 was the predominant homologue among the hydroxylated metabolites, accounting for 88.9% of the total OH-PCB concentrations. While dietary sources (e.g., fish) appear to be an important route for PCB accumulation in non-occupational exposure groups, exposure via ingestion of house dust and inhalation of pollutants derived from the recycling of PCB-containing e-wastes may primarily contribute to the high body burden observed in the occupational groups. Since we found concentrations of metabolites higher than those of their parent compounds, further studies need to pay more attention to their bioaccumulation and toxicity.

Drinking Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene Promotion Interventions in Two Slum Communities in Central Uganda.

PubMed

Musoke, David; Ndejjo, Rawlance; Halage, Abdullah Ali; Kasasa, Simon; Ssempebwa, John C; Carpenter, David O

2018-01-01

Poor water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) continue to contribute to the high prevalence of diarrhoeal diseases in low-income countries such as Uganda particularly in slums. We implemented a 3-year WASH project in two urban slums in Uganda with a focus on safe drinking water and improvement in sanitation. The project implemented community and school interventions in addition to capacity building initiatives. Community interventions included home improvement campaigns, clean-up exercises, water quality assessment, promotion of drinking safe water through household point-of-use chlorination, promotion of hand washing, and support towards solid waste management. In schools, the project supported health clubs and provided them with "talking compound" messages. The capacity building initiatives undertaken included training of youth and community health workers. Project evaluation revealed several improvements in WASH status of the slums including increase in piped water usage from 38% to 86%, reduction in use of unprotected water sources from 30% to 2%, reduction in indiscriminate disposal of solid waste from 18% to 2%, and increase in satisfaction with solid waste management services from 40% to 92%. Such proactive and sustainable community interventions have the potential to not only improve lives of slum inhabitants in developing countries but also create lasting impact.

Drinking Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene Promotion Interventions in Two Slum Communities in Central Uganda

PubMed Central

Halage, Abdullah Ali; Kasasa, Simon; Ssempebwa, John C.; Carpenter, David O.

2018-01-01

Poor water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) continue to contribute to the high prevalence of diarrhoeal diseases in low-income countries such as Uganda particularly in slums. We implemented a 3-year WASH project in two urban slums in Uganda with a focus on safe drinking water and improvement in sanitation. The project implemented community and school interventions in addition to capacity building initiatives. Community interventions included home improvement campaigns, clean-up exercises, water quality assessment, promotion of drinking safe water through household point-of-use chlorination, promotion of hand washing, and support towards solid waste management. In schools, the project supported health clubs and provided them with “talking compound” messages. The capacity building initiatives undertaken included training of youth and community health workers. Project evaluation revealed several improvements in WASH status of the slums including increase in piped water usage from 38% to 86%, reduction in use of unprotected water sources from 30% to 2%, reduction in indiscriminate disposal of solid waste from 18% to 2%, and increase in satisfaction with solid waste management services from 40% to 92%. Such proactive and sustainable community interventions have the potential to not only improve lives of slum inhabitants in developing countries but also create lasting impact. PMID:29623096

Silica exposure to excavation workers during the excavation of a low level radiological waste pit and tritium disposal shafts

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wilson, K.M.

1995-01-01

This study evaluated the task-length average (TLA) respirable dust and respirable silica airborne concentrations to which construction workers excavating volcanic tuff at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) were exposed. These workers were excavating a low level radiological waste disposal pit of final dimensions 720 feet long, 132 feet wide and 60 feet deep. The objectives of this study were as follows: (1) evaluate exposures; (2) determine if the type of machinery used affects the respirable dust concentration in the breathing zone of the worker; (3) evaluate the efficacy of wetting the pit to reduce the respirable dust exposure; and (4)more » determine if exposure increases with increasing depth of pit due to the walls of the pit blocking the cross wind ventilation.« less

Health, Safety, and Environment Division

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wade, C

1992-01-01

The primary responsibility of the Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE) Division at the Los Alamos National Laboratory is to provide comprehensive occupational health and safety programs, waste processing, and environmental protection. These activities are designed to protect the worker, the public, and the environment. Meeting these responsibilities requires expertise in many disciplines, including radiation protection, industrial hygiene, safety, occupational medicine, environmental science and engineering, analytical chemistry, epidemiology, and waste management. New and challenging health, safety, and environmental problems occasionally arise from the diverse research and development work of the Laboratory, and research programs in HSE Division often stem from thesemore » applied needs. These programs continue but are also extended, as needed, to study specific problems for the Department of Energy. The results of these programs help develop better practices in occupational health and safety, radiation protection, and environmental science.« less

Extending Safety Culture Development through Communication - 12366

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sneve, M.K.; Kiselev, M.; Shandala, N.K.

2012-07-01

The Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority has been implementing a regulatory support program in the Russian Federation for over 10 years, as part of the Norwegian government's Plan of Action for enhancing nuclear and radiation safety in northwest Russia. The overall long-term objective is the enhancement of safety culture. The project outputs have included appropriate regulatory threat assessments, to determine the hazardous activities which are most in need of enhanced regulatory supervision; and development of the norms, standards and regulatory procedures, necessary to address the often abnormal conditions at nuclear legacy sites. Project outputs have been prepared and subsequently confirmed asmore » official regulatory documents of the Russian Federation. The continuing program of work focuses on practical application of the enhanced regulatory framework as applied to legacy sites, including safe management of radioactive wastes arising in the process of site remediation. One of the lessons learnt from this practical application is the importance of effective communication at all levels: - between managers and shop workers; - between different operators - e.g. waste producers and waste disposal organisations; - between operators and regulators; - between nuclear safety regulators, radiation protection regulators and other pollution and safety regulators; - between scientists, policy makers and wider stakeholders; and - between all of those mentioned above. A key message from this work is that it is not just an issue of risk communication; rather all aspects of communication can contribute to safety culture enhancement to support effective and efficient risk management, including the role of regulatory supervision. (authors)« less

22. CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS PHOTO SHOWING WORKERS LOWERING CALCINER VESSEL INTO ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

22. CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS PHOTO SHOWING WORKERS LOWERING CALCINER VESSEL INTO CELL THROUGH THE HATCH. INEEL PHOTO NUMBER NRTS-60-2485. - Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Old Waste Calcining Facility, Scoville, Butte County, ID

Assessment of potential doses to workers during postulated accident conditions at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hoover, M.D.; Farrell, R.F.; Newton, G.J.

1995-12-01

The recent 1995 WIPP Safety Analysis Report (SAR) Update provided detailed analyses of potential radiation doses to members of the public at the site boundary during postulated accident scenarios at the U.S. Department of Energy`s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). The SAR Update addressed the complete spectrum of potential accidents associated with handling and emplacing transuranic waste at WIPP, including damage to waste drums from fires, punctures, drops, and other disruptions. The report focused on the adequacy of the multiple layers of safety practice ({open_quotes}defense-in-depth{close_quotes}) at WIPP, which are designed to (1) reduce the likelihood of accidents and (2) limitmore » the consequences of those accidents. The safeguards which contribute to defense-in-depth at WIPP include a substantial array of inherent design features, engineered controls, and administrative procedures. The SAR Update confirmed that the defense-in-depth at WIPP is adequate to assure the protection of the public and environment. As a supplement to the 1995 SAR Update, we have conducted additional analyses to confirm that these controls will also provide adequate protection to workers at the WIPP. The approaches and results of the worker dose assessment are summarized here. In conformance with the guidance of DOE Standard 3009-94, we emphasize that use of these evaluation guidelines is not intended to imply that these numbers constitute acceptable limits for worker exposures under accident conditions. However, in conjunction with the extensive safety assessment in the 1995 SAR Update, these results indicate that the Carlsbad Area Office strategy for the assessment of hazards and accidents assures the protection of workers, members of the public, and the environment.« less

Predicting 30- to 120-Day Readmission Risk among Medicare Fee-for-Service Patients Using Nonmedical Workers and Mobile Technology.

PubMed

Ostrovsky, Andrey; O'Connor, Lori; Marshall, Olivia; Angelo, Amanda; Barrett, Kelsy; Majeski, Emily; Handrus, Maxwell; Levy, Jeffrey

2016-01-01

Hospital readmissions are a large source of wasteful healthcare spending, and current care transition models are too expensive to be sustainable. One way to circumvent cost-prohibitive care transition programs is complement nurse-staffed care transition programs with those staffed by less expensive nonmedical workers. A major barrier to utilizing nonmedical workers is determining the appropriate time to escalate care to a clinician with a wider scope of practice. The objective of this study is to show how mobile technology can use the observations of nonmedical workers to stratify patients on the basis of their hospital readmission risk. An area agency on aging in Massachusetts implemented a quality improvement project with the aim of reducing 30-day hospital readmission rates using a modified care transition intervention supported by mobile predictive analytics technology. Proprietary readmission risk prediction algorithms were used to predict 30-, 60-, 90-, and 120-day readmission risk. The risk score derived from the nonmedical workers' observations had a significant association with 30-day readmission rate with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.12 (95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1 .09-1.15) compared to an OR of 1.25 (95 percent CI, 1.19-1.32) for the risk score using nurse observations. Risk scores using nurse interpretation of nonmedical workers' observations show that patients in the high-risk category had significantly higher readmission rates than patients in the baseline-risk and mild-risk categories at 30, 60, 90, and 120 days after discharge. Of the 1,064 elevated-risk alerts that were triaged, 1,049 (98.6 percent) involved the nurse care manager, 804 (75.6 percent) involved the patient, 768 (72.2 percent) involved the health coach, 461 (43.3 percent) involved skilled nursing, and 235 (22.1 percent) involved the outpatient physician in the coordination of care in response to the alert. The predictive nature of the 30-day readmission risk scores is influenced by both nurse and nonmedical worker input, and both are required to adequately triage the needs of the patient. Although this preliminary study is limited by a modest effect size, it demonstrates one approach to using technology to contribute to delivery model innovation that could curb wasteful healthcare spending by tapping into an existing underutilized workforce.

PROCESS KNOWLEDGE DATA GATHERING AND REPORTING IN SUPPORT OF DECOMMISSIONING Health Physics Society Annual Meeting West Palm Beach, Florida June 27, 2011

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

David A. King

2011-06-27

Summary of recent ORAU decommissioning activities at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and the East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP). Project objective was to generate approved Waste Lot Profiles for legacy facilities scheduled for demolition and shipment to the Environmental Management Waste Management Facility (EMWMF) or appropriate alternate facility. The form and content of process knowledge (PK) reports were developed with input from the EMWMF Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) Attainment Team and regulators. PK may be defined as the knowledge of the design and the history of operations that occurs during the life cycle of a facility (paraphrased from SRNLmore » guidance) - similar to the MARSSIM historical site assessment. Some types of PK data used to decommission ORNL and ETTP facilities include: (1) Design drawings; (2) Historical documents [e.g., History of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory by Thomas (1963) and A Brief History of the Chemical Technical Division (ORNL/M-2733)]; (3) Historical photographs; (4) Radiological survey reports; (5) Facility-specific databases - (a) Spill history, (b) Waste Information Tracking System (WITS), and (c) Hazardous Materials Management Information System (HMMIS); (6) Facility walkdown summary reports; and (7) Living memory data. Facility walkdowns are critical for worker safety planning and to assure on-the-ground-conditions match historical descriptions. For Oak Ridge operations, investigators also document the nature and number of items requiring special handling or disposition planning, such as the following: (1) Items containing polychlorinated biphenyls, asbestos, lead, or refrigerants; (2) Items with physical WAC restriction (e.g., large items, pipes, and concrete); and (3) Too 'hot' for EMWMF. Special emphasis was made to interview facility managers, scientists, technicians, or anyone with direct knowledge of process-related activities. Interviews often led to more contact names and reports but also offered anecdotal accounts of releases, process-related operations, maintenance activities, and other relevant information not addressed in the written record. 'Fun' part of PK data gathering. Often got not-so-useful information such as, 'The operations manager was a jerk and we all hated him.' PK data are used to indicate the presence or absence of contaminants. Multiple lines of investigation are necessary for characterization planning and to help determine which disposal facility is best suited for targeted wastes. The model used by ORAU assisted remediation contractors and EMWMF managers by identifying anomalous waste and items requiring special handling.« less

A new approach to assess occupational exposure to airborne fungal contamination and mycotoxins of forklift drivers in waste sorting facilities.

PubMed

Viegas, Carla; Faria, Tiago; de Oliveira, Ana Cebola; Caetano, Liliana Aranha; Carolino, Elisabete; Quintal-Gomes, Anita; Twarużek, Magdalena; Kosicki, Robert; Soszczyńska, Ewelina; Viegas, Susana

2017-11-01

The waste management industry is an important employer, and exposure of waste-handling workers to microorganisms is considered an occupational health problem. Besides fungal contamination, it is important to consider the co-occurrence of mycotoxins in this setting. Forklifts with closed cabinet and air conditioner are commonly used in waste industry to transport waste and other products within the facilities, possibly increasing the risk of exposure under certain conditions. The aim of this study was to assess the fungal contamination and mycotoxin levels in filters from the air conditioning system of forklift cabinets, as an indicator to assess occupational exposure of the drivers working in a waste sorting facility. Cytotoxicity was also assessed to understand and characterize the toxicity of the complex mixtures as present in the forklift filters. Aqueous extracts of filters from 11 vehicles were streaked onto 2% malt extract agar (MEA) with chloramphenicol (0.05 g/L) media, and in dichloran glycerol (DG18) agar-based media for morphological identification of the mycobiota. Real-time quantitative PCR amplification of genes from Aspergillus sections Fumigati, Flavi, Circumdati, and Versicolores was also performed. Mycotoxins were analyzed using LC-MS/MS system. Cytotoxicity of filter extracts was analyzed by using a MTT cell culture test. Aspergillus species were found most frequently, namely Aspergillus sections Circumdati (MEA 48%; DG18 41%) and Nigri (MEA 32%; DG18 17.3%). By qPCR, only Aspergillus section Fumigati species were found, but positive results were obtained for all assessed filters. No mycotoxins were detected in aqueous filter extracts, but most extracts were highly cytotoxic (n = 6) or medium cytotoxic (n = 4). Although filter service life and cytotoxicity were not clearly correlated, the results suggest that observing air conditioner filter replacement frequency may be a critical aspect to avoid worker's exposure. Further research is required to check if the environmental conditions as present in the filters could allow the production of mycotoxins and their dissemination in the cabinet during the normal use of the vehicles.

Aerosol exposure and risk assessment for green jobs involved in biomethanization.

PubMed

Traversi, Deborah; Gorrasi, Ilaria; Pignata, Cristina; Degan, Raffaella; Anedda, Elisa; Carletto, Giulia; Vercellino, Greta; Fornasero, Stefania; Bertino, Antonino; Filippi, Francesca; Gullo, Maria; Gilli, Giorgio

2018-05-01

Anaerobic digestion is a consolidated biotechnology able to produce renewable energy from biomasses. In the European countries, quick growth of biogas production from different organic matrices including wastes has been observed. In relation to the characteristics and quantity of the anaerobic digestion of feedstock, there are different technologies, advantages and criticisms. An accurate occupational risk assessment and development of management tools for green jobs involved in the anaerobic digestion plants are due. The aim of this work is to assess the aerosol exposure for such workers, focusing on the bioaerosol risk. Full scale plants for the treatment of organic municipal waste, waste water treatment sludge, agro zootechnical and food producing byproducts were involved for this purpose. The bioaerosol levels were monitored during activities through culturing and biomolecular methods; moreover, the sub-fractionated PM10 and carried endotoxins were measured in different plant areas. Global microbial contamination is higher (>5000 UFC/m 3 ) in the area where organic wastes are handled and pretreated, both for organic municipal waste plants - with a bacterial prevalence - and agro zootechnical plants - with a fungi prevalence. Moreover, the microbial contamination is higher where organic municipal waste is present in respect to other biomasses (ANOVA p < 0.01). Numerous pathogens are carried by the aerosol. HAdV-4 presence is lower than LOQ (50 gene copies/m 3 ) in all the samples. Environmental PM10 reached the 280 μg/m 3 level including PM3 for 78%. Endotoxin pollution overtakes the 90 EU/m 3 limit sporadically. Personal PM4.5 reached 10 mg/m 3 only for maintenance technicians in the pretreatment area for organic municipal waste. The risk can be evaluated under a quantitative and qualitative point of view highlighting risk management improvement for anaerobic digestion plants. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

RELEASE OF DRIED RADIOACTIVE WASTE MATERIALS TECHNICAL BASIS DOCUMENT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

KOZLOWSKI, S.D.

2007-05-30

This technical basis document was developed to support RPP-23429, Preliminary Documented Safety Analysis for the Demonstration Bulk Vitrification System (PDSA) and RPP-23479, Preliminary Documented Safety Analysis for the Contact-Handled Transuranic Mixed (CH-TRUM) Waste Facility. The main document describes the risk binning process and the technical basis for assigning risk bins to the representative accidents involving the release of dried radioactive waste materials from the Demonstration Bulk Vitrification System (DBVS) and to the associated represented hazardous conditions. Appendices D through F provide the technical basis for assigning risk bins to the representative dried waste release accident and associated represented hazardous conditionsmore » for the Contact-Handled Transuranic Mixed (CH-TRUM) Waste Packaging Unit (WPU). The risk binning process uses an evaluation of the frequency and consequence of a given representative accident or represented hazardous condition to determine the need for safety structures, systems, and components (SSC) and technical safety requirement (TSR)-level controls. A representative accident or a represented hazardous condition is assigned to a risk bin based on the potential radiological and toxicological consequences to the public and the collocated worker. Note that the risk binning process is not applied to facility workers because credible hazardous conditions with the potential for significant facility worker consequences are considered for safety-significant SSCs and/or TSR-level controls regardless of their estimated frequency. The controls for protection of the facility workers are described in RPP-23429 and RPP-23479. Determination of the need for safety-class SSCs was performed in accordance with DOE-STD-3009-94, Preparation Guide for US. Department of Energy Nonreactor Nuclear Facility Documented Safety Analyses, as described below.« less

Twenty-six tons of lead oxide used per year in wooden boat building and repairing in southern Thailand.

PubMed

Chongsuvivatwong, Virasakdi; Kaeosanit, Suwapit; Untimanon, Orrapan

2011-06-01

In southern Thailand, the wooden boat building and repair industry uses powdered lead oxide (Pb(3)O(4,) or red lead) in the caulking process. This had been shown to be a significant source of contamination in the workplace and the communities. This cross-sectional study was conducted to estimate the amount of lead oxide used in the region and to document the management of hazardous waste product in this industry. All boatyards in southern Thailand registered to the Ministry of Industry were visited with walk-through observation. After consent, questionnaire-based interviews were conducted among workers and boatyard owners who rented out the space for building and repairing the boats. Of the 63 active boatyards identified, approximately 26 tons of lead oxide was used to repair approximately 8,000 boats each year. Due to the casual employment system in this industry, no facility for the protection of workers and the environment from lead contamination exists. The findings indicate the need for further studies on the extent of contamination in the broader area. Intervention programmes are also urgently needed to reduce the release of this hazardous waste into the community. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2010

Mortality among workers at municipal waste incinerators in Rome: a retrospective cohort study.

PubMed

Rapiti, E; Sperati, A; Fano, V; Dell'Orco, V; Forastiere, F

1997-05-01

A retrospective mortality study of a cohort of 532 male subjects employed at two municipal plants for garbage recycling and incinerating has been conducted. All workers ever employed at the plants since 1962 were enrolled and followed up from January 1, 1965 to December 31, 1992. Standardized Mortality Ratios (SMRs) and 90% confidence intervals (90%CI) were calculated using regional population mortality rates. The study yielded a total of 8,585 person-years of observation. Mortality from all causes was significantly lower than expected (observed [obs] = 31; SMR = 0.71; 90%CI = 0.51-0.95). All cancer mortality was comparable with that of the general population (obs = 15; SMR = 0.95; 90%CI = 0.58-1.46). Mortality from lung cancer was reduced (obs = 3; SMR = 0.55; 90%CI = 0.15-1.42). Increased risk was found for gastric cancer (obs = 4; SMR = 2.79; 90%CI = 0.94-6.35). Analysis by latency indicated that the excess risk of gastric cancer was confined in the category with more than 10 years since first exposure. Our results for gastric and lung cancers indicate the need to further investigate the role on cancer of occupational exposure to organic dust and bacterial endotoxins in the waste management.

Quality Improvement of Ground Works Process with the Use of Chosen Lean Management Tools - Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nowotarski, Piotr; Paslawski, Jerzy; Wysocki, Bartosz

2017-12-01

Ground works are one of the first processes connected with erecting structures. Based on ground conditions like the type of soil or level of underground water different types and solutions for foundations are designed. Foundations are the base for the buildings, and their proper design and execution is the key for the long and faultless use of the whole construction and might influence on the future costs of the eventual repairs (especially when ground water level is high, and there is no proper water insulation made). Article presents the introduction of chosen Lean Management tools for quality improvement of the process of ground works based on the analysis made on the construction site of vehicle control station located in Poznan, Poland. Processes assessment is made from different perspectives taking into account that 3 main groups of workers were directly involved in the process: blue collar-workers, site manager and site engineers. What is more comparison is made on the 3 points of view to the problems that might occur during this type of works, with details analysis on the causes of such situation? Authors presents also the change of approach of workers directly involved in the mentioned processes regarding introduction of Lean Management methodology, which illustrates the problem of scepticism for new ideas of the people used to perform works and actions in traditional way. Using Lean Management philosophy in construction is a good idea to streamline processes in company, get rid of constantly recurring problems, and in this way improve the productivity and quality of executed activities. Performed analysis showed that different groups of people have very different idea and opinion on the problems connected with executing the same process - ground works and only having full picture of the situation (especially in construction processes) management can take proper problems-preventing actions that consequently can influence on the amount of waste generated on the construction cite which positively influence on the external environment.

Study on Consumer Opposition to Exporting Recyclable Wastes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suzuki, Yoshiyuki; Koizumi, Kunishige; Zhou, Weisheng

Trans-boundary trade from Japan to China of recyclable wastes such as waste copper has increased rapidly, because of resource demands through economic growth. These wastes are recycled at high rates thanks to the Chinese manual recycling process by a lot of low wage migrant workers from rural districts. China benefits by supplying jobs to many migrant workers and getting cheap resources. Although, Japanese consumers may have some opposition to exporting end-of-pipe home appliance wastes to foreign countries. From the results of the path-analysis from the questionnaire to Japanese consumers, it became clear that their reluctance came from anxiety about illegal dumping, the labor environment at the import country and the destruction of the ecosystem. Through conjoint analysis, willingness to pay the recycling fee decreases - 1,625 yen (equal to 34% of the current recycling fee of 4,630 yen) when choosing global recycling as opposed to domestic recycling, hypothesizing that consumers would rather recycle domestically instead of globally.

Using SAFRAN Software to Assess Radiological Hazards from Dismantling of Tammuz-2 Reactor Core at Al-tuwaitha Nuclear Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abed Gatea, Mezher; Ahmed, Anwar A.; jundee kadhum, Saad; Ali, Hasan Mohammed; Hussein Muheisn, Abbas

2018-05-01

The Safety Assessment Framework (SAFRAN) software has implemented here for radiological safety analysis; to verify that the dose acceptance criteria and safety goals are met with a high degree of confidence for dismantling of Tammuz-2 reactor core at Al-tuwaitha nuclear site. The activities characterizing, dismantling and packaging were practiced to manage the generated radioactive waste. Dose to the worker was considered an endpoint-scenario while dose to the public has neglected due to that Tammuz-2 facility is located in a restricted zone and 30m berm surrounded Al-tuwaitha site. Safety assessment for dismantling worker endpoint-scenario based on maximum external dose at component position level in the reactor pool and internal dose via airborne activity while, for characterizing and packaging worker endpoints scenarios have been done via external dose only because no evidence for airborne radioactivity hazards outside the reactor pool. The in-situ measurements approved that reactor core components are radiologically activated by Co-60 radioisotope. SAFRAN results showed that the maximum received dose for workers are (1.85, 0.64 and 1.3mSv/y) for activities dismantling, characterizing and packaging of reactor core components respectively. Hence, the radiological hazards remain below the low level hazard and within the acceptable annual dose for workers in radiation field

Mass and number size distributions of emitted particulates at five important operation units in a hazardous industrial waste incineration plant.

PubMed

Lin, Chi-Chi; Huang, Hsiao-Lin; Hsiao, Wen-Yuan

2016-01-01

Past studies indicated particulates generated by waste incineration contain various hazardous compounds. The aerosol characteristics are very important for particulate hazard control and workers' protection. This study explores the detailed characteristics of emitted particulates from each important operation unit in a rotary kiln-based hazardous industrial waste incineration plant. A dust size analyzer (Grimm 1.109) and a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) were used to measure the aerosol mass concentration, mass size distribution, and number size distribution at five operation units (S1-S5) during periods of normal operation, furnace shutdown, and annual maintenance. The place with the highest measured PM10 concentration was located at the area of fly ash discharge from air pollution control equipment (S5) during the period of normal operation. Fine particles (PM2.5) constituted the majority of the emitted particles from the incineration plant. The mass size distributions (elucidated) made it clear that the size of aerosols caused by the increased particulate mass, resulting from work activities, were mostly greater than 1.5 μm. Whereas the number size distributions showed that the major diameters of particulates that caused the increase of particulate number concentrations, from work activities, were distributed in the sub micrometer range. The process of discharging fly ash from air pollution control equipment can significantly increase the emission of nanoparticles. The mass concentrations and size distributions of emitted particulates were different at each operation unit. This information is valuable for managers to take appropriate strategy to reduce the particulate emission and associated worker exposure.

Advanced worker protection system. Topical report, Phase I

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Myers, J.

1995-07-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) is in the process of defining the magnitude and diversity of Decontamination and Decommissioning (D&D) obligations at its numerous sites. The DOE believes that existing technologies are inadequate to solve many challenging problems such as how to decontaminate structures and equipment cost effectively, what to do with materials and wastes generated, and how to adequately protect workers and the environment. Preliminary estimates show a tremendous need for effective use of resources over a relatively long period (over 30 years). Several technologies are being investigated which can potentially reduce D&D costs while providing appropriate protection tomore » DOE workers. The DOE recognizes that traditional methods used by the EPA in hazardous waste site clean up activities are insufficient to provide the needed protection and worker productivity demanded by DOE D&D programs. As a consequence, new clothing and equipment which can adequately protect workers while providing increases in worker productivity are being sought for implementation at DOE sites. This project will result in the development of an Advanced Worker Protection System (AWPS). The AWPS will be built around a life support backpack that uses liquid air to provide cooling as well as breathing gas to the worker. The backpack will be combined with advanced protective garments, advanced liquid cooling garment, respirator, communications, and support equipment to provide improved worker protection, simplified system, maintenance, and dramatically improve worker productivity through longer duration work cycles.« less

Vertical Extraction Process Implemented at the 118-K-1 Burial Ground for Removal of Irradiated Reactor Debris from Silo Structures - 12431

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Teachout, Douglas B.; Adamson, Clinton J.; Zacharias, Ames

2012-07-01

The primary objective of a remediation project is the safe extraction and disposition of diverse waste forms and materials. Remediation of a solid waste burial ground containing reactor hardware and irradiated debris involves handling waste with the potential to expose workers to significantly elevated dose rates. Therefore, a major challenge confronted by any remediation project is developing work processes that facilitate compliant waste management practices while at the same time implementing controls to protect personnel. Traditional burial ground remediation is accomplished using standard excavators to remove materials from trenches and other excavation configurations often times with minimal knowledge of wastemore » that will be encountered at a specific location. In the case of the 118-K-1 burial ground the isotopic activity postulated in historic documents to be contained in vertical cylindrical silos was sufficient to create the potential for a significant radiation hazard to project personnel. Additionally, certain reported waste forms posed an unacceptably high potential to contaminate the surrounding environment and/or workers. Based on process knowledge, waste management requirements, historic document review, and a lack of characterization data it was determined that traditional excavation techniques applied to remediation of vertical silos would expose workers to unacceptable risk. The challenging task for the 118-K-1 burial ground remediation project team then became defining an acceptable replacement technology or modification of an existing technology to complete the silo remediation. Early characterization data provided a good tool for evaluating the location of potential high exposure rate items in the silos. Quantitative characterization was a different case and proved difficult because of the large diameter of the silos and the potential for variable density of attenuating soils and waste forms in the silo. Consequently, the most relevant information supporting job planning and understanding of the conditions was the data obtained from the gross gamma meter that was inserted into each casing to provide a rough estimate of dose rates in the tubes. No added value was realized in attempting to quantify the source term and/or associate the isotopic activity with a particular actual waste form (e.g., sludge). Implementing the WRM system allowed monitoring of worker and boundary exposure rates from a distance, maintaining compliance with ALARA principles. This system also provided the project team early knowledge of items being removed that had high exposure rates associated with them, thus creating an efficient method of acknowledging an issue and arriving at a solution prior to having an upset condition. An electronic dosimeter with telemetry capability replaced the excavator mounted AMP-100 system approximately half way through remediation of the silos. Much higher connectivity efficiency was derived from this configuration. Increasing the data feed efficiency additionally led to less interruption of the remediation effort. Early in system testing process a process handicap on the excavator operator was acknowledged. A loss of depth perception resulted when maneuvering the excavator and bucket using the camera feed to an in-cab monitor. Considerable practice and mock-up testing allowed this handicap to be overcome. The most significant equipment failures involved the cable connection to the camera mounted between the clamshell bucket jaws and the video splitter in the excavator cab. Rotation of the clamshell bucket was identified as the cause of cable connection failures because of the cyclic twisting motion and continuous mechanical jarring of the connection. In-cab vibration was identified as the culprit in causing connection failures of the video splitter. While these failures were repaired, substantial production time was lost. Ultimately, the decision was made to purchase a second cable and higher quality video splitter eliminate the down time. An engineering improvement for future operations would be inserting cable pig tails at more stressed cable connection points to facilitate rapid change out of the cable should that be required. Overall, the system performed better than expected in a safe and efficient manner. (authors)« less

Rest requirements and rest management of personnel in shift work

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hammell, B.D.; Scheuerle, A.

1995-12-31

A difficulty-weighted shift assignment scheme is proposed for use in prolonged and strenuous field operations such as emergency response, site testing, and short term hazardous waste remediation projects. The purpose of the work rotation plan is to increase productivity, safety, and moral of workers. Job weighting is accomplished by assigning adjustments to the mental and physical intensity of the task, the protective equipment worn, and the climatic conditions. The plan is based on medical studies of sleep deprivation, the effects of rest adjustments, and programs to reduce sleep deprivation and normalize shift schedules.

Liquid discharges from patients undergoing 131I treatments.

PubMed

Barquero, R; Basurto, F; Nuñez, C; Esteban, R

2008-10-01

This work discusses the production and management of liquid radioactive wastes as excretas from patients undergoing therapy procedures with 131I radiopharmaceuticals in Spain. The activity in the sewage has been estimated with and without waste radioactive decay tanks. Two common therapy procedures have been considered, the thyroid cancer (4.14 GBq administered per treatment), and the hyperthyroidism (414 MBq administered per treatment). The calculations were based on measurements of external exposure around the 244 hyperthyroidism patients and 23 thyroid cancer patients. The estimated direct activity discharged to the sewage for two thyroid carcinomas and three hyperthyroidisms was 14.57 GBq and 1.27 GBq, respectively, per week; the annual doses received by the most exposed individual (sewage worker) were 164 microSv and 13 microSv, respectively. General equations to calculate the activity as a function of the number of patient treated each week were also obtained.

Health, Safety, and Environment Division annual report 1989

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wade, C.

1992-01-01

The primary responsibility of the Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) Division at the Los Alamos National Laboratory is to provide comprehensive occupational health and safety programs, waste processing, and environmental protection. These activities are designed to protect the worker, the public, and the environment. Meeting the responsibilities involves many disciplines, including radiation protection, industrial hygiene, safety, occupational medicine, environmental science and engineering, analytical chemistry, epidemiology, and waste management. New and challenging health, safety, and environmental problems occasionally arise from the diverse research and development work of the Laboratory, and research programs in the HSE Division often stem from these appliedmore » needs. These programs continue but are also extended, as needed, to study specific problems for the Department of Energy. The result of these programs is to help develop better practices in occupational health and safety, radiation protection, and environmental sciences.« less

Technical and economic assessment of different options for minor actinide transmutation: the French case

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chabert, C.; Coquelet-Pascal, C.; Saturnin, A.

Studies have been performed to assess the industrial perspectives of partitioning and transmutation of long-lived elements. These studies were carried out in tight connection with GEN-IV systems development. The results include the technical and economic evaluation of fuel cycle scenarios along with different options for optimizing the processes between the minor actinide transmutation in fast neutron reactors, their interim storage and geological disposal of ultimate waste. The results are analysed through several criteria (impacts on waste, on waste repository, on fuel cycle plants, on radiological exposure of workers, on costs and on industrial risks). These scenario evaluations take place inmore » the French context which considers the deployment of the first Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor (SFR) in 2040. 3 management options of minor actinides have been studied: no transmutation, transmutation in SFR and transmutation in an accelerator-driven system (ADS). Concerning economics the study shows that the cost overrun related to the transmutation process could vary between 5 to 9% in SFR and 26 % in the case of ADS.« less

Effect of occupational safety measures on micronucleus frequency in semiconductor workers.

PubMed

Winker, Robert; Roos, Gerhard; Pilger, Alexander; Rüdiger, Hugo W

2008-02-01

To examine whether semiconductor workers exposed to complex mixtures of chemical waste show an increase in genotoxic effects, and, if so, whether occupational safety measures protect these workers. To assess chemical exposure in the workplace, air monitoring of boron trifluoride and boron trichloride was performed and urinary concentrations of fluoride were measured. The cytokinesis-block micronucleus test on isolated lymphocytes was used for the detection of genotoxic effects. Two series of monitoring have been performed in order to assess the effect of implemented protection measures. We found a significantly higher mean frequency of micronuclei in exposed workers than in controls, whereas air monitoring and measurement of urinary fluoride failed to detect chemical exposure of these workers. Twelve years after implementation of protective measures, the mean level of micronuclei in exposed individuals was found to be as low as those from controls. These findings indicate that exposed workers in the semiconductor industry may have an increased risk of genotoxic effects from complex mixtures of chemical waste products. The decline of the mean level of micronuclei in exposed workers down to the base level of controls after implementation of protective measures points to the significance of adequate safety standards to protect against chromosomal damage in semiconductor personnel.

Issues that Drive Waste Management Technology Development for Space Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fisher, John W.; Levri, Julie A.; Hogan, John A.; Wignarajah, Kanapathipillai

2005-01-01

Waste management technologies for space life support systems are currently at low development levels. Manual compaction of waste in plastic bags and overboard disposal to earth return vehicles are the primary current waste management methods. Particularly on future missions, continuance of current waste management methods would tend to expose the crew to waste hazards, forfeit recoverable resources such as water, consume valuable crew time, contaminate planetary surfaces, and risk return to Earth of extraterrestrial life. Improvement of waste management capabilities is needed for adequate management of wastes. Improvements include recovery of water and other resources, conversion of waste to states harmless to humans, long-term containment of wastes, and disposal of waste. Current NASA requirements documents on waste management are generally not highly detailed. More detailed requirements are needed to guide the development of waste management technologies that will adequately manage waste. In addition to satisfying requirements, waste management technologies must also recover resources. Recovery of resources such as water and habitat volume can reduce mission cost. This paper explores the drivers for waste management technology development including requirements and resource recovery.

Strategy for preventing the waste of human resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, William E.

1992-05-01

Rapid technological advances and the declining educational preparedness of industrial workers has established a need for new training strategies and initiatives regarding human resource development. The productivity, competitiveness, motivation, and creativity of our people determines whether our business enterprises succeed or fail during the next decade. Due to a change process that many organizations have undertaken to become more competitive toward the year 2000, many of the previous styles of engineering leadership that involves the management of projects and human resources require new approaches. It is also important to recognize that technology has its limits and a broader focus to include the human aspects of accomplishing jobs over the long term is more critical than ever before. More autonomy and the responsibility for broader practices by the professional staff requires that the professional worker operate differently. Business planning and development of the organization's future strategic intent requires a high priority on the human resource linkage to the business plans and strategies. A review of past practices to motivate the worker toward higher productivity clearly shows that past techniques are not as effective in today's work environment. Many practices of organizational and individual leadership don't fit today's approach of worker involvement because they were designed for administrative supervisory control processes. Therefore, if we are going to organize a business strategy that prevents the `waste of human resources,' we need to develop a strategy that is appropriate for the times which considers the attitude of the employees and their work environment. Having worked with scientists and engineers for the majority of my twenty-five year career, I know they see and appreciate the logic of a formula. A formula fits when developing a future strategy because a formula can become a model to enhance balanced planning. In this paper, I want to share this simple formula and illustrate how I have utilized it as a tool for workshop discussions, and human resources planning purposes.

Evaporative oxidation treatability test report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1995-04-01

In 1992, Congress passed the Federal Facilities Compliance Act that requires the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to treat and dispose of its mixed waste in accordance with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) land disposal restrictions (LDRs). In response to the need for mixed-waste treatment capacity where available off-site commercial treatment facilities do not exist or cannot be used, the DOE Albuquerque Operations Office (DOE-AL) organized a Treatment Selection Team to match mixed wastes with treatment options and develop a strategy for treatment of its mixed wastes. DOE-AL manages operations at nine sites with mixed-waste inventories. The Treatmentmore » Selection Team determined a need to develop mobile treatment capacity to treat wastes at the sites where the wastes are generated. Treatment processes used for mixed waste not only must address the hazardous component (i.e., meet LDRs) but also must contain the radioactive component in a form that allows final disposal while protecting workers, the public, and the environment. On the basis of recommendations of the Treatment Selection Team, DOE-AL assigned projects to the sites to bring mixed-waste treatment capacity on-line. The three technologies assigned to the DOE Grand Junction Projects Office (GJPO) are evaporative oxidation, thermal desorption, and treated wastewater evaporation. Rust Geotech, the DOE-GJPO prime contractor, was assigned to design and fabricate mobile treatment units (MTUs) for these three technologies and to deliver the MTUs to selected DOE-AL sites. To conduct treatability tests at the GJPO, Rust leased a pilot-scale evaporative oxidation unit from the Clemson Technical Center (CTC), Anderson, South Carolina. The purpose of this report is to document the findings and results of tests performed using this equipment.« less

Solid Waste Management Plan. Revision 4

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1995-04-26

The waste types discussed in this Solid Waste Management Plan are Municipal Solid Waste, Hazardous Waste, Low-Level Mixed Waste, Low-Level Radioactive Waste, and Transuranic Waste. The plan describes for each type of solid waste, the existing waste management facilities, the issues, and the assumptions used to develop the current management plan.

Systematic review of epidemiological studies on health effects associated with management of solid waste

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background Management of solid waste (mainly landfills and incineration) releases a number of toxic substances, most in small quantities and at extremely low levels. Because of the wide range of pollutants, the different pathways of exposure, long-term low-level exposure, and the potential for synergism among the pollutants, concerns remain about potential health effects but there are many uncertainties involved in the assessment. Our aim was to systematically review the available epidemiological literature on the health effects in the vicinity of landfills and incinerators and among workers at waste processing plants to derive usable excess risk estimates for health impact assessment. Methods We examined the published, peer-reviewed literature addressing health effects of waste management between 1983 and 2008. For each paper, we examined the study design and assessed potential biases in the effect estimates. We evaluated the overall evidence and graded the associated uncertainties. Results In most cases the overall evidence was inadequate to establish a relationship between a specific waste process and health effects; the evidence from occupational studies was not sufficient to make an overall assessment. For community studies, at least for some processes, there was limited evidence of a causal relationship and a few studies were selected for a quantitative evaluation. In particular, for populations living within two kilometres of landfills there was limited evidence of congenital anomalies and low birth weight with excess risk of 2 percent and 6 percent, respectively. The excess risk tended to be higher when sites dealing with toxic wastes were considered. For populations living within three kilometres of old incinerators, there was limited evidence of an increased risk of cancer, with an estimated excess risk of 3.5 percent. The confidence in the evaluation and in the estimated excess risk tended to be higher for specific cancer forms such as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and soft tissue sarcoma than for other cancers. Conclusions The studies we have reviewed suffer from many limitations due to poor exposure assessment, ecological level of analysis, and lack of information on relevant confounders. With a moderate level confidence, however, we have derived some effect estimates that could be used for health impact assessment of old landfill and incineration plants. The uncertainties surrounding these numbers should be considered carefully when health effects are estimated. It is clear that future research into the health risks of waste management needs to overcome current limitations. PMID:20030820

The formal electronic recycling industry: Challenges and opportunities in occupational and environmental health research.

PubMed

Ceballos, Diana Maria; Dong, Zhao

2016-10-01

E-waste includes electrical and electronic equipment discarded as waste without intent of reuse. Informal e-waste recycling, typically done in smaller, unorganized businesses, can expose workers and communities to serious chemical health hazards. It is unclear if formalization into larger, better-controlled electronics recycling (e-recycling) facilities solves environmental and occupational health problems. To systematically review the literature on occupational and environmental health hazards of formal e-recycling facilities and discuss challenges and opportunities to strengthen research in this area. We identified 37 publications from 4 electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Environmental Index, NIOSHTIC-2) specific to chemical exposures in formal e-recycling facilities. Environmental and occupational exposures depend on the degree of formalization of the facilities but further reduction is needed. Reported worker exposures to metals were often higher than recommended occupational guidelines. Levels of brominated flame-retardants in worker's inhaled air and biological samples were higher than those from reference groups. Air, dust, and soil concentrations of metals, brominated flame-retardants, dioxins, furans, polycyclic-aromatic hydrocarbons, or polychlorinated biphenyls found inside or near the facilities were generally higher than reference locations, suggesting transport into the environment. Children of a recycler had blood lead levels higher than public health recommended guidelines. With mounting e-waste, more workers, their family members, and communities could experience unhealthful exposures to metals and other chemicals. We identified research needs to further assess exposures, health, and improve controls. The long-term solution is manufacturing of electronics without harmful substances and easy-to-disassemble components. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

The physician as a manager.

PubMed

McDonagh, T J

1982-02-01

The practice of occupational medicine has undergone considerable change over the last decade. Increased awareness of potential health hazards associated with the workplace and its products and wastes, the interest of society and workers in these subjects, and related governmental regulation have resulted in expanded occupational health programs within industry. The occupational physician has become a key company resource in the optimal management of the business impacts of health-related issues. Health-related matters often have noteworthy business implications, and the occupational physician needs to spend considerable time as a manager in the planning, resourcing, implementation, evaluation, and stewardship of programs. Thus he is experiencing greater demands and often is inadequately prepared for this nonclinical, nonscientific role. Therefore, the preparation of occupational physicians to assume such managerial responsibilities needs to receive high priority. The physician must be willing to accept this challenge both to ensure the program's success and to retain a leadership position in occupational health programs.

Human health risk assessment based on trace metals in suspended air particulates, surface dust, and floor dust from e-waste recycling workshops in Hong Kong, China.

PubMed

Lau, Winifred Ka Yan; Liang, Peng; Man, Yu Bon; Chung, Shan Shan; Wong, Ming Hung

2014-03-01

This study investigated health risks exerted on electronic waste (e-waste) recycling workers exposed to cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), mercury (Hg), and zinc (Zn) in Hong Kong. E-waste recycling workshops were classified into eight working areas: 1 = office, 2 = repair, 3 = dismantling, 4 = storage, 5 = desoldering, 6 = loading, 7 = cable shredding, and 8 = chemical waste. The aforementioned metal concentrations were analyzed in suspended air particulates, surface dust and floor dust collected from the above study areas in five workshops. Elevated Pb levels were measured in dismantling and desoldering areas (582 and 486 μg/100 cm(2) in surface and 3,610 and 19,172 mg/kg in floor dust, respectively). Blood lead levels of 10 and 39.5 μg/dl were estimated using United States Environmental Protection Agency's Adult Lead Model as a result of exposure to the floor dust from these two areas. Human health risk assessments were conducted to evaluate cancer and noncancer risks resulting from exposure to floor dust through the combined pathways of ingestion, dermal contact, and inhalation. Findings indicated that workers may be exposed to cancer risks above the acceptable range at 147 in a million at the 95th percentile in the dismantling area. Workers should be informed of associated risks to safeguard their health.

40 CFR 273.33 - Waste management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 26 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Waste management. 273.33 Section 273...) STANDARDS FOR UNIVERSAL WASTE MANAGEMENT Standards for Large Quantity Handlers of Universal Waste § 273.33 Waste management. (a) Universal waste batteries. A large quantity handler of universal waste must manage...

40 CFR 273.13 - Waste management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 26 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Waste management. 273.13 Section 273...) STANDARDS FOR UNIVERSAL WASTE MANAGEMENT Standards for Small Quantity Handlers of Universal Waste § 273.13 Waste management. (a) Universal waste batteries. A small quantity handler of universal waste must manage...

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Goldberg, Mitchell S.

In July 2015, Los Alamos National Laboratory completed installation of a supplemental cooling system in the structure where remediated nitrate salt waste drums are stored. Although the waste currently is in a safe configuration and is monitored daily,controlling the temperature inside the structure adds another layer of protection for workers, the public,and the environment.This effort is among several layers of precautions designed to secure the waste.

Export of electronics equipment waste.

PubMed

LaDou, Joseph; Lovegrove, Sandra

2008-01-01

Electronics equipment waste ("e-waste") includes discarded computers, computer monitors, television sets, and cell phones. Less than 10% of e-waste is currently recycled. The United States and other developed countries export e-waste primarily to Asia, knowing it carries a real harm to the poor communities where it will be discarded. A 2006 directive bans the use of lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, and certain brominated flame retardants in most electronics products sold in the EU. A similar directive facilitates the development and design of clean electronics products with longer lifespans that are safe and easy to repair, upgrade, and recycle, and will not expose workers and the environment to hazardous chemicals. These useful approaches apply only regionally and cover only a fraction of the hazardous substances used in electronics manufacture, however. There is an urgent need for manufacturers of electronics products to take responsibility for their products from production to end-of-life, and for much tighter controls both on the transboundary movement of e-waste and on the manner in which it is recycled. Manufacturers must develop clean products with longer lifespans that are safe and easy to repair, upgrade, and recycle and will not expose workers and the environment to hazardous chemicals.

Assessing the Effectiveness of Risk Communication for Maintenance Workers Who Deal With Induced Radioactivity Management of Medical Linear Accelerators.

PubMed

Watanabe, Hiroshi; Maehara, Yoshiaki; Fujibuchi, Toshioh; Koizumi, Mitsue; Yamaguchi, Ichiro; Kida, Tetsuo; Ooyama, Masaya; Horitsugi, Genki; Hiraki, Hitoshi; Tsukamoto, Atsuko; Itami, Jyun

2015-08-01

In Japan, an amended law that mandates levels of unintended induced radioactivity has been in effect since 1 April 2012. According to the new regulation, if the concentration of induced radioactivity in affected parts is above the clearance level, the parts must be regarded as radioactive even if they weigh less than 1 kg. This regulation reform raises several new issues concerning medical linear accelerators, including how to determine the decay period for induced radioactivity before maintenance can be performed and how to identify what parts should be considered radioactive waste. The authors performed several risk communication (RC) activities aimed at improving the understanding of maintenance workers at medical accelerator manufacturers and establishing good guidelines by involving stakeholders. For this purpose, a working group was established and conducted RC activities, such as holding opinion exchange meetings between medical staff and maintenance workers and creating a booklet to answer questions from maintenance workers. To evaluate these activities, three questionnaire surveys were conducted between 2011 and 2014. According to the results of this study, the ratio of maintenance workers who accepted "The decay period is within one week" was approximately 60% at the third survey and significantly increased (P < 0.0001) during the survey period. Approximately 25% of the maintenance workers felt that not enough information was provided about the decay period, and approximately 63% thought that the information provided on the health effects of radiation was sufficient. These results suggest that the present RC was successful.

Brominated flame retardants in the hair and serum samples from an e-waste recycling area in southeastern China: the possibility of using hair for biomonitoring.

PubMed

Liang, Si; Xu, Feng; Tang, Weibiao; Zhang, Zheng; Zhang, Wei; Liu, Lili; Wang, Junxia; Lin, Kuangfei

2016-08-01

Hair samples and paired serum samples were collected from e-waste and urban areas in Wenling of Zhejiang Province, China. The PBDE and DBDPE concentrations in hair and serum samples from e-waste workers were significantly higher than those of non-occupational residents and urban residents. BDE209 was the dominating BFRs in hair and serum samples from the e-waste area, while DBDPE was the major BFRs from the urban area. Statistically significant correlations were observed between hair level and serum level for some substances (BDE209, DBDPE, BDE99, BDE47, BDE28, and BDE17), although the PBDE congener profiles in hair were different from those in the serum. A statistically significant positive correlation between the PBDE concentrations and the working age, as well as gender difference, was observed in e-waste workers. Different sources of PBDEs and DBDPE in three groups were identified by principal component analysis and spearman correlation coefficient. Hair is suggested to be a useful matrix for biomonitoring the PBDE exposure in humans.

Environmental impact and human exposure to PCBs in Guiyu, an electronic waste recycling site in China.

PubMed

Xing, Guan Hua; Chan, Janet Kit Yan; Leung, Anna Oi Wah; Wu, Sheng Chun; Wong, M H

2009-01-01

PCB levels in fish (collected from local rivers), atmosphere and human milk samples have been studied to determine the exposure levels of PCBs for local residents and e-waste workers in Guiyu, a major electronic waste scrapping center in China. The source appointment and correlation analyses showed that homologue composition of PCBs in 7 species of fish were consistent and similar to commercial PCBs Aroclor 1248. PCB levels in air surrounding the open burning site were significantly higher than those in residential area. Inhalation exposure contributed 27% and 93% to the total body loadings (the sum of dietary and inhalation exposure) of the local residents, and e-waste workers engaged in open burning respectively. Total PCB concentrations in human milk ranged from N.D. to 57.6 ng/g lipid, with an average of 9.50 ng/g lipid. The present results indicated that commercial PCBs derived from e-waste recycling are major sources of PCBs accumulating in different environmental media, leading to the accumulation of high chlorinated biphenyls in human beings.

Genomic instability in adult men involved in processing electronic waste in Northern China.

PubMed

Wang, Yan; Sun, Xiaohui; Fang, Lianying; Li, Keqiu; Yang, Ping; Du, Liqing; Ji, Kaihua; Wang, Jinhan; Liu, Qiang; Xu, Chang; Li, Guang; Giesy, John P; Hecker, Markus

2018-05-01

Managing and recycling electronic waste (e-waste), while useful and necessary, has resulted in significant contamination of several environments in China. The area around Tianjin, China has become one of the world's largest e-waste disposal centers, where electronics are processed by manually disassembly or burning, which can result in serious exposure of workers to a multitude of toxicants. The present study assessed potential genomic damage in workers involved in recycling e-waste. To detect cytogenetic and DNA damage, chromosomal aberrations (CA), cytokinesis blocking micronucleus (CBMN) and the comet assay were performed. Concentrations of some trace elements, markers of oxidative stress and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in whole blood or serum were measured, and relationships among the markers described above, age, and duration of exposure were analyzed. The profiles of expression of genes in lymphocytes in peripheral blood were assessed to determine the status of the regulation of genes involved in genome stability. Concentrations of 28 PCB congeners in the whole blood of the exposed group were significantly (P<0.001) greater than those in the control individuals. Frequency of CA (8.01%) and CBMN (26.3‰) in lymphocytes and the level of DNA damage in the lymphocytes and spermatozoa of the exposed men were also significantly (P<0.0001) greater than those of the controls. There were significant relationships between CA, CBMN, DNA damage and duration of exposure. Concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA) and lead (Pb) in the blood serum were significantly greater, but activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH) and concentrations of calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) were lower in the serum of the exposed men. MDA, Pb, Ca and Mg were associated with the duration of exposure to handling e-waste. In males involved in handling of e-waste, there were 13 genes - ATM, ATR, ABL1, CHEK1, CHEK2, GADD45A, CDK7, GTSE1, OGG1, DDB1, PRKDC, XRCC1 and CCNH - for which expression of mRNA was up-regulated and 7 genes - BRCA1, GTF2H1, SEMA4A, MRE11A, MUTYH, PNKP and RAD50 - for which the expression of mRNA was down-regulated. A strong correlation between indicators of damage of DNA, which could result in instability of the genome, and duration of processing e-waste was observed. If proper procedures are not followed, there are significant risks to the health of the individuals involved in such activities. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Management Commitment to Safety, Teamwork, and Hospital Worker Injuries.

PubMed

McGonagle, Alyssa K; Essenmacher, Lynnette; Hamblin, Lydia; Luborsky, Mark; Upfal, Mark; Arnetz, Judith

2016-01-01

Although many studies link teamwork in health care settings to patient safety, evidence linking teamwork to hospital worker safety is lacking. This study addresses this gap by providing evidence linking teamwork perceptions in hospital workers to worker injuries, and further, finds a linkage between manager commitment to safety and teamwork. Organizational records of worker injuries and survey responses regarding management commitment to safety and teamwork from 446 hospital workers within 42 work units in a multi-site hospital system were examined. Results underscored the particular importance of teamwork on worker injuries as well as the importance of management commitment to safety as relating to teamwork. To improve worker safety, organizational leaders and unit managers should work to maintain environments wherein teamwork can thrive.

Management Commitment to Safety, Teamwork, and Hospital Worker Injuries

PubMed Central

McGonagle, Alyssa K.; Essenmacher, Lynnette; Hamblin, Lydia; Luborsky, Mark; Upfal, Mark; Arnetz, Judith

2016-01-01

Although many studies link teamwork in health care settings to patient safety, evidence linking teamwork to hospital worker safety is lacking. This study addresses this gap by providing evidence linking teamwork perceptions in hospital workers to worker injuries, and further, finds a linkage between manager commitment to safety and teamwork. Organizational records of worker injuries and survey responses regarding management commitment to safety and teamwork from 446 hospital workers within 42 work units in a multi-site hospital system were examined. Results underscored the particular importance of teamwork on worker injuries as well as the importance of management commitment to safety as relating to teamwork. To improve worker safety, organizational leaders and unit managers should work to maintain environments wherein teamwork can thrive. PMID:27867448

Increased urinary 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine levels in workers exposed to di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate in a waste plastic recycling site in China.

PubMed

Wang, Qian; Wang, Li; Chen, Xi; Rao, Kai Min; Lu, Shao You; Ma, Sheng Tao; Jiang, Pu; Zheng, Dan; Xu, Shun Qing; Zheng, Hong Yan; Wang, Jian Shu; Yu, Zhi Qiang; Zhang, Rong; Tao, Yong; Yuan, Jing

2011-07-01

Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a common plasticizer used in industrial and diverse consumer products. Animal studies indicate DEHP caused developmental, reproductive, and hepatic toxicities. However, human studies of the potential effects of DEHP are limited. The exposed site with a history of over 20 years of waste plastic recycling was located in Hunan Province, China. The reference site without known DEHP pollution source was about 50 km far away from the exposed site. In this study, 181 workers working in plastic waste recycling and 160 gender-age matched farmers were recruited. DEHP concentrations in water and cultivated soil samples, serum thyroid-stimulating hormone, malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), urinary 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), and micronuclei frequency in human capillary blood lymphocytes were analyzed. Mean levels of DEHP were greater in environment at the recycling site than at reference site (industry wastewater for the exposed: 42.43 μg/l; well water: 14.20 vs. 0.79 μg/l, pond water: 135.68 vs. 0.37 μg/l, cultivated soil: 13.07 vs. 0.81 mg/kg, p < 0.05 for all). The workers had higher median levels of MDA (3.80 vs. 3.14 nmol/ml) and urinary 8-OHdG (340.37 vs. 268.18 μmol/mol creatinine) and decreased SOD activities (112.15 vs. 123.82 U/ml) than the reference group (p < 0.01 for all). Multivariate analysis revealed that the history of working in waste plastic recycling was an independent risk factor for the increased urinary 8-OHdG levels in the male workers (p < 0.01). The occupational DEHP exposure might contribute to oxidative deoxyribonucleic acid damage in the male workers.

Waste Generation Overview, Course 23263

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Simpson, Lewis Edward

This course, Waste Generation Overview Live (COURSE 23263), provides an overview of federal and state waste management regulations, as well as Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) policies and procedures for waste management operations. The course covers the activities involved in the cradle-to-grave waste management process and focuses on waste characterization, waste compatibility determinations and classification, and the storage requirements for temporary waste accumulation areas at LANL. When you have completed this course, you will be able to recognize federal, state, and LANL environmental requirements and their impact on waste operations; recognize the importance of the cradle-to-grave waste management process; identifymore » the roles and responsibilities of key LANL waste management personnel (e.g., Waste Generator, Waste Management Coordinator, Waste Stream Profile approver, and Waste Certification Official); characterize a waste stream to determine whether it meets the definition of a hazardous waste, as well as characterize the use and minimum requirements for use of acceptable knowledge (AK) for waste characterization and waste compatibility documentation requirements; and identify the requirements for setting up and managing temporary waste accumulation areas.« less

E-waste: a global hazard.

PubMed

Perkins, Devin N; Brune Drisse, Marie-Noel; Nxele, Tapiwa; Sly, Peter D

2014-01-01

Waste from end-of-life electrical and electronic equipment, known as e-waste, is a rapidly growing global problem. E-waste contains valuable materials that have an economic value when recycled. Unfortunately, the majority of e-waste is recycled in the unregulated informal sector and results in significant risk for toxic exposures to the recyclers, who are frequently women and children. The aim of this study was to document the extent of the problems associated with inappropriate e-waste recycling practices. This was a narrative review that highlighted where e-waste is generated, where it is recycled, the range of adverse environmental exposures, the range of adverse health consequences, and the policy frameworks that are intended to protect vulnerable populations from inappropriate e-waste recycling practices. The amount of e-waste being generated is increasing rapidly and is compounded by both illegal exportation and inappropriate donation of electronic equipment, especially computers, from developed to developing countries. As little as 25% of e-waste is recycled in formal recycling centers with adequate worker protection. The health consequences of both direct exposures during recycling and indirect exposures through environmental contamination are potentially severe but poorly studied. Policy frameworks aimed at protecting vulnerable populations exist but are not effectively applied. E-waste recycling is necessary but it should be conducted in a safe and standardized manor. The acceptable risk thresholds for hazardous, secondary e-waste substances should not be different for developing and developed countries. However, the acceptable thresholds should be different for children and adults given the physical differences and pronounced vulnerabilities of children. Improving occupational conditions for all e-waste workers and striving for the eradication of child labor is non-negotiable. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Public concerns and behaviours towards solid waste management in Italy.

PubMed

Sessa, Alessandra; Di Giuseppe, Gabriella; Marinelli, Paolo; Angelillo, Italo F

2010-12-01

A self-administered questionnaire investigated knowledge, perceptions of the risks to health associated with solid waste management, and practices about waste management in a random sample of 1181 adults in Italy. Perceived risk of developing cancer due to solid waste burning was significantly higher in females, younger, with an educational level lower than university and who believed that improper waste management is linked to cancer. Respondents who had visited a physician at least once in the last year for fear of contracting a disease due to the non-correct waste management had an educational level lower than university, have modified dietary habits for fear of contracting disease due to improper waste management, believe that improper waste management is linked to allergies, perceive a higher risk of contracting infectious disease due to improper waste management and have participated in education/information activities on waste management. Those who more frequently perform with regularity differentiate household waste collection had a university educational level, perceived a higher risk of developing cancer due to solid waste burning, had received information about waste collection and did not need information about waste management. Educational programmes are needed to modify public concern about adverse health effects of domestic waste.

76 FR 2710 - Pitney Bowes, Inc., Mailing Solutions Management Division Including On-Site Leased Workers of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-14

...., Mailing Solutions Management Division Including On-Site Leased Workers of Guidant Group, and Teleworkers... Bowes, Inc., Mailing Solutions Management Division, Engineering Quality Assurance, Shelton, Connecticut... identity of the subject worker group. The worker group consists of workers of Pitney Bowes, Inc., the...

Norfolk Southern boxcar blocking/bracing plan for the mixed waste disposal initiative project. Environmental Restoration Program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Seigler, R.S.

The US Department of Energy`s (DOE) Environmental Restoration and Waste Management programs will dispose of mixed waste no longer deemed useful. This project is one of the initial activities used to help meet this goal. The project will transport the {approximately}46,000 drums of existing stabilized mixed waste located at the Oak Ridge K-25 Site and presently stored in the K-31 and K-33 buildings to an off-site commercially licensed and permitted mixed waste disposal facility. Shipping and disposal of all {approximately}46,000 pond waste drums ({approximately}1,000,000 ft{sup 3} or 55,000 tons) is scheduled to occur over a period of {approximately}5--10 years. Themore » first shipment of stabilized pond waste should transpire some time during the second quarter of FY 1994. Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., proposes to line each of the Norfolk Southem boxcars with a prefabricated, white, 15-mm low-density polyethylene (LDPE) liner material. To avoid damaging the bottom of the polyethylene floor liner, a minimum .5 in. plywood will be nailed to the boxcars` nailable metal floor. At the end of the Mixed Waste Disposal Initiative (MWDI) Project workers at the Envirocare facility will dismantle and dispose of all the polyethylene liner and plywood materials. Envirocare of Utah, Inc., located in Clive, Utah, will perform a health physic survey and chemically and radiologically decontaminate, if necessary, each of the rail boxcars prior to them being released back to Energy Systems. Energy Systems will also perform a health physic survey and chemically and radiologically decontaminate, if necessary, each of the rail boxcars prior to them being released back to Norfolk Southem Railroad.« less

PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF WORKER AND AMBIENT AIR EXPOSURES DURING SOIL REMEDIATION TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATIONS

EPA Science Inventory

Hazardous waste site remediation workers or neighboring residents may be exposed to particulates during the remediation of lead contaminated soil sites. An industrial hygiene survey and air monitoring program for both lead and dust were performed during initial soil sampling acti...

The use of third-party review to reduce health and environmental hazards from surfactants and cleaning products in the janitorial industry.

PubMed

Okumura, Kazuhiro

2009-05-01

The demand for environmentally preferable products is increasing in the area of Institutional and Industrial (I&I) cleaners. The GreenBlue Institute (GreenBlue) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (U.S. EPA's) Design for Environment (DfE) launched two programs to review surfactant ingredients and final cleaning products, with the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) conducting third-party reviews. The Local Hazardous Waste Management Program (LHWMP) in King County, Washington, has a strategic goal to reduce the risk of exposure of hazardous chemicals to vulnerable populations such as janitorial workers. This report summarizes the NSF partnership with GreenBlue, CleanGredients, and U.S. EPA's DfE to perform third-party reviews of cleaning product ingredients and its relevance to LHWMP's interest in reducing risks to workers in the janitorial industry. Due to information barriers, workers in the janitorial industry are at risk daily to these hazardous chemicals. The surfactant and formulator review program will make positive contributions towards the reduction of toxic chemical exposure to the employees of the janitorial industry. With proper communication and an increased use of less toxic cleaners, exposures to vulnerable populations can be reduced.

PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF LIFE-CYCLE COSTS OF PROTECTIVE CLOTHING

EPA Science Inventory

Many different types of chemical protective clothing (CPC) are used to isolate workers at hazardous waste sites from contact with the potential hazards posed by chemical wastes. he goal in selecting the appropriate clothing for a particular occupational situation is to optimize w...

Understanding the role of waste prevention in local waste management: A literature review.

PubMed

Zacho, Kristina O; Mosgaard, Mette A

2016-10-01

Local waste management has so far been characterised by end-of-pipe solutions, landfilling, incineration, and recycling. End-of-pipe solutions build on a different mind-set than life cycle-based approaches, and for this reason, local waste managers are reluctant to consider strategies for waste prevention. To accelerate the transition of waste and resource management towards a more integrated management, waste prevention needs to play a larger role in the local waste management. In this review article, we collect knowledge from the scientific community on waste prevention of relevance to local waste management. We analyse the trends in the waste prevention literature by organising the literature into four categories. The results indicate an increasing interest in waste prevention, but not much literature specifically concerns the integration of prevention into the local waste management. However, evidence from the literature can inform local waste management on the prevention potential; the environmental and social effects of prevention; how individuals in households can be motivated to reduce waste; and how the effects of prevention measures can be monitored. Nevertheless, knowledge is still lacking on local waste prevention, especially regarding the methods for monitoring and how local waste management systems can be designed to encourage waste reduction in the households. We end the article with recommendations for future research. The literature review can be useful for both practitioners in the waste sector and for academics seeking an overview of previous research on waste prevention. © The Author(s) 2016.

[Determination of capsaicinoids and eugenol in waste-edible-oil by liquid-liquid extraction and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry].

PubMed

Zhang, Zhong; Ren, Fei; Zhang, Pan

2012-11-01

A method was developed for the determination of capsaicinoids (capsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin and synthetic capsaicin) and eugenol in waste-edible-oil extracted by liquid-liquid extraction and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The capsaicinoids and eugenol in waste-edible-oil were extracted by methanol, and then separated by a SUPEL COSIL ABZ + Plus dC18 column (150 mm x4.6 mm, 5 microm). The analysis was performed by MS/MS with electrospray ionization in positive and negative ion modes with multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). The limits of detection for capsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin, synthetic capsaicin and eugenol were 0.02, 0.03, 0.03 and 0.6 microg/L, respectively. The good linear relationships were obtained in certain concentration ranges of capsaicinoids and eugenol. The relative standard deviations (RSDs, n=5) of same-worker and different-worker were less than 5%. The method is exclusive, sensitive and accurate, and can be used in waste-edible-oil determination.

A Low-Cost, Passive Approach for Bacterial Growth and Distribution for Large-Scale Implementation of Bioaugmentation

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-07-01

technologies with significant capital costs, secondary waste streams, the involvement of hazardous materials, and the potential for additional worker...or environmental exposure. A more ideal technology would involve lower capital costs, would not generate secondary waste streams, would be...of bioaugmentation technology in general include low risk to human health and the environment during implementation, low secondary waste generation

Has the question of e-waste opened a Pandora's box? An overview of unpredictable issues and challenges.

PubMed

Bakhiyi, Bouchra; Gravel, Sabrina; Ceballos, Diana; Flynn, Michael A; Zayed, Joseph

2018-01-01

Despite regulatory efforts and position papers, electrical and electronic waste (e-waste) remains ill-managed as evidenced by the extremely low rates of proper e-waste recycling (e-recycling) worldwide, ongoing illegal shipments to developing countries and constantly reported human health issues and environmental pollution. The objectives of this review are, first, to expose the complexity of e-waste problems, and then to suggest possible upstream and downstream solutions. Exploring e-waste issues is akin to opening a Pandora's box. Thus, a review of prevailing e-waste management practices reveals complex and often intertwined gaps, issues and challenges. These include the absence of any consistent definition of e-waste to date, a prevalent toxic potential still involving already banned or restricted hazardous components such as heavy metals and persistent and bioaccumulative organic compounds, a relentless growth in e-waste volume fueled by planned obsolescence and unsustainable consumption, problematic e-recycling processes, a fragile formal e-recycling sector, sustained and more harmful informal e-recycling practices, and more convoluted and unpredictable patterns of illegal e-waste trade. A close examination of the e-waste legacy contamination reveals critical human health concerns, including significant occupational exposure during both formal and informal e-recycling, and persistent environmental contamination, particularly in some developing countries. However, newly detected e-waste contaminants as well as unexpected sources and environmental fates of contaminants are among the emerging issues that raise concerns. Moreover, scientific knowledge gaps remain regarding the complexity and magnitude of the e-waste legacy contamination, specifically, a comprehensive characterization of e-waste contaminants, information on the scale of legacy contamination in developing countries and on the potential environmental damage in developed countries, and a stronger body of evidence of adverse health effects specifically ascribed to e-waste contaminants. However, the knowledge accumulated to date is sufficient to raise awareness and concern among all stakeholders. Potential solutions to curb e-waste issues should be addressed comprehensively, by focusing on two fronts: upstream and downstream. Potential upstream solutions should focus on more rational and eco-oriented consumer habits in order to decrease e-waste quantities while fostering ethical and sustained commitments from manufacturers, which include a limited usage of hazardous compounds and an optimal increase in e-waste recyclability. At the downstream level, solutions should include suitable and pragmatic actions to progressively reduce the illegal e-waste trade particularly through international cooperation and coordination, better enforcement of domestic laws, and monitoring in both exporting and receiving countries, along with the supervised integration of the informal sector into the recycling system of developing countries and global expansion of formal e-waste collection and recycling activities. Downstream solutions should also introduce stronger reverse logistics, together with upgraded, more affordable, and eco-friendly and worker-friendly e-recycling technologies to ensure that benefits are derived fully and safely from the great economic potential of e-waste. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Two Classes and One Vision? Managers' and Workers' Attitudes toward Workplace Democracy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collom, Ed

2003-01-01

Analyses of national survey data on workplace democracy found both managers and workers support worker participation in manager selection and worker control of production processes. Experience of class-related practices strongly predicts attitudes; location in the class hierarchy does not. Once workers gain some control, they seek to broaden it to…

Global capacity, potentials and trends of solid waste research and management.

PubMed

Nwachukwu, Michael A; Ronald, Mersky; Feng, Huan

2017-09-01

In this study, United States, China, India, United Kingdom, Nigeria, Egypt, Brazil, Italy, Germany, Taiwan, Australia, Canada and Mexico were selected to represent the global community. This enabled an overview of solid waste management worldwide and between developed and developing countries. These are countries that feature most in the International Conference on Solid Waste Technology and Management (ICSW) over the past 20 years. A total of 1452 articles directly on solid waste management and technology were reviewed and credited to their original country of research. Results show significant solid waste research potentials globally, with the United States leading by 373 articles, followed by India with 230 articles. The rest of the countries are ranked in the order of: UK > Taiwan > Brazil > Nigeria > Italy > Japan > China > Canada > Germany >Mexico > Egypt > Australia. Global capacity in solid waste management options is in the order of: Waste characterisation-management > waste biotech/composting > waste to landfill > waste recovery/reduction > waste in construction > waste recycling > waste treatment-reuse-storage > waste to energy > waste dumping > waste education/public participation/policy. It is observed that the solid waste research potential is not a measure of solid waste management capacity. The results show more significant research impacts on solid waste management in developed countries than in developing countries where economy, technology and society factors are not strong. This article is targeted to motivate similar study in each country, using solid waste research articles from other streamed databases to measure research impacts on solid waste management.

40 CFR 60.2620 - What is a waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false What is a waste management plan? 60... Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units that Commenced Construction On or Before November 30, 1999 Model Rule-Waste Management Plan § 60.2620 What is a waste management plan? A waste management...

40 CFR 60.3010 - What is a waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false What is a waste management plan? 60... Other Solid Waste Incineration Units That Commenced Construction On or Before December 9, 2004 Model Rule-Waste Management Plan § 60.3010 What is a waste management plan? A waste management plan is a...

40 CFR 60.2620 - What is a waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false What is a waste management plan? 60... Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units Model Rule-Waste Management Plan § 60.2620 What is a waste management plan? A waste management plan is a written plan that identifies both the feasibility...

40 CFR 60.3010 - What is a waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false What is a waste management plan? 60... Other Solid Waste Incineration Units That Commenced Construction On or Before December 9, 2004 Model Rule-Waste Management Plan § 60.3010 What is a waste management plan? A waste management plan is a...

40 CFR 60.3010 - What is a waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false What is a waste management plan? 60... Other Solid Waste Incineration Units That Commenced Construction On or Before December 9, 2004 Model Rule-Waste Management Plan § 60.3010 What is a waste management plan? A waste management plan is a...

40 CFR 60.3010 - What is a waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false What is a waste management plan? 60... Other Solid Waste Incineration Units That Commenced Construction On or Before December 9, 2004 Model Rule-Waste Management Plan § 60.3010 What is a waste management plan? A waste management plan is a...

45 CFR 671.13 - Waste management for the USAP.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... can be taken into account in planning future scientific, logistic and waste management programs. (e... 45 Public Welfare 3 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Waste management for the USAP. 671.13 Section 671... WASTE REGULATION Waste Management § 671.13 Waste management for the USAP. (a) In order to provide a...

45 CFR 671.13 - Waste management for the USAP.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... can be taken into account in planning future scientific, logistic and waste management programs. (e... 45 Public Welfare 3 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Waste management for the USAP. 671.13 Section 671... WASTE REGULATION Waste Management § 671.13 Waste management for the USAP. (a) In order to provide a...

45 CFR 671.13 - Waste management for the USAP.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... can be taken into account in planning future scientific, logistic and waste management programs. (e... 45 Public Welfare 3 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Waste management for the USAP. 671.13 Section 671... WASTE REGULATION Waste Management § 671.13 Waste management for the USAP. (a) In order to provide a...

45 CFR 671.13 - Waste management for the USAP.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... can be taken into account in planning future scientific, logistic and waste management programs. (e... 45 Public Welfare 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Waste management for the USAP. 671.13 Section 671... WASTE REGULATION Waste Management § 671.13 Waste management for the USAP. (a) In order to provide a...

Correlates of domestic waste management and related health outcomes in Sunyani, Ghana: a protocol towards enhancing policy.

PubMed

Addo, Henry O; Dun-Dery, Elvis J; Afoakwa, Eugenia; Elizabeth, Addai; Ellen, Amposah; Rebecca, Mwinfaug

2017-07-03

Domestic waste generation has contributed significantly to hampering national waste management efforts. It poses serious threat to national development and requires proper treatment and management within and outside households. The problem of improper waste management has always been a challenge in Ghana, compelling several national surveys to report on the practice of waste management. However, little is known about how much waste is generated and managed within households and there is a serious dearth of information for national policy and planning. This paper seeks to document the handling and practice of waste management, including collection, storage, transportation and disposal along with the types and amount of waste generated by Households and their related health outcome. The study was a descriptive cross-sectional study and used a multi-stage sampling technique to sample 700 households. The study was planned and implemented from January to May 2015. It involved the use of structured questionnaires in the data collection over the period. Factors such as demographic characteristics, amount of waste generated, types of waste bins used within households, waste recycling, cost of disposing waste, and distance to dumpsite were all assessed. The paper shows that each surveyed household generated 0.002 t of waste per day, of which 29% are both organic and inorganic. Though more than half of the respondents (53.6%) had positive attitude towards waste management, only 29.1% practiced waste management. The study reveals that there is no proper management of domestic waste except in few households that segregate waste. The study identified several elements as determinants of waste management practice. Female respondents were less likely to practice waste management (AOR 0.45; 95% Cl 0.29, 0.79), household size also determined respondents practice (AOR 0.26; Cl 0.09, 0.77). Practice of recycling (AOR 0.03; Cl 0.02, 0.08), distance to dumpsite (AOR 0.45; Cl 0.20, 0.99), were all significant predictors of waste management practice. Cholera which is a hygiene related disease was three times more likely to determine households' waste management practice (AOR 3.22; Cl 1.33, 7.84). Considering the low waste management practice among households, there is the need for improved policy and enhanced education on proper waste management practice among households.

Occupational hazards among the abattoir workers associated with noncompliance to the meat processing and waste disposal laws in Malaysia

PubMed Central

Abdullahi, Auwalu; Hassan, Azmi; Kadarman, Norizhar; Junaidu, Yakubu Muhammad; Adeyemo, Olanike Kudrat; Lua, Pei Lin

2016-01-01

Purpose This study aims to investigate the occupational hazards among the abattoir workers associated with noncompliance to the meat processing and waste disposal laws in Terengganu State, Malaysia. Occupational hazards are the major source of morbidity and mortality among the animal workers due to exposure to many hazardous situations in their daily practices. Occupational infections mostly contracted by abattoir workers could be caused by iatrogenic or transmissible agents, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites and the toxins produced by these organisms. Materials and methods The methodology was based on a cross-sectional survey using cluster sampling technique in the four districts of Terengganu State, Malaysia. One hundred and twenty-one abattoir workers from five abattoirs were assessed using a validated structured questionnaire and an observation checklist. Results The mean and standard deviation of occupational hazards scores of the workers were 2.32 (2.721). Physical, chemical, biological, psychosocial, musculoskeletal, and ergonomics hazards were the major findings of this study. However, the highest prevalence of occupational hazards identified among the workers was injury by sharp equipment such as a knife (20.0%), noise exposure (17.0%), and due to offensive odor within the abattoir premises (12.0%). Conclusion The major occupational hazards encountered by the workers in the study area were physical, chemical, biological, psychosocial, musculoskeletal, and ergonomics hazards. To ensure proper control of occupational health hazards among the abattoir workers, standard design and good environmental hygiene must be taken into consideration all the time. Exposure control plan, which includes risk identification, risk characterization, assessment of workers at risk, risk control, workers’ education/training, and implementation of safe work procedures, should be implemented by the government and all the existing laws governing the abattoir operation in the country should be enforced. PMID:27471416

Respiratory and general health impairments of workers employed in a municipal solid waste disposal at an open landfill site in Delhi.

PubMed

Ray, Manas Ranjan; Roychoudhury, Sanghita; Mukherjee, Gopeshwar; Roy, Senjuti; Lahiri, Twisha

2005-01-01

The objective of this study was to examine the respiratory and general health of workers employed in a municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal at an open landfill site in India. Ninety-six landfill workers of Okhla landfill site, Delhi, and 90 controls matched for age, sex, and socioeconomic conditions were enrolled. Health data was obtained from questionnaire surveys, clinical examination and laboratory investigations. Lung function was evaluated by spirometry. Compared with matched controls, landfill workers had significantly higher prevalences of both upper and lower respiratory symptoms, and they suffered more often from diarrhea, fungal infection and ulceration of the skin, burning sensation in the extremities, tingling or numbness, transient loss of memory, and depression. Spirometry revealed impairment of lung function in 62% of the landfill workers compared to 27% of the controls. Sputum cytology showed squamous metaplasia, abundance of inflammatory cells, alveolar macrophages (AM) and siderophages (macrophages with iron deposits), and high elastase enzyme activity in neutrophils and AM of a majority of landfill workers, indicating adverse cellular lung reaction. Hematological profiles of these workers depicted low hemoglobin and erythrocyte levels with high total leukocyte, eosinophil and monocyte counts. Erythrocytes with target cell morphology were abundant in 42% of the landfill workers compared to 10% of the controls. Toxic granulation in neutrophils, an indication of infection and inflammation, was recorded in 94% of the landfill workers and in 49% of the controls. The results demonstrated higher prevalence of respiratory symptoms, inflammation of the airways, lung function decrement and a wide range of general health problems in MSW disposal workers.

Occupational Lead Exposure from Indoor Firing Ranges in Korea

PubMed Central

Lee, Suk-Ho; Lee, Se-Ho; Yoon, Hye-Sik

2016-01-01

Military personnel often use ammunitions that contain lead. The present study aimed to identify the risks for lead exposure and lead poisoning among workers at indoor firing ranges. A special health examination, including blood lead level (BLL) testing, was performed for all 120 workers at the indoor firing ranges of the Republic of Korea’s Air Force, Navy, and Armed Forces Athletic Corps. The overall mean BLL was 11.3 ± 9.4 µg/dL (range: 2.0–64.0 µg/dL). The arithmetic mean of the BLL for professional shooters belong to Armed Forces Athletic Corps was 14.0 ± 8.3 µg/dL, while those of shooting range managers and shooting range supervisors were 13.8 ± 11.1 µg/dL and 6.4 ± 3.1 µg/dL, respectively. One individual had a BLL of 64 µg/dL, and ultimately completed chelation treatment (with CaNa2-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) without any adverse effects. These findings indicate that indoor firing range workers are exposed to elevated levels of lead. Therefore, when constructing an indoor firing range, a specialist should be engaged to design and assess the ventilation system; and safety guidelines regarding ammunition and waste handling must be mandatory. Moreover, workplace environmental monitoring should be implemented for indoor firing ranges, and the workers should undergo regularly scheduled special health examinations. PMID:27051231

Occupational Lead Exposure from Indoor Firing Ranges in Korea.

PubMed

Park, Won-Ju; Lee, Suk-Ho; Lee, Se-Ho; Yoon, Hye-Sik; Moon, Jai-Dong

2016-04-01

Military personnel often use ammunitions that contain lead. The present study aimed to identify the risks for lead exposure and lead poisoning among workers at indoor firing ranges. A special health examination, including blood lead level (BLL) testing, was performed for all 120 workers at the indoor firing ranges of the Republic of Korea's Air Force, Navy, and Armed Forces Athletic Corps. The overall mean BLL was 11.3 ± 9.4 µg/dL (range: 2.0-64.0 µg/dL). The arithmetic mean of the BLL for professional shooters belong to Armed Forces Athletic Corps was 14.0 ± 8.3 µg/dL, while those of shooting range managers and shooting range supervisors were 13.8 ± 11.1 µg/dL and 6.4 ± 3.1 µg/dL, respectively. One individual had a BLL of 64 µg/dL, and ultimately completed chelation treatment (with CaNa2-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) without any adverse effects. These findings indicate that indoor firing range workers are exposed to elevated levels of lead. Therefore, when constructing an indoor firing range, a specialist should be engaged to design and assess the ventilation system; and safety guidelines regarding ammunition and waste handling must be mandatory. Moreover, workplace environmental monitoring should be implemented for indoor firing ranges, and the workers should undergo regularly scheduled special health examinations.

40 CFR 260.23 - Petitions to amend 40 CFR part 273 to include additional hazardous wastes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM: GENERAL Rulemaking... appropriate for the waste or category of waste; will improve management practices for the waste or category of... waste or category of waste, will improve management practices for the waste or category of waste, and...

40 CFR 260.23 - Petitions to amend 40 CFR part 273 to include additional hazardous wastes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM: GENERAL Rulemaking... appropriate for the waste or category of waste; will improve management practices for the waste or category of... waste or category of waste, will improve management practices for the waste or category of waste, and...

40 CFR 260.23 - Petitions to amend 40 CFR part 273 to include additional hazardous wastes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM: GENERAL Rulemaking... appropriate for the waste or category of waste; will improve management practices for the waste or category of... waste or category of waste, will improve management practices for the waste or category of waste, and...

40 CFR 260.23 - Petitions to amend 40 CFR part 273 to include additional hazardous wastes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM: GENERAL Rulemaking... appropriate for the waste or category of waste; will improve management practices for the waste or category of... waste or category of waste, will improve management practices for the waste or category of waste, and...

Infectious waste management in Japan: A revised regulation and a management process in medical institutions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Miyazaki, M.; Une, H.

In Japan, the waste management practice is carried out in accordance with the Waste Disposal Law of 1970. The first rule of infectious waste management was regulated in 1992, and infectious wastes are defined as the waste materials generated in medical institutions as a result of medical care or research which contain pathogens that have the potential to transmit infectious diseases. Revised criteria for infectious waste management were promulgated by the Ministry of Environment in 2004. Infectious waste materials are divided into three categories: the form of waste; the place of waste generation; the kind of infectious diseases. A reductionmore » of infectious waste is expected. We introduce a summary of the revised regulation of infectious waste management in this article.« less

Data Sharing Report for the Quantification of Removable Activity in Various Surveillance and Maintenance Facilities at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge TN

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

King, David A.

2013-12-12

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OR-EM) requested that Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU), working under the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) contract, provide technical and independent waste management planning support using American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds. Specifically, DOE OR-EM requested that ORAU plan and implement a sampling and analysis campaign targeting potential removable radiological contamination that may be transferrable to future personal protective equipment (PPE) and contamination control materials—collectively referred to as PPE throughout the remainder of this report—used in certain URS|CH2M Oak Ridge, LLC (UCOR) Surveillance andmore » Maintenance (S&M) Project facilities at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Routine surveys in Bldgs. 3001, 3005, 3010, 3028, 3029, 3038, 3042, 3517, 4507, and 7500 continuously generate PPE. The waste is comprised of Tyvek coveralls, gloves, booties, Herculite, and other materials used to prevent worker exposure or the spread of contamination during routine maintenance and monitoring activities. This report describes the effort to collect and quantify removable activity that may be used by the ORNL S&M Project team to develop radiation instrumentation “screening criteria.” Material potentially containing removable activity was collected on smears, including both masselin large-area wipes (LAWs) and standard paper smears, and analyzed for site-related constituents (SRCs) in an analytical laboratory. The screening criteria, if approved, may be used to expedite waste disposition of relatively clean PPE. The ultimate objectives of this effort were to: 1) determine whether screening criteria can be developed for these facilities, and 2) provide process knowledge information for future site planners. The screening criteria, if calculated, must be formally approved by Federal Facility Agreement parties prior to use for ORNL S&M Project PPE disposal at the Environmental Management Waste Management Facility (EMWMF). ORAU executed the approved sampling and analysis plan (SAP) (DOE 2013) while closely coordinating with ORNL S&M Project personnel and using guidelines outlined in the Waste Handling Plan for Surveillance and Maintenance Activities at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, DOE/OR/01-2565&D2 (WHP) (DOE 2012). WHP guidelines were followed because the PPE waste targeted by this SAP is consistent with that addressed under the approved Waste Lot (WL) 108.1 profile for disposal at EMWMF—this PPE is a “future waste stream” as defined in the WHP. The SAP presents sampling strategy and methodology, sample selection guidelines, and analytical guidelines and requirements necessary for characterizing future ORNL S&M Project PPE waste. This report presents a review of the sample and analysis methods including data quality objectives (DQOs), required deviations from the original design, summary of field activities, radiation measurement data, analytical laboratory results, a brief presentation of results, and process knowledge summaries.« less

40 CFR 273.52 - Waste management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 28 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Waste management. 273.52 Section 273...) STANDARDS FOR UNIVERSAL WASTE MANAGEMENT Standards for Universal Waste Transporters § 273.52 Waste management. (a) A universal waste transporter must comply with all applicable U.S. Department of...

40 CFR 273.52 - Waste management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 28 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Waste management. 273.52 Section 273...) STANDARDS FOR UNIVERSAL WASTE MANAGEMENT Standards for Universal Waste Transporters § 273.52 Waste management. (a) A universal waste transporter must comply with all applicable U.S. Department of...

40 CFR 273.52 - Waste management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 27 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Waste management. 273.52 Section 273...) STANDARDS FOR UNIVERSAL WASTE MANAGEMENT Standards for Universal Waste Transporters § 273.52 Waste management. (a) A universal waste transporter must comply with all applicable U.S. Department of...

40 CFR 273.52 - Waste management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 27 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Waste management. 273.52 Section 273...) STANDARDS FOR UNIVERSAL WASTE MANAGEMENT Standards for Universal Waste Transporters § 273.52 Waste management. (a) A universal waste transporter must comply with all applicable U.S. Department of...

40 CFR 273.52 - Waste management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 26 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Waste management. 273.52 Section 273...) STANDARDS FOR UNIVERSAL WASTE MANAGEMENT Standards for Universal Waste Transporters § 273.52 Waste management. (a) A universal waste transporter must comply with all applicable U.S. Department of...

Concept of sustainable waste management in the city of Zagreb: Towards the implementation of circular economy approach.

PubMed

Ribić, Bojan; Voća, Neven; Ilakovac, Branka

2017-02-01

Improvement of the current waste management is one of the main challenges for most municipalities in Croatia, mainly due to legal obligations set in different European Union (EU) directives regarding waste management, such as reduction of waste generation and landfilling, or increase of separately collected waste and recycling rates. This paper highlights the current waste management in the city of Zagreb by analyzing the waste generation, collection, and disposal scenario along with the regulatory and institutional framework. Since the present waste management system mainly depends upon landfilling, with the rate of separate waste collection and recycling far from being adequate, it is necessary to introduce a new system that will take into account the current situation in the city as well as the obligations imposed by the EU. Namely, in the coming years, the Waste Framework and Landfill Directives of the European Union will be a significant driver of change in waste management practices and governance of the city of Zagreb. At present, the yearly separate waste collection makes somewhat less than 5 kg per capita of various waste fractions, i.e., far below the average value for the (28) capital cities of the EU, which is 108 kg per capita. This is possible to achieve only by better and sustainable planning of future activities and facilities, taking into account of environmental, economic, and social aspects of waste management. This means that the city of Zagreb not only will have to invest in new infrastructure to meet the targets, but also will have to enhance public awareness in diverting this waste at the household level. The solution for the new waste management proposed in this paper will certainly be a way of implementing circular economy approach to current waste management practice in the city of Zagreb. Municipal waste management in the developing countries in the EU (new eastern EU members) is often characterized by its limited utilization of recycling activities, inadequate management of nonindustrial hazardous waste, and inadequate landfill disposal. Many cities in Eastern Europe and Zagreb as well are facing serious problems in managing municipal wastes due to the existing solid waste management system that is found to be highly inefficient. The proposed scenario for city of Zagreb in the paper is an innovative upgrading of municipal waste management based on the waste management hierarchy and circular economy approach.

40 CFR 60.2625 - When must I submit my waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false When must I submit my waste management... Compliance Times for Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units Model Rule-Waste Management Plan § 60.2625 When must I submit my waste management plan? You must submit a waste management plan no...

40 CFR 60.2055 - What is a waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false What is a waste management plan? 60... Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units Waste Management Plan § 60.2055 What is a waste management plan? A waste management plan is a written plan that identifies both the feasibility and the methods used to...

40 CFR 60.2055 - What is a waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false What is a waste management plan? 60... Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units Waste Management Plan § 60.2055 What is a waste management plan? A waste management plan is a written plan that identifies both the feasibility and the methods used to...

Integrated models for solid waste management in tourism regions: Langkawi Island, Malaysia.

PubMed

Shamshiry, Elmira; Nadi, Behzad; Mokhtar, Mazlin Bin; Komoo, Ibrahim; Hashim, Halimaton Saadiah; Yahaya, Nadzri

2011-01-01

The population growth, changing consumption patterns, and rapid urbanization contribute significantly to the growing volumes of solid waste that are generated in urban settings. As the rate of urbanization increases, demand on the services of solid waste management increases. The rapid urban growth in Langkawi Island, Malaysia, combined with the increasing rates of solid waste production has provided evidence that the traditional solid waste management practices, particularly the methods of waste collection and disposal, are inefficient and quite nonsustainable. Accordingly, municipal managers and planners in Langkawi need to look for and adopt a model for solid waste management that emphasizes an efficient and sustainable management of solid wastes in Langkawi Island. This study presents the current practices of solid waste management in Langkawi Island, describes the composition of the solid waste generated in that area, and presents views of local residents and tourist on issues related to solid waste management like the aesthetic value of the island environment. The most important issue of this paper is that it is the first time that integrated solid waste management is investigated in the Langkawi Island.

Integrated Models for Solid Waste Management in Tourism Regions: Langkawi Island, Malaysia

PubMed Central

Shamshiry, Elmira; Nadi, Behzad; Bin Mokhtar, Mazlin; Komoo, Ibrahim; Saadiah Hashim, Halimaton; Yahaya, Nadzri

2011-01-01

The population growth, changing consumption patterns, and rapid urbanization contribute significantly to the growing volumes of solid waste that are generated in urban settings. As the rate of urbanization increases, demand on the services of solid waste management increases. The rapid urban growth in Langkawi Island, Malaysia, combined with the increasing rates of solid waste production has provided evidence that the traditional solid waste management practices, particularly the methods of waste collection and disposal, are inefficient and quite nonsustainable. Accordingly, municipal managers and planners in Langkawi need to look for and adopt a model for solid waste management that emphasizes an efficient and sustainable management of solid wastes in Langkawi Island. This study presents the current practices of solid waste management in Langkawi Island, describes the composition of the solid waste generated in that area, and presents views of local residents and tourist on issues related to solid waste management like the aesthetic value of the island environment. The most important issue of this paper is that it is the first time that integrated solid waste management is investigated in the Langkawi Island. PMID:21904559

Alternative approaches for better municipal solid waste management in Mumbai, India

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rathi, Sarika

2006-07-01

Waste is an unavoidable by product of human activities. Economic development, urbanization and improving living standards in cities, have led to an increase in the quantity and complexity of generated waste. Rapid growth of population and industrialization degrades the urban environment and places serious stress on natural resources, which undermines equitable and sustainable development. Inefficient management and disposal of solid waste is an obvious cause of degradation of the environment in most cities of the developing world. Municipal corporations of the developing countries are not able to handle increasing quantities of waste, which results in uncollected waste on roads andmore » in other public places. There is a need to work towards a sustainable waste management system, which requires environmental, institutional, financial, economic and social sustainability. This study explores alternative approaches to municipal solid waste (MSW) management and estimates the cost of waste management in Mumbai, India. Two alternatives considered in the paper are community participation and public private partnership in waste management. Data for the present study are from various non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and from the private sector involved in waste management in Mumbai. Mathematical models are used to estimate the cost per ton of waste management for both of the alternatives, which are compared with the cost of waste management by Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM). It is found that the cost per ton of waste management is Rs. 1518 (US$35) with community participation; Rs. 1797 (US$41) with public private partnership (PPP); and Rs. 1908 (US$44) when only MCGM handles the waste. Hence, community participation in waste management is the least cost option and there is a strong case for comprehensively involving community participation in waste management.« less

A cross-sectional study of sputum handling by and supervision of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis treated at home in China.

PubMed

Mei, L; Tobe, R G; Geng, H; Ma, Y B; Li, R Y; Wang, W B; Selotlegeng, L; Wang, X Z; Xu, L Z

2012-12-01

Disposal of sputum from patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) who are treated at home is an important aspect of preventing the spread of TB. However, few studies have examined disposal of sputum by patients with TB who are treated at home. Patients with pulmonary TB who are treated at home were surveyed regarding sputum handling and supervision. A cross-sectional survey of a representative sample of patients with pulmonary TB who are treated at home was conducted in Shandong Province. Participants were individuals with TB who had been registered with a local agency responsible for TB control. Participants completed a questionnaire with both qualitative and quantitative questions. How sputum was handled was determined and factors associated with sputum disposal were analyzed using a non-parametric test, logistic regression, and content analysis. Responses were received from 720 participants. Patients expectorated sputum 4.56 ± 10.367 times a day, and 68.6% of patients responded that they correctly disposed of their sputum. Supervision as part of TB control focused on the efforts of health agencies and paid little attention to waste management by patients. A non-parametric test showed that sputum disposal was significantly associated with gender, age, education, sputum smear results, attitudes toward waste management, and attitudes toward supervision (all p < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that gender (OR = 0.482, 95% CI: 0.329-0.704), sputum smear results (OR = 1.300, 95% CI: 1.037-1.629), and level of education (OR = 0.685, 95% CI: 0.528-0.889) were associated with receipt of TB health education (all p < 0.05). Sputum handling by and supervision of patients with pulmonary TB who are treated at home is severely wanting. From a policy perspective, special attention should be given to the definition, details, and methods of supervision of waste management by patients with TB to give them relevant health education and enhance their willingness to be supervised. A financial incentive should be provided to health workers supervising management of TB-related waste.

20 CFR 654.406 - Excreta and liquid waste disposal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... subsurface septic tank-seepage system or other type of liquid waste treatment and disposal system, privies or... RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE EMPLOYMENT SERVICE SYSTEM Housing for Agricultural Workers Housing Standards § 654.406... accumulate on the ground surface. (b) Where public sewer systems are available, all facilities for disposal...

20 CFR 654.406 - Excreta and liquid waste disposal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... subsurface septic tank-seepage system or other type of liquid waste treatment and disposal system, privies or... RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE EMPLOYMENT SERVICE SYSTEM Housing for Agricultural Workers Housing Standards § 654.406... accumulate on the ground surface. (b) Where public sewer systems are available, all facilities for disposal...

20 CFR 654.406 - Excreta and liquid waste disposal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... subsurface septic tank-seepage system or other type of liquid waste treatment and disposal system, privies or... RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE EMPLOYMENT SERVICE SYSTEM Housing for Agricultural Workers Housing Standards § 654.406... accumulate on the ground surface. (b) Where public sewer systems are available, all facilities for disposal...

20 CFR 654.406 - Excreta and liquid waste disposal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... subsurface septic tank-seepage system or other type of liquid waste treatment and disposal system, privies or... RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE EMPLOYMENT SERVICE SYSTEM Housing for Agricultural Workers Housing Standards § 654.406... accumulate on the ground surface. (b) Where public sewer systems are available, all facilities for disposal...

20 CFR 654.406 - Excreta and liquid waste disposal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... subsurface septic tank-seepage system or other type of liquid waste treatment and disposal system, privies or... RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE EMPLOYMENT SERVICE SYSTEM Housing for Agricultural Workers Housing Standards § 654.406... accumulate on the ground surface. (b) Where public sewer systems are available, all facilities for disposal...

Waste Management Project fiscal year 1998 multi-year work plan, WBS 1.2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jacobsen, P.H.

The Waste Management Project manages and integrates (non-TWRS) waste management activities at the site. Activities include management of Hanford wastes as well as waste transferred to Hanford from other DOE, Department of Defense, or other facilities. This work includes handling, treatment, storage, and disposal of radioactive, nonradioactive, hazardous, and mixed solid and liquid wastes. Major Waste Management Projects are the Solid Waste Project, Liquid Effluents Project, and Analytical Services. Existing facilities (e.g., grout vaults and canyons) shall be evaluated for reuse for these purposes to the maximum extent possible.

E-waste Management and Refurbishment Prediction (EMARP) Model for Refurbishment Industries.

PubMed

Resmi, N G; Fasila, K A

2017-10-01

This paper proposes a novel algorithm for establishing a standard methodology to manage and refurbish e-waste called E-waste Management And Refurbishment Prediction (EMARP), which can be adapted by refurbishing industries in order to improve their performance. Waste management, particularly, e-waste management is a serious issue nowadays. Computerization has been into waste management in different ways. Much of the computerization has happened in planning the waste collection, recycling and disposal process and also managing documents and reports related to waste management. This paper proposes a computerized model to make predictions for e-waste refurbishment. All possibilities for reusing the common components among the collected e-waste samples are predicted, thus minimizing the wastage. Simulation of the model has been done to analyse the accuracy in the predictions made by the system. The model can be scaled to accommodate the real-world scenario. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Progress and challenges to the global waste management system.

PubMed

Singh, Jagdeep; Laurenti, Rafael; Sinha, Rajib; Frostell, Björn

2014-09-01

Rapid economic growth, urbanization and increasing population have caused (materially intensive) resource consumption to increase, and consequently the release of large amounts of waste to the environment. From a global perspective, current waste and resource management lacks a holistic approach covering the whole chain of product design, raw material extraction, production, consumption, recycling and waste management. In this article, progress and different sustainability challenges facing the global waste management system are presented and discussed. The study leads to the conclusion that the current, rather isolated efforts, in different systems for waste management, waste reduction and resource management are indeed not sufficient in a long term sustainability perspective. In the future, to manage resources and wastes sustainably, waste management requires a more systems-oriented approach that addresses the root causes for the problems. A specific issue to address is the development of improved feedback information (statistics) on how waste generation is linked to consumption. © The Author(s) 2014.

Comparison of municipal solid waste management systems in Canada and Ghana: A case study of the cities of London, Ontario, and Kumasi, Ghana

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Asase, Mizpah; Yanful, Ernest K.; Mensah, Moses

2009-10-15

Integrated waste management has been accepted as a sustainable approach to solid waste management in any region. It can be applied in both developed and developing countries. The difference is the approach taken to develop the integrated waste management system. This review looks at the integrated waste management system operating in the city of London, Ontario-Canada and how lessons can be drawn from the system's development and operation that will help implement a sustainable waste management system in the city of Kumasi, Ghana. The waste management system in London is designed such that all waste generated in the city ismore » handled and disposed of appropriately. The responsibility of each sector handling waste is clearly defined and monitored. All major services are provided and delivered by a combination of public and private sector forces. The sustainability of the waste management in the city of London is attributed to the continuous improvement strategy framework adopted by the city based on the principles of integrated waste management. It is perceived that adopting a strategic framework based on the principles of integrated waste management with a strong political and social will, can transform the current waste management in Kumasi and other cities in developing countries in the bid for finding lasting solutions to the problems that have plagued the waste management system in these cities.« less

Analysis on 3RWB model (Reduce, reuse, recycle, and waste bank) in comprehensive waste management toward community-based zero waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Affandy, Nur Azizah; Isnaini, Enik; Laksono, Arif Budi

2017-06-01

Waste management becomes a serious issue in Indonesia. Significantly, waste production in Lamongan Regency is increasing in linear with the growth of population and current people activities, creating a gap between waste production and waste management. It is a critical problem that should be solved immediately. As a reaction to the issue, the Government of Lamongan Regency has enacted a new policy regarding waste management through a program named Lamongan Green and Clean (LGC). From the collected data, it showed that the "wet waste" or "organic waste" was approximately 63% of total domestic waste. With such condition, it can be predicted that the trashes will decompose quite quickly. From the observation, it was discovered that the generated waste was approximately 0.25 kg/person/day. Meanwhile, the number of population in Tumenggungan Village, Lamongan (data obtained from Monograph in Lamongan district, 2012) was 4651 people. Thus, it can be estimated the total waste in Lamongan was approximately 0.25 kg/person/day x 4651 characters = 930 kg/day. Within 3RWB Model, several stages have to be conducted. In the planning stage, the promotion of self-awareness among the communities in selecting and managing waste due to their interest in a potential benefit, is done. It indicated that community's awareness of waste management waste grew significantly. Meanwhile in socialization stage, each village staff, environmental expert, and policymaker should bear significant role in disseminating the awareness among the people. In the implementation phase, waste management with 3RWB model is promoted by applying it among of the community, starting from selection, waste management, until recycled products sale through the waste bank. In evaluation stage, the village managers, environmental expert, and waste managers are expected to regularly supervise and evaluate the whole activity of the waste management.

Tank 19F Folding Crawler Final Evaluation, Rev. 0

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nance, T.

2000-10-25

The Department of Energy (DOE) is committed to removing millions of gallons of high-level radioactive waste from 51 underground waste storage tanks at the Savannah River Site (SRS). The primary radioactive waste constituents are strontium, plutonium,and cesium. It is recognized that the continued storage of this waste is a risk to the public, workers, and the environment. SRS was the first site in the DOE complex to have emptied and operationally closed a high-level radioactive waste tank. The task of emptying and closing the rest of the tanks will be completed by FY28.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory Waste Management Plan, fiscal year 1994. Revision 3

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Turner, J.W.

1993-12-01

US Department of Energy (DOE) Order 5820.2A was promulgated in final form on September 26, 1988. The order requires heads of field organizations to prepare and to submit updates on the waste management plans for all operations under their purview according to the format in Chap. 6, {open_quotes}Waste Management Plan Outline.{close_quotes} These plans are to be submitted by the DOE Oak Ridge Operations Office (DOE-ORO) in December of each year and distributed to the DP-12, ES&H-1, and other appropriate DOE Headquarters (DOE-HQ) organizations for review and comment. This document was prepared in response to this requirement for fiscal year (FY)more » 1994. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) waste management mission is reduction, collection, storage, treatment, and disposal of DOE wastes, generated primarily in pursuit of ORNL missions, in order to protect human health and safety and the environment. In carrying out this mission, waste management staff in the Waste Management and Remedial Action Division (WMRAD) will (1) guide ORNL in optimizing waste reduction and waste management capabilities and (2) conduct waste management operations in a compliant, publicly acceptable, technically sound, and cost-efficient manner. Waste management requirements for DOE radioactive wastes are detailed in DOE Order 5820.2A, and the ORNL Waste Management Program encompasses all elements of this order. The requirements of this DOE order and other appropriate DOE orders, along with applicable Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules and regulations, provide the principal source of regulatory guidance for waste management operations at ORNL. The objective of this document is compilation and consolidation of information on how the ORNL Waste Management Program is conducted, which waste management facilities are being used to manage wastes, what activities are planned for FY 1994, and how all of the activities are documented.« less

Healthcare waste management research: A structured analysis and review (2005-2014).

PubMed

Thakur, Vikas; Ramesh, A

2015-10-01

The importance of healthcare waste management in preserving the environment and protecting the public cannot be denied. Past research has dealt with various issues in healthcare waste management and disposal, which spreads over various journals, pipeline research disciplines and research communities. Hence, this article analyses this scattered knowledge in a systematic manner, considering the period between January 2005 and July 2014. The purpose of this study is to: (i) identify the trends in healthcare waste management literature regarding journals published; (ii) main topics of research in healthcare waste management; (iii) methodologies used in healthcare waste management research; (iv) areas most frequently researched by researchers; and (v) determine the scope of future research in healthcare waste management. To this end, the authors conducted a systematic review of 176 articles on healthcare waste management taken from the following eight esteemed journals: International Journal of Environmental Health Research, International Journal of Healthcare Quality Assurance, Journal of Environmental Management, Journal of Hazardous Material, Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management, Resources, Conservations and Recycling, Waste Management, and Waste Management & Research. The authors have applied both quantitative and qualitative approaches for analysis, and results will be useful in the following ways: (i) results will show importance of healthcare waste management in healthcare operations; (ii) findings will give a comparative view of the various publications; (c) study will shed light on future research areas. © The Author(s) 2015.

Sustainable Materials Management: Non-Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Hierarchy

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA developed the non-hazardous materials and waste management hierarchy in recognition that no single waste management approach is suitable for managing all materials and waste streams in all circumstances.

40 CFR 60.2900 - When must I submit my waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false When must I submit my waste management... Waste Management Plan § 60.2900 When must I submit my waste management plan? You must submit a waste management plan prior to commencing construction, reconstruction, or modification. ...

40 CFR 62.14430 - Must I prepare a waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 8 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Must I prepare a waste management plan... 20, 1996 Waste Management Plan § 62.14430 Must I prepare a waste management plan? Yes. All HMIWI owners or operators must have a waste management plan. ...

40 CFR 60.2900 - When must I submit my waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false When must I submit my waste management... Waste Management Plan § 60.2900 When must I submit my waste management plan? You must submit a waste management plan prior to commencing construction, reconstruction, or modification. ...

40 CFR 62.14430 - Must I prepare a waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 9 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Must I prepare a waste management plan... December 1, 2008 Waste Management Plan § 62.14430 Must I prepare a waste management plan? Yes. All HMIWI owners or operators must have a waste management plan. ...

40 CFR 60.2900 - When must I submit my waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false When must I submit my waste management... Waste Management Plan § 60.2900 When must I submit my waste management plan? You must submit a waste management plan prior to commencing construction, reconstruction, or modification. ...

40 CFR 62.14430 - Must I prepare a waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 9 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Must I prepare a waste management plan... December 1, 2008 Waste Management Plan § 62.14430 Must I prepare a waste management plan? Yes. All HMIWI owners or operators must have a waste management plan. ...

40 CFR 62.14430 - Must I prepare a waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 8 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Must I prepare a waste management plan... 20, 1996 Waste Management Plan § 62.14430 Must I prepare a waste management plan? Yes. All HMIWI owners or operators must have a waste management plan. ...

40 CFR 62.14430 - Must I prepare a waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 9 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Must I prepare a waste management plan... 20, 1996 Waste Management Plan § 62.14430 Must I prepare a waste management plan? Yes. All HMIWI owners or operators must have a waste management plan. ...

Disaster waste management: a review article.

PubMed

Brown, Charlotte; Milke, Mark; Seville, Erica

2011-06-01

Depending on their nature and severity, disasters can create large volumes of debris and waste. The waste can overwhelm existing solid waste management facilities and impact on other emergency response and recovery activities. If poorly managed, the waste can have significant environmental and public health impacts and can affect the overall recovery process. This paper presents a system overview of disaster waste management based on existing literature. The main literature available to date comprises disaster waste management plans or guidelines and isolated case studies. There is ample discussion on technical management options such as temporary storage sites, recycling, disposal, etc.; however, there is little or no guidance on how these various management options are selected post-disaster. The literature does not specifically address the impact or appropriateness of existing legislation, organisational structures and funding mechanisms on disaster waste management programmes, nor does it satisfactorily cover the social impact of disaster waste management programmes. It is envisaged that the discussion presented in this paper, and the literature gaps identified, will form a basis for future comprehensive and cohesive research on disaster waste management. In turn, research will lead to better preparedness and response to disaster waste management problems. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Disaster waste management: A review article

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brown, Charlotte, E-mail: charlotte.brown@pg.canterbury.ac.nz; Milke, Mark, E-mail: mark.milke@canterbury.ac.nz; Seville, Erica, E-mail: erica.seville@canterbury.ac.nz

2011-06-15

Depending on their nature and severity, disasters can create large volumes of debris and waste. The waste can overwhelm existing solid waste management facilities and impact on other emergency response and recovery activities. If poorly managed, the waste can have significant environmental and public health impacts and can affect the overall recovery process. This paper presents a system overview of disaster waste management based on existing literature. The main literature available to date comprises disaster waste management plans or guidelines and isolated case studies. There is ample discussion on technical management options such as temporary storage sites, recycling, disposal, etc.;more » however, there is little or no guidance on how these various management options are selected post-disaster. The literature does not specifically address the impact or appropriateness of existing legislation, organisational structures and funding mechanisms on disaster waste management programmes, nor does it satisfactorily cover the social impact of disaster waste management programmes. It is envisaged that the discussion presented in this paper, and the literature gaps identified, will form a basis for future comprehensive and cohesive research on disaster waste management. In turn, research will lead to better preparedness and response to disaster waste management problems.« less

Waste Management Improvement Initiatives at Atomic Energy of Canada Limited - 13091

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chan, Nicholas; Adams, Lynne; Wong, Pierre

2013-07-01

Atomic Energy of Canada Limited's (AECL) Chalk River Laboratories (CRL) has been in operation for over 60 years. Radioactive, mixed, hazardous and non-hazardous wastes have been and continue to be generated at CRL as a result of research and development, radioisotope production, reactor operation and facility decommissioning activities. AECL has implemented several improvement initiatives at CRL to simplify the interface between waste generators and waste receivers: - Introduction of trained Waste Officers representing their facilities or activities at CRL; - Establishment of a Waste Management Customer Support Service as a Single-Point of Contact to provide guidance to waste generators formore » all waste management processes; and - Implementation of a streamlined approach for waste identification with emphasis on early identification of waste types and potential disposition paths. As a result of implementing these improvement initiatives, improvements in waste management and waste transfer efficiencies have been realized at CRL. These included: 1) waste generators contacting the Customer Support Service for information or guidance instead of various waste receivers; 2) more clear and consistent guidance provided to waste generators for waste management through the Customer Support Service; 3) more consistent and correct waste information provided to waste receivers through Waste Officers, resulting in reduced time and resources required for waste management (i.e., overall cost); 4) improved waste minimization and segregation approaches, as identified by in-house Waste Officers; and 5) enhanced communication between waste generators and waste management groups. (authors)« less

Potentially hazardous waste produced at home.

PubMed

Chaves, Loide Corina; de Campos, Ligia Mara Daros; Filipini, Rosangela; de Abreu, Luiz Carlos; Valenti, Vitor E; Azzalis, Ligia Ajaime; Junqueira, Virginia Berlanga Campos; Sena, Dayse F; Goulart, Flávia C; Fonseca, Fernando Luiz Affonso

2013-06-27

The purpose of this study was to identify the sources of waste generation household consisting of biological material and to investigate the knowledge presented by those responsible for the generation of waste in the home environment on the potential health risk human and environmental. It is a quantitative survey performed in Parque Capuava, Santo André (SP). The questionnaire was administered by the community employers and nursing students during the consultation with nursing supervision through interview question/answer. The exclusion criteria were patients who were not in the area served by the Basic Health Unit which covers the area of Pq Capuava. The sample was consisted of 99 persons and the data collection a questionnaire was used. We observed that 63.3% of people said to use disposables, with the majority (58.7%) of these use the public collection as the final destination of these materials. It was reported that 73.7% of those surveyed reported having knowledge about the risk of disease transmission. Public awareness of the importance of proper packaging and disposal of potentially hazardous household waste may contribute significantly to the preservation of human and environmental health and this procedure can be performed and supervised by professional nurses. We suggest implementation of workshops for community health workers and the general population in order to enhance their knowledge about the storage and disposal of potentially infectious waste generated at home, thereby reducing the potential risk of disease transmission by improper management.

Potentially hazardous waste produced at home

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The purpose of this study was to identify the sources of waste generation household consisting of biological material and to investigate the knowledge presented by those responsible for the generation of waste in the home environment on the potential health risk human and environmental. Method It is a quantitative survey performed in Parque Capuava, Santo André (SP). The questionnaire was administered by the community employers and nursing students during the consultation with nursing supervision through interview question/answer. The exclusion criteria were patients who were not in the area served by the Basic Health Unit which covers the area of Pq Capuava. The sample was consisted of 99 persons and the data collection a questionnaire was used. Results We observed that 63.3% of people said to use disposables, with the majority (58.7%) of these use the public collection as the final destination of these materials. It was reported that 73.7% of those surveyed reported having knowledge about the risk of disease transmission. Public awareness of the importance of proper packaging and disposal of potentially hazardous household waste may contribute significantly to the preservation of human and environmental health and this procedure can be performed and supervised by professional nurses. Conclusion We suggest implementation of workshops for community health workers and the general population in order to enhance their knowledge about the storage and disposal of potentially infectious waste generated at home, thereby reducing the potential risk of disease transmission by improper management. PMID:23806043

Restaurant manager and worker food safety certification and knowledge.

PubMed

Brown, Laura G; Le, Brenda; Wong, Melissa R; Reimann, David; Nicholas, David; Faw, Brenda; Davis, Ernestine; Selman, Carol A

2014-11-01

Over half of foodborne illness outbreaks occur in restaurants. To combat these outbreaks, many public health agencies require food safety certification for restaurant managers, and sometimes workers. Certification entails passing a food safety knowledge examination, which is typically preceded by food safety training. Current certification efforts are based on the assumption that certification leads to greater food safety knowledge. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted this study to examine the relationship between food safety knowledge and certification. We also examined the relationships between food safety knowledge and restaurant, manager, and worker characteristics. We interviewed managers (N=387) and workers (N=365) about their characteristics and assessed their food safety knowledge. Analyses showed that certified managers and workers had greater food safety knowledge than noncertified managers and workers. Additionally, managers and workers whose primary language was English had greater food safety knowledge than those whose primary language was not English. Other factors associated with greater food safety knowledge included working in a chain restaurant, working in a larger restaurant, having more experience, and having more duties. These findings indicate that certification improves food safety knowledge, and that complex relationships exist among restaurant, manager, and worker characteristics and food safety knowledge.

Restaurant Manager and Worker Food Safety Certification and Knowledge

PubMed Central

Brown, Laura G.; Le, Brenda; Wong, Melissa R.; Reimann, David; Nicholas, David; Faw, Brenda; Davis, Ernestine; Selman, Carol A.

2017-01-01

Over half of foodborne illness outbreaks occur in restaurants. To combat these outbreaks, many public health agencies require food safety certification for restaurant managers, and sometimes workers. Certification entails passing a food safety knowledge examination, which is typically preceded by food safety training. Current certification efforts are based on the assumption that certification leads to greater food safety knowledge. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted this study to examine the relationship between food safety knowledge and certification. We also examined the relationships between food safety knowledge and restaurant, manager, and worker characteristics. We interviewed managers (N = 387) and workers (N = 365) about their characteristics and assessed their food safety knowledge. Analyses showed that certified managers and workers had greater food safety knowledge than noncertified managers and workers. Additionally, managers and workers whose primary language was English had greater food safety knowledge than those whose primary language was not English. Other factors associated with greater food safety knowledge included working in a chain restaurant, working in a larger restaurant, having more experience, and having more duties. These findings indicate that certification improves food safety knowledge, and that complex relationships exist among restaurant, manager, and worker characteristics and food safety knowledge. PMID:25361386

76 FR 13666 - Pitney Bowes, Inc., Mailing Solutions Management, Global Engineering Group, Including On-Site...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-14

...., Mailing Solutions Management, Global Engineering Group, Including On-Site Leased Workers From Guidant... workers and former workers of Pitney Bowes, Inc., Mailing Solutions Management Division, Engineering... reviewed the certification to clarify the subject worker group's identity. Additional information revealed...

Health-care waste management in India.

PubMed

Patil, A D; Shekdar, A V

2001-10-01

Health-care waste management in India is receiving greater attention due to recent regulations (the Biomedical Wastes (Management & Handling) Rules, 1998). The prevailing situation is analysed covering various issues like quantities and proportion of different constituents of wastes, handling, treatment and disposal methods in various health-care units (HCUs). The waste generation rate ranges between 0.5 and 2.0 kg bed-1 day-1. It is estimated that annually about 0.33 million tonnes of waste are generated in India. The solid waste from the hospitals consists of bandages, linen and other infectious waste (30-35%), plastics (7-10%), disposable syringes (0.3-0.5%), glass (3-5%) and other general wastes including food (40-45%). In general, the wastes are collected in a mixed form, transported and disposed of along with municipal solid wastes. At many places, authorities are failing to install appropriate systems for a variety of reasons, such as non-availability of appropriate technologies, inadequate financial resources and absence of professional training on waste management. Hazards associated with health-care waste management and shortcomings in the existing system are identified. The rules for management and handling of biomedical wastes are summarised, giving the categories of different wastes, suggested storage containers including colour-coding and treatment options. Existing and proposed systems of health-care waste management are described. A waste-management plan for health-care establishments is also proposed, which includes institutional arrangements, appropriate technologies, operational plans, financial management and the drawing up of appropriate staff training programmes.

Can Civility Norms Boost Positive Effects of Management Commitment to Safety?

PubMed

McGonagle, Alyssa K; Childress, Niambi M; Walsh, Benjamin M; Bauerle, Timothy J

2016-07-03

We proposed that civility norms would strengthen relationships between management commitment to safety and workers' safety motivation, safety behaviors, and injuries. Survey data were obtained from working adults in hazardous jobs-those for which physical labor is required and/or a realistic possibility of physical injury is present (N = 290). Results showed that management commitment positively related to workers' safety motivation, safety participation, and safety compliance, and negatively related to minor injuries. Furthermore, management commitment to safety displayed a stronger positive relationship with safety motivation and safety participation, and a stronger negative relationship with minor worker injuries when civility norms were high (versus low). The results confirm existing known relationships between management commitment to safety and worker safety motivation and behavior; furthermore, civility norms facilitate the relationships between management commitment to safety and various outcomes important to worker safety. In order to promote an optimally safe working environment, managers should demonstrate a commitment to worker safety and promote positive norms for interpersonal treatment between workers in their units.

Techno-economic evaluation of a tandem dry batch, garage-style digestion-compost process for remote work camp environments.

PubMed

Hayes, Alexander C; Enongene Ekwe, S; Mervin, Steve; Jenson, Earl

2016-12-01

The extraction of natural resources often involves housing workers in remote work camps far from population centres. These camps are prevalent in northern Alberta where they house approximately 40,000 workers involved in oil sands processing. The central, full-service cafeterias at these camps produce a significant quantity of food and cardboard waste. Due to their remote nature, these camps face high waste disposal costs associated with trucking waste long distances to the landfill. In this study, we investigated the techno-economic feasibility of on-site treatment of food and cardboard waste in a tandem dry batch, garage-style anaerobic digestion-compost process in which the waste material is converted into renewable energy used to heat the camp water supply and a nutrient-rich soil amendment for local land reclamation projects. Dry batch digestion and windrow composting pilot trials were performed on a simulated work camp waste in order to assess technical performance. The quality of the final compost was found to meet regulatory standards. A complete mass balance was then developed for a facility treating 3000 tonnes food waste and 435 tonnes waste cardboard annually. An economic assessment of such a facility was performed and, depending on the level of capital support and recognition of carbon credits for landfill methane mitigation, would require waste disposal costs to be between $115 and $195 CAD per tonne to meet financial criteria for project selection in Alberta's oil and gas industry. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Healthcare waste management status in Lagos State, Nigeria: a case study from selected healthcare facilities in Ikorodu and Lagos metropolis.

PubMed

Longe, Ezechiel O

2012-06-01

A survey of healthcare waste management practices and their implications for health and the environment was carried out. The study assessed waste management practices in 20 healthcare facilities ranging in capacity from 40 to 600 beds in Ikorodu and metropolitan Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria. The prevailing healthcare waste management status was analysed. Management issues on quantities and proportion of different constituents of waste, segregation, collection, handling, transportation, treatment and disposal methods were assessed. The waste generation averaged 0.631 kg bed(-1) day(-1) over the survey area. The waste stream from the healthcare facilities consisted of general waste (59.0%), infectious waste (29.7%), sharps and pathological (8.9%), chemical (1.45%) and others (0.95%). Sharps/pathological waste includes disposable syringes. In general, the waste materials were collected in a mixed form, transported and disposed of along with municipal solid waste with attendant risks to health and safety. Most facilities lacked appropriate treatment systems for a variety of reasons that included inadequate funding and little or no priority for healthcare waste management as well as a lack of professionally competent waste managers among healthcare providers. Hazards associated with healthcare waste management and shortcomings in the existing system were identified.

40 CFR 60.2899 - What is a waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false What is a waste management plan? 60... (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Preconstruction Siting Analysis Waste Management Plan § 60.2899 What is a waste management plan? A waste management plan is a written plan that...

40 CFR 60.2899 - What is a waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false What is a waste management plan? 60... (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Preconstruction Siting Analysis Waste Management Plan § 60.2899 What is a waste management plan? A waste management plan is a written plan that...

40 CFR 60.2620 - What is a waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What is a waste management plan? 60... (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Emissions Guidelines and Compliance Times for..., 1999 Model Rule-Waste Management Plan § 60.2620 What is a waste management plan? A waste management...

40 CFR 60.3010 - What is a waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What is a waste management plan? 60... (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Emission Guidelines and Compliance Times for... Rule-Waste Management Plan § 60.3010 What is a waste management plan? A waste management plan is a...

Technology integration performance assessment using lean principles in health care.

PubMed

Rico, Florentino; Yalcin, Ali; Eikman, Edward A

2015-01-01

This study assesses the impact of an automated infusion system (AIS) integration at a positron emission tomography (PET) center based on "lean thinking" principles. The authors propose a systematic measurement system that evaluates improvement in terms of the "8 wastes." This adaptation to the health care context consisted of performance measurement before and after integration of AIS in terms of time, utilization of resources, amount of materials wasted/saved, system variability, distances traveled, and worker strain. The authors' observations indicate that AIS stands to be very effective in a busy PET department, such as the one in Moffitt Cancer Center, owing to its accuracy, pace, and reliability, especially after the necessary adjustments are made to reduce or eliminate the source of errors. This integration must be accompanied by a process reengineering exercise to realize the full potential of AIS in reducing waste and improving patient care and worker satisfaction. © The Author(s) 2014.

A collaborative approach to lean laboratory workstation design reduces wasted technologist travel.

PubMed

Yerian, Lisa M; Seestadt, Joseph A; Gomez, Erron R; Marchant, Kandice K

2012-08-01

Lean methodologies have been applied in many industries to reduce waste. We applied Lean techniques to redesign laboratory workstations with the aim of reducing the number of times employees must leave their workstations to complete their tasks. At baseline in 68 workflows (aggregates or sequence of process steps) studied, 251 (38%) of 664 tasks required workers to walk away from their workstations. After analysis and redesign, only 59 (9%) of the 664 tasks required technologists to leave their workstations to complete these tasks. On average, 3.4 travel events were removed for each workstation. Time studies in a single laboratory section demonstrated that workers spend 8 to 70 seconds in travel each time they step away from the workstation. The redesigned workstations will allow employees to spend less time travelling around the laboratory. Additional benefits include employee training in waste identification, improved overall laboratory layout, and identification of other process improvement opportunities in our laboratory.

Progressively safer, cheaper demolition of Fernald

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Robert Nichols; Norman Pennington

2000-09-29

Fluor Fernald, Inc. has been progressively improving Decontamination and Dismantlement (D&D) at the Department of Energy's Fernald Environmental Management Project by applying new technologies and better methodologies to the work. Demolition issues existed in the past that necessitated new or improved solutions to maintain worker safety, protect the environment and accomplish the work in a cost effective manner. Lessons learned from D&D of 80 structures has led to a systematic approach, which can be implemented in various D&D arenas. When facility production was halted, hold-up material and process residues remained in the process piping and components. Over 500,000 pounds ofmore » material was removed by workers who completed the tasks two years ahead of schedule, $7 million under budget and with an excellent safety record. This success was the result of detailed planning and irdision of lessons learned as work progressed from facility to facility. Work sequences were developed that reduced airborne contamination. Demolition of structures has been performed at Fernald by carefully selected and qualified subcontractors. Asbestos and lead abatement, equipment, piping and conduit removal, and structural demolition have been completed to progressively higher performance specifications developed by Fluor Fernald based on lessons learned during execution. Safety continues to be the primary consideration in performing potentially hazardous work. Technologies such as hydraulic shears have been developed and used to keep workers away from danger. A new technology, ''Cool Suits,'' has been demonstrated to help prevent heat stress when anti-contamination clothing is required in elevated temperature working conditions. For tall structures, implosion technologies have been employed with progressively improved results, Several other new technologies have been evaluated by Fluor Fernald and applied by subcontractors. The improved technologies included the oxy-gas torch, which uses gasoline instead of acetylene gas, and a vacuum system for asbestos removal of wall insulation. These new methods proved effective and beneficial. Fluor Fernald has integrated demolition activities with waste disposal requirements to enhance overall efficiency. The relatively straight steel configurations required for recycling, and waste acceptance criteria that dictate waste sizes are typically included in the subcontract specifications The progressive improvements by Fluor Fernald have led to cost savings and schedule acceleration without increased risk to workers or the environment. When Fluor Fernald came to the site in 1992, the remediation baseline reflected a completion schedule of 2020 and a cost of $7.2 billion. The current projection is 2008 and $4.2 billion.« less

Current status of waste management in Botswana: A mini-review.

PubMed

Mmereki, Daniel

2018-05-01

Effective waste management practices are not all about legislative solutions, but a combination of the environmental, social, technical, technically skilled human resources, financial and technological resources, resource recycling, environmental pollution awareness programmes and public participation. As a result of insufficient resources, municipal solid waste (MSW) in transition and developing countries like Botswana remains a challenge, and it is often not yet given highest priority. In Botswana, the environment, public health and other socio-economic aspects are threatened by waste management practices due to inadequate implementation and enforcement mechanisms of waste management policy. This mini-review paper describes the panorama of waste management practices in Botswana and provides information to competent authorities responsible for waste management and to researchers to develop and implement an effective waste management system. Waste management practices in Botswana are affected by: lack of effective implementation of national waste policy, fragmented tasks and overlapping mandates among relevant institutions; lack of clear guidelines on the responsibilities of the generators and public authorities and on the associated economic incentives; and lack of consistent and comprehensive solid waste management policies; lack of intent by decision-makers to prepare national waste management plans and systems, and design and implement an integrated sustainable municipal solid waste management system. Due to these challenges, there are concerns over the growing trend of the illegal dumping of waste, creating mini dumping sites all over the country, and such actions jeopardize the efforts of lobbying investors and tourism business. Recommendations for concerted efforts are made to support decision makers to re-organize a sustainable waste management system, and this paper provides a reference to other emerging economies in the region and the world.

76 FR 55846 - Hazardous Waste Management System: Identification and Listing of Hazardous Waste: Carbon Dioxide...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-09

... 2050-AG60 Hazardous Waste Management System: Identification and Listing of Hazardous Waste: Carbon... hazardous waste management under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) to conditionally exclude... and recordkeeping requirements. 40 CFR Part 261 Environmental protection, Hazardous waste, Solid waste...

Hazardous and toxic waste management in Botswana: practices and challenges.

PubMed

Mmereki, Daniel; Li, Baizhan; Meng, Liu

2014-12-01

Hazardous and toxic waste is a complex waste category because of its inherent chemical and physical characteristics. It demands for environmentally sound technologies and know-how as well as clean technologies that simultaneously manage and dispose it in an environmentally friendly way. Nevertheless, Botswana lacks a system covering all the critical steps from importation to final disposal or processing of hazardous and toxic waste owing to limited follow-up of the sources and types of hazardous and toxic waste, lack of modern and specialised treatment/disposal facilities, technical know-how, technically skilled manpower, funds and capabilities of local institutions to take lead in waste management. Therefore, because of a lack of an integrated system, there are challenges such as lack of cooperation among all the stakeholders about the safe management of hazardous and toxic waste. Furthermore, Botswana does not have a systematic regulatory framework regarding monitoring and hazardous and toxic waste management. In addition to the absence of a systematic regulatory framework, inadequate public awareness and dissemination of information about hazardous and toxic waste management, slower progress to phase-out persistent and bio-accumulative waste, and lack of reliable and accurate information on hazardous and toxic waste generation, sources and composition have caused critical challenges to effective hazardous and toxic waste management. It is, therefore, important to examine the status of hazardous and toxic waste as a waste stream in Botswana. By default; this mini-review article presents an overview of the current status of hazardous and toxic waste management and introduces the main challenges in hazardous and toxic waste management. Moreover, the article proposes the best applicable strategies to achieve effective hazardous and toxic waste management in the future. © The Author(s) 2014.

Waste management outlook for mountain regions: Sources and solutions.

PubMed

Semernya, Larisa; Ramola, Aditi; Alfthan, Björn; Giacovelli, Claudia

2017-09-01

Following the release of the global waste management outlook in 2015, the United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment), through its International Environmental Technology Centre, is elaborating a series of region-specific and thematic waste management outlooks that provide policy recommendations and solutions based on current practices in developing and developed countries. The Waste Management Outlook for Mountain Regions is the first report in this series. Mountain regions present unique challenges to waste management; while remoteness is often associated with costly and difficult transport of waste, the potential impact of waste pollutants is higher owing to the steep terrain and rivers transporting waste downstream. The Outlook shows that waste management in mountain regions is a cross-sectoral issue of global concern that deserves immediate attention. Noting that there is no 'one solution fits all', there is a need for a more landscape-type specific and regional research on waste management, the enhancement of policy and regulatory frameworks, and increased stakeholder engagement and awareness to achieve sustainable waste management in mountain areas. This short communication provides an overview of the key findings of the Outlook and highlights aspects that need further research. These are grouped per source of waste: Mountain communities, tourism, and mining. Issues such as waste crime, plastic pollution, and the linkages between exposure to natural disasters and waste are also presented.

40 CFR 62.14585 - When must I submit my waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 8 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false When must I submit my waste management... Commenced Construction On or Before November 30, 1999 Waste Management Plan § 62.14585 When must I submit my waste management plan? You must submit a waste management plan no later than April 5, 2004. ...

40 CFR 60.2055 - What is a waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false What is a waste management plan? 60... Which Modification or Reconstruction Is Commenced on or After June 1, 2001 Waste Management Plan § 60.2055 What is a waste management plan? A waste management plan is a written plan that identifies both...

40 CFR 60.3011 - When must I submit my waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false When must I submit my waste management... Model Rule-Waste Management Plan § 60.3011 When must I submit my waste management plan? You must submit a waste management plan no later than 60 days following the initial performance test as specified in...

40 CFR 62.14585 - When must I submit my waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 9 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false When must I submit my waste management... Commenced Construction On or Before November 30, 1999 Waste Management Plan § 62.14585 When must I submit my waste management plan? You must submit a waste management plan no later than April 5, 2004. ...

40 CFR 62.14580 - What is a waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 9 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false What is a waste management plan? 62... Construction On or Before November 30, 1999 Waste Management Plan § 62.14580 What is a waste management plan? A waste management plan is a written plan that identifies both the feasibility and the methods used to...

40 CFR 60.3011 - When must I submit my waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false When must I submit my waste management... Model Rule-Waste Management Plan § 60.3011 When must I submit my waste management plan? You must submit a waste management plan no later than 60 days following the initial performance test as specified in...

40 CFR 60.2899 - What is a waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false What is a waste management plan? 60... Modification or Reconstruction is Commenced on or After June 16, 2006 Waste Management Plan § 60.2899 What is a waste management plan? A waste management plan is a written plan that identifies both the feasibility...

40 CFR 60.2900 - When must I submit my waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false When must I submit my waste management... Modification or Reconstruction is Commenced on or After June 16, 2006 Waste Management Plan § 60.2900 When must I submit my waste management plan? You must submit a waste management plan prior to commencing...

40 CFR 62.14585 - When must I submit my waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 9 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false When must I submit my waste management... Commenced Construction On or Before November 30, 1999 Waste Management Plan § 62.14585 When must I submit my waste management plan? You must submit a waste management plan no later than April 5, 2004. ...

40 CFR 60.3011 - When must I submit my waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false When must I submit my waste management... Model Rule-Waste Management Plan § 60.3011 When must I submit my waste management plan? You must submit a waste management plan no later than 60 days following the initial performance test as specified in...

40 CFR 60.2055 - What is a waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false What is a waste management plan? 60... Which Modification or Reconstruction Is Commenced on or After June 1, 2001 Waste Management Plan § 60.2055 What is a waste management plan? A waste management plan is a written plan that identifies both...

40 CFR 60.2900 - When must I submit my waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false When must I submit my waste management... Modification or Reconstruction is Commenced on or After June 16, 2006 Waste Management Plan § 60.2900 When must I submit my waste management plan? You must submit a waste management plan prior to commencing...

40 CFR 60.2899 - What is a waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false What is a waste management plan? 60... Modification or Reconstruction is Commenced on or After June 16, 2006 Waste Management Plan § 60.2899 What is a waste management plan? A waste management plan is a written plan that identifies both the feasibility...

40 CFR 62.14585 - When must I submit my waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 9 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false When must I submit my waste management... Commenced Construction On or Before November 30, 1999 Waste Management Plan § 62.14585 When must I submit my waste management plan? You must submit a waste management plan no later than April 5, 2004. ...

40 CFR 62.14580 - What is a waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 9 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false What is a waste management plan? 62... Construction On or Before November 30, 1999 Waste Management Plan § 62.14580 What is a waste management plan? A waste management plan is a written plan that identifies both the feasibility and the methods used to...

40 CFR 60.3011 - When must I submit my waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false When must I submit my waste management... Model Rule-Waste Management Plan § 60.3011 When must I submit my waste management plan? You must submit a waste management plan no later than 60 days following the initial performance test as specified in...

40 CFR 62.14580 - What is a waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 9 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false What is a waste management plan? 62... Construction On or Before November 30, 1999 Waste Management Plan § 62.14580 What is a waste management plan? A waste management plan is a written plan that identifies both the feasibility and the methods used to...

Pathogenic nature of Syncephalastrum in Atta sexdens rubropilosa fungus gardens.

PubMed

Barcoto, Mariana O; Pedrosa, Felipe; Bueno, Odair C; Rodrigues, Andre

2017-05-01

Leaf-cutter ants are considered to be a major herbivore and agricultural pest in the Neotropics. They are often controlled by environmentally persistent insecticides. Biological control using pathogenic fungi is regarded as an alternative for the management of these insects. Here, we assess whether the filamentous fungus Syncephalastrum sp. is a pathogenic microorganism responsible for a characteristic disease in fungus gardens. We also characterise the damage caused by this fungus by evaluating physiological and behavioural responses of Atta sexdens rubropilosa subcolonies infected with Syncephalastrum sp. Syncephalastrum sp. fulfils Koch's postulates characterising it as a pathogenic microorganism. Ant workers recognise the infection and remove contaminated fragments from the fungus garden. Syncephalastrum sp. infection causes an interruption of foraging activity, an increase in ant mortality, subcolony deterioration and an increase in the amount of waste generated, all resulting in subcolony death. Syncephalastrum sp. also inhibits the ant fungal cultivar in vitro. The pathogenic effect of Syncephalastrum sp. does not depend on host morbidity or stress (e.g. worker mortality caused by an entomopathogenic fungus). Syncephalastrum sp. treatment resulted in progressive damage in subcolonies. The interactions among Syncephalastrum sp., fungus garden and ants offer new opportunities in integrated pest management of leaf-cutter ants. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

National information network and database system of hazardous waste management in China

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ma Hongchang

1996-12-31

Industries in China generate large volumes of hazardous waste, which makes it essential for the nation to pay more attention to hazardous waste management. National laws and regulations, waste surveys, and manifest tracking and permission systems have been initiated. Some centralized hazardous waste disposal facilities are under construction. China`s National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) has also obtained valuable information on hazardous waste management from developed countries. To effectively share this information with local environmental protection bureaus, NEPA developed a national information network and database system for hazardous waste management. This information network will have such functions as information collection, inquiry,more » and connection. The long-term objective is to establish and develop a national and local hazardous waste management information network. This network will significantly help decision makers and researchers because it will be easy to obtain information (e.g., experiences of developed countries in hazardous waste management) to enhance hazardous waste management in China. The information network consists of five parts: technology consulting, import-export management, regulation inquiry, waste survey, and literature inquiry.« less

Annual Site Environmental Report: 2008 (ASER)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sabba, D.

2009-11-09

This report provides information about environmental programs during the calendar year of 2008 at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, California. Activities that span the calendar year, i.e., stormwater monitoring covering the winter season of 2008/2009 (October 2008 through May 2009), are also included. Production of an annual site environmental report (ASER) is a requirement established by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) for all management and operating (M&O) contractors throughout the DOE complex. SLAC is a federally-funded research and development center with Stanford University as the M&O contractor. Under Executive Order (EO) 13423, Strengthening Federal Environmental,more » Energy, and Transportation Management, and DOE Order 450.1A, Environmental Protection Program, SLAC effectively implements and integrates the key elements of an Environmental Management System (EMS) to achieve the site's integrated safety and environmental management system goals. For normal daily activities, SLAC managers and supervisors are responsible for ensuring that policies and procedures are understood and followed so that: (1) Worker safety and health are protected; (2) The environment is protected; and (3) Compliance is ensured. Throughout 2008, SLAC continued to improve its management systems. These systems provided a structured framework for SLAC to implement 'greening of the government' initiatives such as EO 13423 and DOE Orders 450.1A and 430.2B. Overall, management systems at SLAC are effective, supporting compliance with all relevant statutory and regulatory requirements. SLAC continues to demonstrate significant progress in implementing and integrating EMS into day-to-day operations and construction activities at SLAC. The annual management review and ranking of environmental aspects were completed this year by SLAC's EMS Steering Committee, the Environmental Safety Committee (ESC), and twelve objectives and targets were established for 2008. For each objective and target, a work plan, or Environmental Management Program (EMP) was completed and progress reports were routinely provided to SLAC senior management and the DOE SLAC Site Office (SSO). During 2008, there were no reportable releases to the environment from SLAC operations. In addition, many improvements in waste minimization, recycling, stormwater management, groundwater restoration, and SLAC's chemical management system (CMS) were continued during the year. The following are amongst SLAC's environmental accomplishments for 2008: a composting program at SLAC's onsite cafeteria was initiated, greater than 800 cubic feet of legacy radioactive waste were packaged and shipped from SLAC, a chemical redistribution program was developed, SLAC reduced the number of General Services Administration leased vehicles from 221 to 164, recycling of municipal waste was increased by approximately 140 tons during 2008, and site-wide releases of sulfur hexafluoride were reduced by 50 percent. In 2008, no radiological incidents occurred that increased radiation levels or released radioactivity to the environment. In addition to managing its radioactive wastes safely and responsibly, SLAC worked to reduce the amount of waste generated. SLAC has implemented programs and systems to ensure compliance with all radiological requirements related to the environment. Specifically, the Radiation Protection Radiological Waste Management Group developed a training course to certify Radioactive Waste Generators, conducted a training pilot, and developed a list of potential radioactive waste generators to train. Twenty eight generators were trained in 2008. As a best management practice, SLAC also reduced its tritium inventory by at least 95 percent by draining one of its accelerator cooling water systems; with the cooperation of the South Bayside System Authority, the West Bay Sanitary District and the DOE, SLAC discharged the cooling water to the sanitary sewer according to federal regulations and replenished the system with clean water. In 2008, the SLAC Environmental Restoration Program personnel continued work on site characterization and evaluation of remedial alternatives at four sites with volatile organic compounds in groundwater and several areas with polychlorinated biphenyls and low concentrations of lead in soil. SLAC is regulated under a site cleanup requirements order (board order) issued by the California Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB), San Francisco Bay Region in May 2005 for the investigation and remediation of impacted soil and groundwater at SLAC. The board order lists specific tasks and deadlines for completion of groundwater and soil characterization and other remediation activities. All 2008 submittals to the RWQCB were completed and submitted on time.« less

Status of waste tyres and management practice in Botswana.

PubMed

Mmereki, Daniel; Machola, Bontle; Mokokwe, Kentlafetse

2017-02-22

Waste tyres (WTs) are becoming a significant environmental, economical and technological challenge due to their high contents of combustible composition and potential for valuable materials and energy resources. Fewer studies in developing and even developed countries have been carried out to assess the challenges regarding waste tyres management, and suggested the best alternative solutions for managing this waste stream. While developed countries made progress in waste tyres management needs by implementing more efficient innovative recovery and recycling methods, and restrictive regulations regarding the management of used tyres, in many developing countries the management of waste tyres has not received adequate interest, and the processing, treatment and disposal of waste tyre is still nascent. In recent years, worldwide, several methods for managing used tyres, including other principal alternatives for managing end-of-life tyres defined in the 4Rs, reduction, re-use, recovery and recycling have been adopted and applied to minimize serious threats to both the natural environment environment and human. The paper attempted to establish stakeholders' action that has the responsibility in waste tyre management in Botswana. This study also analyzed important aspects on waste tyres management in Botswana. A synthesis of approaches was employed in the present investigation to determine the factors influencing effective performance of waste tyres management practice in Botswana. Data for the present study was obtained using relevant published literature, scientific journals, other third sector sources, academic sources, and research derived from governments and other agencies and field observations. Group discussions with the participants and semi-structured interviews with professionals were carried out. The outcomes of this investigation are a wide-range outline concerning the participants that are important in waste tyres management, and a set of aspects affecting the management of waste tyres. The information provided by this study is very critical for reviewing and updating the methods and tools to update waste tyres data and trends to improve waste tyres management efficiency, suggesting innovative methods of recovering and recycling this waste stream in Botswana.

Hazardous Waste: Learn the Basics of Hazardous Waste

MedlinePlus

... to set up a framework for the proper management of hazardous waste. Need More Information on Hazardous Waste? The RCRA Orientation Manual provides ... facility management standards, specific provisions governing hazardous waste management units ... information on the final steps in EPA’s hazardous waste ...

The Vapor Plume at Material Disposal Are C in Relation to Pajarito Corridor Facilities

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Masse, William B.

2012-04-02

A vapor plume made up of volatile organic compounds is present beneath Material Disposal Area C (MDA C) at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The location and concentrations within the vapor plume are discussed in relation to existing and planned facilities and construction activities along Pajarito Road (the 'Pajarito Corridor') and in terms of worker health and safety. This document provides information that indicates that the vapor plume does not pose a threat to the health of LANL workers nor will it pose a threat to workers during construction of proposed facilities along Pajarito Road. The Los Alamos National Laboratorymore » (LANL or the Laboratory) monitors emissions, effluents, and environmental media to meet environmental compliance requirements, determine actions to protect the environment, and monitor the long-term health of the local environment. LANL also studies and characterizes 'legacy' waste from past Laboratory operations to make informed decisions regarding eventual corrective actions and the disposition of that waste. Starting in 1969, these activities have been annually reported in the LANL Environmental Report (formerly Environmental Surveillance Report), and are detailed in publicly accessible technical reports meeting environmental compliance requirements. Included among the legacy sites being investigated are several formerly used material disposal areas (MDAs) set aside by the Laboratory for the general on-site disposal of waste from mission-related activities. One such area is MDA C located in Technical Area 50 (TA-50), which was used for waste disposal between 1948 and 1974. The location of TA-50 is depicted in Figure 1. The present paper uses a series of maps and cross sections to address the public concerns raised about the vapor plume at MDA C. As illustrated here, extensive sampling and data interpretation indicate that the vapor plume at MDA C does not pose a threat to the health of LANL workers nor will it pose a threat to workers during construction of the proposed facilities and utility trenches. The public cannot be directly exposed to the vapor plume beneath MDA C because Pajarito Road is closed to the public.« less

40 CFR 60.35e - Waste management guidelines.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Waste management guidelines. 60.35e... Hospital/Medical/Infectious Waste Incinerators § 60.35e Waste management guidelines. For approval, a State plan shall include the requirements for a waste management plan at least as protective as those...

40 CFR 60.35e - Waste management guidelines.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Waste management guidelines. 60.35e... Hospital/Medical/Infectious Waste Incinerators § 60.35e Waste management guidelines. For approval, a State plan shall include the requirements for a waste management plan at least as protective as those...

40 CFR 60.35e - Waste management guidelines.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Waste management guidelines. 60.35e... Hospital/Medical/Infectious Waste Incinerators § 60.35e Waste management guidelines. For approval, a State plan shall include the requirements for a waste management plan at least as protective as those...

40 CFR 60.35e - Waste management guidelines.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Waste management guidelines. 60.35e... Hospital/Medical/Infectious Waste Incinerators § 60.35e Waste management guidelines. For approval, a State plan shall include the requirements for a waste management plan at least as protective as those...

40 CFR 62.14590 - What should I include in my waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... in my waste management plan? A waste management plan must include consideration of the reduction or separation of waste-stream elements such as paper, cardboard, plastics, glass, batteries, or metals; or the... waste management measures already in place, the costs of additional measures, the emissions reductions...

E-waste management in India: A mini-review.

PubMed

Awasthi, Abhishek Kumar; Wang, Mengmeng; Wang, Zhishi; Awasthi, Mrigendra Kumar; Li, Jinhui

2018-05-01

Environmental deterioration and health risk due to improper e-waste management has become a serious issue in India. The major portion of e-waste reaches an unorganized e-waste recycling sector and is then treated by using crude methods. This review article presents a brief highlight on e-waste management status, legislation, and technology uses in India. The present e-waste management needs to be more focused on environmentally sound management, by more active support from all the participants involved in the e-waste flow chain in India.

Clinical laboratory waste management in Shiraz, Iran.

PubMed

Askarian, Mehrdad; Motazedian, Nasrin; Palenik, Charles John

2012-06-01

Clinical laboratories are significant generators of infectious waste, including microbiological materials, contaminated sharps, and pathologic wastes such as blood specimens and blood products. Most waste produced in laboratories can be disposed of in the general solid waste stream. However, improper management of infectious waste, including mixing general wastes with infectious wastes and improper handling or storage, could lead to disease transmission. The aim of this study was to assess waste management processes used at clinical laboratories in Shiraz, Iran. One hundred and nine clinical laboratories participated In this cross sectional study, Data collection was by questionnaire and direct observation. Of the total amount of waste generated, 52% (by weight) was noninfectious domestic waste, 43% was non-sharps infectious waste and 5% consisted of sharps. There was no significant relationship between laboratory staff or manager education and the score for quality of waste collection and disposal at clinical laboratories. Improvements in infectious waste management processes should involve clearer, more uniformly accepted definitions of infectious waste and increased staff training.

40 CFR 62.14432 - When must my waste management plan be completed?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 8 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false When must my waste management plan be... Before June 20, 1996 Waste Management Plan § 62.14432 When must my waste management plan be completed? As specified in §§ 62.14463 and 62.14464, you must submit your waste management plan with your initial report...

40 CFR 62.14432 - When must my waste management plan be completed?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 8 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false When must my waste management plan be... Before June 20, 1996 Waste Management Plan § 62.14432 When must my waste management plan be completed? As specified in §§ 62.14463 and 62.14464, you must submit your waste management plan with your initial report...

40 CFR 62.14432 - When must my waste management plan be completed?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 9 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false When must my waste management plan be... Before December 1, 2008 Waste Management Plan § 62.14432 When must my waste management plan be completed? As specified in §§ 62.14463 and 62.14464, you must submit your waste management plan with your...

40 CFR 60.2625 - When must I submit my waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false When must I submit my waste management... or Before November 30, 1999 Model Rule-Waste Management Plan § 60.2625 When must I submit my waste management plan? You must submit a waste management plan no later than the date specified in table 1 of this...

40 CFR 62.14432 - When must my waste management plan be completed?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 9 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false When must my waste management plan be... Before June 20, 1996 Waste Management Plan § 62.14432 When must my waste management plan be completed? As specified in §§ 62.14463 and 62.14464, you must submit your waste management plan with your initial report...

Tribal Waste Management Program

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The EPA’s Tribal Waste Management Program encourages environmentally sound waste management practices that promote resource conservation through recycling, recovery, reduction, clean up, and elimination of waste.

Management of construction and demolition wastes as secondary building resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manukhina, Lyubov; Ivanova, Irina

2017-10-01

The article analyzes the methods of management of construction and demolition wastes. The authors developed suggestions for improving the management system of the turnover of construction and demolition wastes. Today the issue of improving the management of construction and demolition wastes is of the same importance as problems of protecting the life-support field from pollution and of preserving biological and land resources. The authors educed the prospective directions and methods for improving the management of the turnover processes for construction and demolition wastes, including the evaluation of potential of wastes as secondary raw materials and the formation of a centralized waste management system.

A system of safety management practices and worker engagement for reducing and preventing accidents: an empirical and theoretical investigation.

PubMed

Wachter, Jan K; Yorio, Patrick L

2014-07-01

The overall research objective was to theoretically and empirically develop the ideas around a system of safety management practices (ten practices were elaborated), to test their relationship with objective safety statistics (such as accident rates), and to explore how these practices work to achieve positive safety results (accident prevention) through worker engagement. Data were collected using safety manager, supervisor and employee surveys designed to assess and link safety management system practices, employee perceptions resulting from existing practices, and safety performance outcomes. Results indicate the following: there is a significant negative relationship between the presence of ten individual safety management practices, as well as the composite of these practices, with accident rates; there is a significant negative relationship between the level of safety-focused worker emotional and cognitive engagement with accident rates; safety management systems and worker engagement levels can be used individually to predict accident rates; safety management systems can be used to predict worker engagement levels; and worker engagement levels act as mediators between the safety management system and safety performance outcomes (such as accident rates). Even though the presence of safety management system practices is linked with incident reduction and may represent a necessary first-step in accident prevention, safety performance may also depend on mediation by safety-focused cognitive and emotional engagement by workers. Thus, when organizations invest in a safety management system approach to reducing/preventing accidents and improving safety performance, they should also be concerned about winning over the minds and hearts of their workers through human performance-based safety management systems designed to promote and enhance worker engagement. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Technical considerations in the preparation and dispensing of chemotherapy.

PubMed

Peters, B G

1995-01-01

The safe handling of cytotoxic agents is intimately related to the technical aspects of drug preparation, dispensing, and administration. The appropriate equipment, supplies, protective clothing, and waste disposal systems must be available to the health care worker who is called upon to prepare cytotoxic agents. In addition, the health care worker must be adequately trained in and familiar with the safe use of these products and equipment and the preparation techniques or manipulations necessary during cytotoxic drug compounding. The article describes in detail and reviews the technical considerations, such as aseptic technique, proper use of the biological safety cabinet, gowning and gloving, labeling, and waste disposal, that are essential to the safe preparation and dispensing of chemotherapy.

40 CFR 273.13 - Waste management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... immediately closed after removal): (i) Sorting batteries by type; (ii) Mixing battery types in one container... Waste management. (a) Universal waste batteries. A small quantity handler of universal waste must manage universal waste batteries in a way that prevents releases of any universal waste or component of a universal...

40 CFR 273.13 - Waste management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... immediately closed after removal): (i) Sorting batteries by type; (ii) Mixing battery types in one container... Waste management. (a) Universal waste batteries. A small quantity handler of universal waste must manage universal waste batteries in a way that prevents releases of any universal waste or component of a universal...

40 CFR 273.33 - Waste management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... immediately closed after removal): (i) Sorting batteries by type; (ii) Mixing battery types in one container... Waste management. (a) Universal waste batteries. A large quantity handler of universal waste must manage universal waste batteries in a way that prevents releases of any universal waste or component of a universal...

40 CFR 273.33 - Waste management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... immediately closed after removal): (i) Sorting batteries by type; (ii) Mixing battery types in one container... Waste management. (a) Universal waste batteries. A large quantity handler of universal waste must manage universal waste batteries in a way that prevents releases of any universal waste or component of a universal...

40 CFR 273.13 - Waste management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... immediately closed after removal): (i) Sorting batteries by type; (ii) Mixing battery types in one container... Waste management. (a) Universal waste batteries. A small quantity handler of universal waste must manage universal waste batteries in a way that prevents releases of any universal waste or component of a universal...

40 CFR 273.13 - Waste management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... immediately closed after removal): (i) Sorting batteries by type; (ii) Mixing battery types in one container... Waste management. (a) Universal waste batteries. A small quantity handler of universal waste must manage universal waste batteries in a way that prevents releases of any universal waste or component of a universal...

40 CFR 273.33 - Waste management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... immediately closed after removal): (i) Sorting batteries by type; (ii) Mixing battery types in one container... Waste management. (a) Universal waste batteries. A large quantity handler of universal waste must manage universal waste batteries in a way that prevents releases of any universal waste or component of a universal...

40 CFR 273.33 - Waste management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... immediately closed after removal): (i) Sorting batteries by type; (ii) Mixing battery types in one container... Waste management. (a) Universal waste batteries. A large quantity handler of universal waste must manage universal waste batteries in a way that prevents releases of any universal waste or component of a universal...

Optimised management of orphan wastes in the UK

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Doudou, Slimane; McTeer, Jennifer; Wickham, Stephen

2013-07-01

Orphan wastes have properties preventing them from being managed according to existing or currently planned management routes, or lack characterisation so that their management is uncertain. The identification of new management opportunities for orphan wastes could realise significant benefits by reducing the number of processing facilities required, reducing waste volumes, reducing hazard or leading to the development of centres of excellence for the processing of certain types of orphan wastes. Information on the characteristics of orphan waste existing at nuclear licensed sites across the UK has been collated and a database developed to act as a repository for the informationmore » gathered. The database provides a capability to analyse the data and to explore possible treatment technologies for each orphan waste type. Thirty five distinct orphan waste types have been defined and possible treatment options considered. Treatment technologies (including chemical, high temperature, immobilisation and physical technologies) that could be applied to one or more of the generic orphan waste streams have been identified. Wiring diagrams have been used to highlight the waste treatment / lifecycle management options that are available for each of the generic orphan groups as well as identifying areas for further research and development. This work has identified the potential for optimising the management of orphan wastes in a number of areas, and many potential opportunities were identified. Such opportunities could be investigated by waste managers at waste producing nuclear sites, to facilitate the development of new management routes for orphan wastes. (authors)« less

CERT tribal internship program. Final intern report: Lewis Yellowrobe, 1995

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1998-09-01

The purpose of this internship was to present state legislators with the history and an overview of the Department of Energy`s policies towards occupational health and safety during cleanup of nuclear weapons production facilities. The approach used library research and phone and personal interviews to acquire information on DOE policies. This intern report contains the final report to legislators entitled ``Environmental restoration and waste management: Worker health and safety concerns during nuclear facility cleanup.`` It presents the current status of DOE occupational health and safety at production facilities, Congressional intent, past DOE occupational policies, and options for state legislators tomore » use to get involved with DOE policy direction.« less

Hazardous healthcare waste management in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

PubMed

Mohamed, L F; Ebrahim, S A; Al-Thukair, A A

2009-08-01

Hazardous healthcare waste has become an environmental concern for many developing countries including the Kingdom of Bahrain. There have been several significant obstacles facing the Kingdom in dealing with this issue including; limited documentation regarding generation, handling, management, and disposal of waste. This in turn hinders efforts to plan better healthcare waste management. In this paper, hazardous waste management status in the Kingdom has been investigated through an extensive survey carried out on selected public and private healthcare premises. Hazardous waste management practices including: waste generation, segregation, storage, collection, transportation, treatment, and disposal were determined. The results of this study along with key findings are discussed and summarized. In addition; several effective recommendations and improvements of hazardous waste management are suggested.

Hazardous healthcare waste management in the Kingdom of Bahrain

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mohamed, L.F.; Ebrahim, S.A.; Al-Thukair, A.A.

2009-08-15

Hazardous healthcare waste has become an environmental concern for many developing countries including the Kingdom of Bahrain. There have been several significant obstacles facing the Kingdom in dealing with this issue including; limited documentation regarding generation, handling, management, and disposal of waste. This in turn hinders efforts to plan better healthcare waste management. In this paper, hazardous waste management status in the Kingdom has been investigated through an extensive survey carried out on selected public and private healthcare premises. Hazardous waste management practices including: waste generation, segregation, storage, collection, transportation, treatment, and disposal were determined. The results of this studymore » along with key findings are discussed and summarized. In addition; several effective recommendations and improvements of hazardous waste management are suggested.« less

Waste Generation Overview Refresher, Course 21464

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Simpson, Lewis Edward

This course, Waste Generation Overview Refresher (COURSE 21464), provides an overview of federal and state waste management regulations, as well as Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) policies and procedures for waste management operations. The course covers the activities involved in the cradle-to- grave waste management process and focuses on waste characterization, waste compatibility determinations and classification, and the storage requirements for temporary waste accumulation areas at LANL.

The influence of individual and contextual work factors on workers' compliance with health and safety routines.

PubMed

Torp, Steffen; Grøgaard, Jens B

2009-03-01

This study investigated the relationships between workers' compliance with health and safety (H&S) routines and instructions adopted in the company (dependent variable) and psychological demands, decision authority, social support, management support, unionization and H&S management system (independent variables). A cross-sectional questionnaire study was performed among 1051 workers and the managers of 102 small- and medium-sized motor vehicle repair garages. Multilevel modeling was performed to account for the hierarchical structure of the data. At the worker level, high compliance with H&S routines correlated significantly with both social support and H&S-related management support. At the garage level, mean management support and a well-developed H&S management system correlated significantly with high workers' compliance. Changing both the individual and contextual factors in the work environment may thus increase workers' participation in H&S activities.

[Management of hazardous waste in a hospital].

PubMed

Neveu C, Alejandra; Matus C, Patricia

2007-07-01

An inadequate management of hospital waste, that have toxic, infectious and chemical wastes, is a risk factor for humans and environment. To identify, quantify and assess the risk associated to the management of hospital residues. A cross sectional assessment of the generation of hazardous waste from a hospital, between June and August 2005, was performed. The environmental risk associated to the management of non-radioactive hospital waste was assessed and the main problems related to solid waste were identified. The rate of generation of hazardous non-radioactive waste was 1.35 tons per months or 0.7 kg/bed/day. Twenty five percent of hazardous liquid waste were drained directly to the sewage system. The drug preparation unit of the pharmacy had the higher environmental risk associated to the generation of hazardous waste. The internal transport of hazardous waste had a high risk due to the lack of trip planning. The lack of training of personnel dealing with these waste was another risk factor. Considering that an adequate management of hospital waste should minimize risks for patients, the hospital that was evaluated lacks an integral management system for its waste.

40 CFR 60.2755 - When must I submit my waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false When must I submit my waste management... waste management plan? You must submit the waste management plan no later than the date specified in... Compliance Times for Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units that Commenced Construction On...

40 CFR 62.14715 - When must I submit my waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 8 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false When must I submit my waste management... submit my waste management plan? You must submit the waste management plan no later than April 5, 2004. ... POLLUTANTS Federal Plan Requirements for Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units That...

40 CFR 62.14715 - When must I submit my waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 9 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false When must I submit my waste management... submit my waste management plan? You must submit the waste management plan no later than April 5, 2004. ... POLLUTANTS Federal Plan Requirements for Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units That...

40 CFR 60.2755 - When must I submit my waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false When must I submit my waste management... waste management plan? You must submit the waste management plan no later than the date specified in... Compliance Times for Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units that Commenced Construction On...

40 CFR 62.14715 - When must I submit my waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 9 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false When must I submit my waste management... submit my waste management plan? You must submit the waste management plan no later than April 5, 2004. ... POLLUTANTS Federal Plan Requirements for Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units That...

40 CFR 62.14715 - When must I submit my waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 9 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false When must I submit my waste management... submit my waste management plan? You must submit the waste management plan no later than April 5, 2004. ... POLLUTANTS Federal Plan Requirements for Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units That...

40 CFR 62.14715 - When must I submit my waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... POLLUTANTS Federal Plan Requirements for Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units That... 40 Protection of Environment 8 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false When must I submit my waste management... submit my waste management plan? You must submit the waste management plan no later than April 5, 2004. ...

40 CFR 62.14580 - What is a waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Federal Plan Requirements for Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units That Commenced Construction On or Before November 30, 1999 Waste Management Plan § 62.14580 What is a waste management plan? A... 40 Protection of Environment 8 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false What is a waste management plan? 62...

40 CFR 62.14432 - When must my waste management plan be completed?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 9 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false When must my waste management plan be... POLLUTANTS Federal Plan Requirements for Hospital/Medical/Infectious Waste Incinerators Constructed On Or Before December 1, 2008 Waste Management Plan § 62.14432 When must my waste management plan be completed...

Waste Management Information System (WMIS) User Guide

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

R. E. Broz

2008-12-22

This document provides the user of the Waste Management Information System (WMIS) instructions on how to use the WMIS software. WMIS allows users to initiate, track, and close waste packages. The modular design supports integration and utilization of data throuh the various stages of waste management. The phases of the waste management work process include generation, designation, packaging, container management, procurement, storage, treatment, transportation, and disposal.

Current practices of construction waste reduction through 3R practice among contractors in malaysia: Case study in penang

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ng, L. S.; Tan, L. W.; Seow, T. W.

2017-11-01

The effectiveness of the implementation of construction waste reduction through 3R reflects the sustainability in construction waste management. Weak implementation of construction waste reduction through 3R among contractors will lead to unsustainable construction waste management. Increase in construction waste on landfills is critical especially on islands where land is very limited for solid waste disposal. This aim of this paper is to investigate current practice of construction waste reduction through 3R practice among contractors in Penang, Malaysia. The findings reported herein is based on feedbacks from 143 construction contractors of grade CIDB G7, G6 and G5 in Penang and experts from Penang Local Authority, CIDB in Penang and its Headquarters, National Solid Waste Management Department, and Headquarters of Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation. Interviews and questionnaire surveys have been found that 3R practice is not mandatory in construction waste management in Penang. Only 39.8% construction contractors practiced 3R in managing their waste. Therefore, 3R practices should be emphasized in construction industry. Reducing wastes through 3R practices in construction industry is a way forward towards sustainable construction waste management especially in expanding the lifetime of landfill.

78 FR 12358 - UBS Financial Services, Inc., Wealth Management Americas Operations, Including On-Site Leased...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-22

..., Inc., Wealth Management Americas Operations, Including On-Site Leased Workers From Leafstone... Services, Inc., Wealth Management Americas Operations (UBS), Weehawken, New Jersey. The workers are engaged... to include all leased workers on-site at UBS Financial Services, Inc., Wealth Management Americas...

Prioritizing critical success factors for reverse logistics implementation using fuzzy-TOPSIS methodology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agrawal, Saurabh; Singh, Rajesh K.; Murtaza, Qasim

2016-03-01

Electronics industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. In India also, there are high turnovers and growing demand of electronics product especially after post liberalization in early nineties. These products generate e-waste which has become big environmental issue. Industries can handle these e-waste and product returns efficiently by developing reverse logistics (RL) system. A thorough study of critical success factors (CSFs) and their ordered implementation is essential for successful RL implementation. The aim of the study is to review the CSFs, and to prioritize them for RL implementation in Indian electronics industry. Twelve CSFs were identified through literature review, and discussion with the experts from the Indian electronics industry. Fuzzy-Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) approach is proposed for prioritizing these CSFs. Perusal of literature indicates that fuzzy-TOPSIS has not been applied earlier for prioritization of CSFs in Indian electronics industry. Five Indian electronics companies were selected for evaluation of this methodology. Results indicate that most of the identified factors are crucial for the RL implementation. Top management awareness, resource management, economic factors, and contracts terms and conditions are top four prioritized factor, and process capabilities and skilled workers is the least prioritized factor. The findings will be useful for successful RL implementation in Indian electronics industry.

Solid waste management in Thailand: an overview and case study (Tha Khon Yang sub-district).

PubMed

Yukalang, Nachalida; Clarke, Beverley Dawn; Ross, Kirstin Elizabeth

2017-09-26

Due to rapid urbanization, solid waste management (SWM) has become a significant issue in several developing countries including Thailand. Policies implemented by the Central Thai Government to manage SWM issues have had only limited success. This article reviews current municipal waste management plans in Thailand and examines municipal waste management at the local level, with focus on the Tha Khon Yang sub-district surrounding Mahasarakham University in Mahasarakham Province. Within two decades this area has been converted from a rural to an urban landscape featuring accommodation for over 45,000 university students and a range of business facilities. This development and influx of people has outpaced the government's ability to manage municipal solid waste (MSW). There are significant opportunities to improve local infrastructure and operational capacity; but there are few mechanisms to provide and distribute information to improve community participation in waste management. Many community-based waste management projects, such as waste recycling banks, the 3Rs (reduce, reuse and recycle), and waste-to-biogas projects have been abandoned. Additionally, waste from Tha Kon Yang and its surrounding areas has been transferred to unsanitary landfills; there is also haphazard dumping and uncontrolled burning of waste, which exacerbate current pollution issues.

WHO collaboration in hazardous waste management in the Western Pacific Region

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ogawa, Hisashi

Since April 1989 when the World Health Organization`s (WHO`s) activities in hazardous waste management in the Western Pacific Region were presented at the Pacific Basin Conference in Singapore, WHO and its Member States have carried out a number of collaborative activities in hazardous waste management. These activities focused on three main areas: national capacity building in the management of toxic chemicals and hazardous wastes in rapidly industrializing countries, management of clinical or medical waste, and hazardous waste management in Pacific Island countries. This paper summarizes these collaborative activities, identifies the main problems and issues encountered, and discusses future prospects ofmore » WHO collaboration with its Member States in the area of hazardous waste management. 1 fig., 1 tab.« less

Hazardous Waste Worker Education

PubMed Central

McQuiston, Thomas H.; Coleman, Paula; Wallerstein, Nina B.; Marcus, Alfred C.; Morawetz, John S.; Ortlieb, David W.

2014-01-01

This study illustrates how a union education center successfully integrated adult empowerment education principles into the teaching methods and curriculum of a health and safety training program. The 12-month follow-up phone survey involved 481 local union respondents each representing a separate plant site and a group of 50 manager trainees. The evaluation shows that the training manual continued to be used by more than 70% of respondents, more than 70% taught coworkers, more than 50% of union trainees went on to train their managers, and more than 90% identified problems at work and sought and obtained changes in programs, training, or equipment. More than 20% reported that major spills had occurred following training. The majority stated that the handling of the spills improved. More than 80% stated that the training better prepared them for their health and safety duties. The managers’ data substantially supported union members’ reports. PMID:7884572

A Study on the Effects of Managers' Behaviors and Attitudes on Job Satisfaction and Motivation of Workers in the Directorate of Sports and Youth Services through the Eyes of Workers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Celik, Akin

2013-01-01

This study dealt with how managers' behaviors and attitudes affected the job satisfaction and motivation of workers in the Directorate of Sports and Youth Services in the eyes of workers. The study used a qualitative method. It focused on the workers' ideas of how they were affected by their managers' attitudes and behaviors in terms of job…

Utilization of lean management principles in the ambulatory clinic setting.

PubMed

Casey, Jessica T; Brinton, Thomas S; Gonzalez, Chris M

2009-03-01

The principles of 'lean management' have permeated many sectors of today's business world, secondary to the success of the Toyota Production System. This management method enables workers to eliminate mistakes, reduce delays, lower costs, and improve the overall quality of the product or service they deliver. These lean management principles can be applied to health care. Their implementation within the ambulatory care setting is predicated on the continuous identification and elimination of waste within the process. The key concepts of flow time, inventory and throughput are utilized to improve the flow of patients through the clinic, and to identify points that slow this process -- so-called bottlenecks. Nonessential activities are shifted away from bottlenecks (i.e. the physician), and extra work capacity is generated from existing resources, rather than being added. The additional work capacity facilitates a more efficient response to variability, which in turn results in cost savings, more time for the physician to interact with patients, and faster completion of patient visits. Finally, application of the lean management principle of 'just-in-time' management can eliminate excess clinic inventory, better synchronize office supply with patient demand, and reduce costs.

Occupational exposure to phthalates in relation to gender, consumer practices and body composition.

PubMed

Petrovičová, Ida; Kolena, Branislav; Šidlovská, Miroslava; Pilka, Tomáš; Wimmerová, Soňa; Trnovec, Tomáš

2016-12-01

The aim of our work was to find associations between urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and occupation, consumer practices and body composition. We divided our cohort (n = 129) into occupationally exposed subjects, community service workers (group A; n = 45) and workers from plastic industry (group B; n = 35) and group of general population (control group C, n = 49). To estimate levels of five phthalate metabolites, we used high-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry analysis. We found in plastic industry workers compared to community service workers and subjects of the control group significantly higher urinary concentration mono (2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP), mono (2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP), mono (2-etylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), sum di-(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (DEHP), mono-iso-butyl phthalate (MiBP) and mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP). We identified by multivariate analysis of covariance inverse relationship between MEHP and body parameters as waist-to-height ratio, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, hip circumference and waist circumference among females, whereas in males, no significant association was found. Results of our study show, despite of variability in terms of occupational exposure to phthalates, that plastic manufactory represents a higher occupational risk in comparison with waste management. The differences in anthropometric parameters between the two occupationally exposed groups and the general population are suggesting a detrimental effect of occupational exposure on body weight homeostasis.

A model to minimize joint total costs for industrial waste producers and waste management companies.

PubMed

Tietze-Stöckinger, Ingela; Fichtner, Wolf; Rentz, Otto

2004-12-01

The model LINKopt is a mixed-integer, linear programming model for mid- and long-term planning of waste management options on an inter-company level. There has been a large increase in the transportation of waste material in Germany, which has been attributed to the implementation of the European Directive 75/442/EEC on waste. Similar situations are expected to emerge in other European countries. The model LINKopt has been developed to determine a waste management system with minimal decision-relevant costs considering transportation, handling, storage and treatment of waste materials. The model can serve as a tool to evaluate various waste management strategies and to obtain the optimal combination of investment options. In addition to costs, ecological aspects are considered by determining the total mileage associated with the waste management system. The model has been applied to a German case study evaluating different investment options for a co-operation between Daimler-Chrysler AG at Rastatt, its suppliers, and the waste management company SITA P+R GmbH. The results show that the installation of waste management facilities at the premises of the waste producer would lead to significant reductions in costs and transportation.

Heat strain and heat stress for workers wearing protective suits at a hazardous waste site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Paull, J.M.; Rosenthal, F.S.

1987-05-01

In order to evaluate the effects of heat stress when full body protective suits are worn, heart rates, oral temperatures and environmental parameters were measured for five unacclimatized male workers (25-33 years of age) who performed sampling activities during hazardous waste clean-up operations. The protective ensembles included laminated PVC-Tyvec chemical resistant hood suits with rubber boots, gloves, full facepiece dual cartridge respirators and hard hats. For comparison, measurements also were performed when the men worked at a similar level of activity while they wore ordinary work clothes. A comparison of the heart rates for the men working with and withoutmore » suits indicated that wearing the suits imposed a heat stress equivalent to adding 6/sup 0/ to 11/sup 0/C (11/sup 0/ to 20/sup 0/F) to the ambient WBGT index. A similar result was obtained by calculating the WBGT in the microclimate inside the suits and comparing it to the ambient WBGT. These results indicate the following: 1) there exists a significant risk of heat injury during hazardous waste work when full body protective clothing is worn, and 2) threshold limit values for heat stress established by the ACGIH must be lowered substantially before extending them to cover workers under these conditions.« less

“You are wasting our drugs”: health service barriers to HIV treatment for sex workers in Zimbabwe

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Although disproportionately affected by HIV, sex workers (SWs) remain neglected by efforts to expand access to antiretroviral treatment (ART). In Zimbabwe, despite the existence of well-attended services targeted to female SWs, fewer than half of women diagnosed with HIV took up referrals for assessment and ART initiation; just 14% attended more than one appointment. We conducted a qualitative study to explore the reasons for non-attendance and the high rate of attrition. Methods Three focus group discussions (FGD) were conducted in Harare with HIV-positive SWs referred from the ‘Sisters with a Voice’ programme to a public HIV clinic for ART eligibility screening and enrolment. Focus groups explored SWs’ experiences and perceptions of seeking care, with a focus on how managing HIV interacted with challenges specific to being a sex worker. FGD transcripts were analyzed by identifying emerging and recurring themes that were specifically related to interactions with health services and how these affected decision-making around HIV treatment uptake and retention in care. Results SWs emphasised supply-side barriers, such as being demeaned and humiliated by health workers, reflecting broader social stigma surrounding their work. Sex workers were particularly sensitive to being identified and belittled within the health care environment. Demand-side barriers also featured, including competing time commitments and costs of transport and some treatment, reflecting SWs’ marginalised socio-economic position. Conclusion Improving treatment access for SWs is critical for their own health, programme equity, and public health benefit. Programmes working to reduce SW attrition from HIV care need to proactively address the quality and environment of public services. Sensitising health workers through specialised training, refining referral systems from sex-worker friendly clinics into the national system, and providing opportunities for SW to collectively organise for improved treatment and rights might help alleviate the barriers to treatment initiation and attention currently faced by SW. PMID:23898942

Integrated management of hazardous waste generated from community sources in Thailand

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yodnane, P.; Spaeder, D.J.

A system for the collection, transport, disposal and recycling of hazardous waste was developed as part of an overall master plan for the management of hazardous waste generated from community sources in Thailand. Results of a waste generation survey conducted as part of the study indicated that over 300 million kilograms per year of hazardous waste is generated from non-industrial, community sources such as automotive repair shops, gas stations, hospitals, farms, and households in Thailand. Hazardous waste from community sources consists primarily of used oils, lead-acid and dry cell batteries, cleaning chemicals, pesticides, medical wastes, solvents and fuels. Most ofmore » this waste was found to be mismanaged by codisposing with municipal waste in burning, unlined dumps, dumping directly to land or water courses, dumping into sewers, or recycling improperly, all of which pose serious threats to human health and the environment. The survey data on waste generation quantities and data from a reconnaissance survey of the conditions and operations of 86 existing waste disposal facilities was incorporated into a nationwide Geographic Information System (GIS) database. Based on this data, problems associated with hazardous waste were identified and needs for waste management systems were tabulated. A system was developed for ranking geographic regions according to hazardous waste management problems and needs, in order to prioritize implementation of waste management programs. The data were also used in developing solutions for hazardous waste management, which addressed methods for storing, collecting, transporting, disposing, and recycling the waste. It was recommended that centralized waste management facilities be utilized which included hazardous waste and medical waste incinerators, waste stabilization units, and secure landfills.« less

Occupational Hearing Loss among Chinese Municipal Solid Waste Landfill Workers: A Cross-Sectional Study.

PubMed

Liu, Yuewei; Wang, Haijiao; Weng, Shaofan; Su, Wenjin; Wang, Xin; Guo, Yanfei; Yu, Dan; Du, Lili; Zhou, Ting; Chen, Weihong; Shi, Tingming

2015-01-01

Occupational hearing loss is an increasingly prevalent occupational condition worldwide, and has been reported to occur in a wide range of workplaces; however, its prevalence among workers from municipal solid waste landfills (MSWLs) remains less clear. This study aimed to investigate the occupational hearing loss among Chinese MSWL workers. A cross-sectional study of 247 workers from 4 Chinese MSWLs was conducted. Noise and total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) levels at worksites were determined. We conducted hearing examinations to determine hearing thresholds. A worker was identified as having hearing loss if the mean threshold at 2000, 3000 and 4000 Hz in either ear was equal to or greater than 25 dB. Prevalence of occupational hearing loss was then evaluated. Using unconditional Logistic regression models, we estimated the odds ratios (ORs) of MSWL work associated with hearing loss. According to the job title for each worker, the study subjects were divided into 3 groups, including group 1 of 63 workers without MSWL occupational hazards exposure (control group), group 2 of 84 workers with a few or short-period MSWL occupational hazards exposure, and group 3 of 100 workers with continuous MSWL occupational hazards exposure. Both noise and TVOCs levels were significantly higher at worksites for group 3. Significantly poorer hearing thresholds at frequencies of 2000, 3000 and 4000 Hz were found in group 3, compared with that in group 1 and group 2. The overall prevalence rate of hearing loss was 23.5%, with the highest in group 3 (36.0%). The OR of MSWL work associated with hearing loss was 3.39 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.28-8.96). The results of this study suggest significantly higher prevalence of hearing loss among MSWL workers. Further studies are needed to explore possible exposure-response relationship between MSWL occupational hazards exposure and hearing loss.

40 CFR 60.2755 - When must I submit my waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false When must I submit my waste management... Compliance Times for Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units Model Rule-Recordkeeping and Reporting § 60.2755 When must I submit my waste management plan? You must submit the waste management plan...

76 FR 63252 - Hazardous and Solid Waste Management System: Identification and Listing of Special Wastes...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-12

...-2011-0392; FRL-9476-6] RIN 2050-AE81 Hazardous and Solid Waste Management System: Identification and... Protection Agency (Agency or EPA) in conjunction with the proposed rule: Hazardous and Solid Waste Management...-0392. (4) Mail: Send two copies of your comments to Hazardous and Solid Waste Management System...

40 CFR 60.3011 - When must I submit my waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false When must I submit my waste management... Times for Other Solid Waste Incineration Units That Commenced Construction On or Before December 9, 2004 Model Rule-Waste Management Plan § 60.3011 When must I submit my waste management plan? You must submit...

Arsenic: a roadblock to potential animal waste management solutions.

PubMed

Nachman, Keeve E; Graham, Jay P; Price, Lance B; Silbergeld, Ellen K

2005-09-01

The localization and intensification of the poultry industry over the past 50 years have incidentally created a largely ignored environmental management crisis. As a result of these changes in poultry production, concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) produce far more waste than can be managed by land disposal within the regions where it is produced. As a result, alternative waste management practices are currently being implemented, including incineration and pelletization of waste. However, organic arsenicals used in poultry feed are converted to inorganic arsenicals in poultry waste, limiting the feasibility of waste management alternatives. The presence of inorganic arsenic in incinerator ash and pelletized waste sold as fertilizer creates opportunities for population exposures that did not previously exist. The removal of arsenic from animal feed is a critical step toward safe poultry waste management.

40 CFR 62.14431 - What must my waste management plan include?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... waste management plan must identify both the feasibility of, and the approach for, separating certain components of solid waste from the health care waste stream in order to reduce the amount of toxic emissions from incinerated waste. The waste management plan you develop may address, but is not limited to, paper...

40 CFR 62.14431 - What must my waste management plan include?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... waste management plan must identify both the feasibility of, and the approach for, separating certain components of solid waste from the health care waste stream in order to reduce the amount of toxic emissions from incinerated waste. The waste management plan you develop may address, but is not limited to, paper...

A study of influences of the workers' compensation and injury management regulations on aviation safety at a workplace.

PubMed

Yadav, Devinder K; Nikraz, Hamid; Chen, Yongqing

2016-01-01

As the aviation industries developed, so too did the recognition that there must be an effective regulatory framework to address issues related to the workers' compensation and rehabilitation. All employees would like to work and return home safely from their workplace. Therefore, the efficient management of workplace injury and disease reduces the cost of aviation operations and improves flight safety. Workers' compensation and injury management laws regulate a majority of rehabilitation and compensation issues, but achieving an injury-free workplace remains a major challenge for the regulators. This paper examines the clauses of the workers' compensation and injury management laws of Western Australia related to workplace safety, compensation, and rehabilitations of the injured workers. It also discusses various provisions of common law under the relevant workers' health injury management legislations.

Implementation of SAP Waste Management System

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Frost, M.L.; LaBorde, C.M.; Nichols, C.D.

2008-07-01

The Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12) assumed responsibility for newly generated waste on October 1, 2005. To ensure effective management and accountability of newly generated waste, Y-12 has opted to utilize SAP, Y-12's Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) tool, to track low-level radioactive waste (LLW), mixed waste (MW), hazardous waste, and non-regulated waste from generation through acceptance and disposal. SAP Waste will include the functionality of the current waste tracking system and integrate with the applicable modules of SAP already in use. The functionality of two legacy systems, the Generator Entry System (GES) and the Waste Information Tracking System (WITS), andmore » peripheral spreadsheets, databases, and e-mail/fax communications will be replaced by SAP Waste. Fundamentally, SAP Waste will promote waste acceptance for certification and disposal, not storage. SAP Waste will provide a one-time data entry location where waste generators can enter waste container information, track the status of their waste, and maintain documentation. A benefit of the new system is that it will provide a single data repository where Y-12's Waste Management organization can establish waste profiles, verify and validate data, maintain inventory control utilizing hand-held data transfer devices, schedule and ship waste, manage project accounting, and report on waste handling activities. This single data repository will facilitate the production of detailed waste generation reports for use in forecasting and budgeting, provide the data for required regulatory reports, and generate metrics to evaluate the performance of the Waste Management organization and its subcontractors. SAP Waste will replace the outdated and expensive legacy system, establish tools the site needs to manage newly generated waste, and optimize the use of the site's ERP tool for integration with related business processes while promoting disposition of waste. (authors)« less

Factors influencing household participation in solid waste management (Case study: Waste Bank Malang)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maryati, S.; Arifiani, N. F.; Humaira, A. N. S.; Putri, H. T.

2018-03-01

Solid waste management is very important measure in order to reduce the amount of waste. One of solid waste management form in Indonesia is waste banks. This kind of solid waste management required high level of participation of the community. The objective of this study is to explore factors influencing household participation in waste banks. Waste bank in Malang City (WBM) was selected as case study. Questionnaires distribution and investigation in WBM were conducted to identify problems of participation. Quantitative analysis was used to analyze the data. The research reveals that education, income, and knowledge about WBM have relationship with participation in WBM.

The Management of the Radioactive Waste Generated by Cernavoda NPP, Romania, an Example of International Cooperation - 13449

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barariu, Gheorghe

2013-07-01

The design criteria and constraints for the development of the management strategy for radioactive waste generated from operating and decommissioning of CANDU Nuclear Units from Cernavoda NPP in Romania, present many specific aspects. The main characteristics of CANDU type waste are its high concentrations of tritium and radiocarbon. Also, the existing management strategy for radioactive waste at Cernavoda NPP provides no treatment or conditioning for radioactive waste disposal. These characteristics embodied a challenging effort, in order to select a proper strategy for radioactive waste management at present, when Romania is an EU member and a signatory country of the Jointmore » Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management. The helping of advanced countries in radioactive waste management, directly or into the frame of the international organizations, like IAEA, become solve the aforementioned challenges at adequate level. (authors)« less

A mathematical model for municipal solid waste management - A case study in Hong Kong.

PubMed

Lee, C K M; Yeung, C L; Xiong, Z R; Chung, S H

2016-12-01

With the booming economy and increasing population, the accumulation of waste has become an increasingly arduous issue and has aroused the attention from all sectors of society. Hong Kong which has a relative high daily per capita domestic waste generation rate in Asia has not yet established a comprehensive waste management system. This paper conducts a review of waste management approaches and models. Researchers highlight that mathematical models provide useful information for decision-makers to select appropriate choices and save cost. It is suggested to consider municipal solid waste management in a holistic view and improve the utilization of waste management infrastructures. A mathematical model which adopts integer linear programming and mixed integer programming has been developed for Hong Kong municipal solid waste management. A sensitivity analysis was carried out to simulate different scenarios which provide decision-makers important information for establishing Hong Kong waste management system. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Towards Sustainable Ambon Bay: Evaluation of Solid Waste Management in Ambon City

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maryati, S.; Miharja, M.; Iscahyono, A. F.; Arsallia, S.; Humaira, AN S.

2017-07-01

Ambon Bay is a strategic area in the context of regional economic development, however it also faced environmental problems due to economic development and the growth of population. One of the environmental problems in the Ambon Bay is the growing solid waste which in turn lowers the quality of the water. The purpose of this study is to evaluate solid waste management in the Ambon City and propose recommendation in order to reduce solid waste in the Ambon Bay. The analytical method used is descriptive analysis by comparing a number of criteria based on the concept of solid waste management in coastal region with the current conditions of solid waste management in Ambon City. Criteria for waste management are divided into generation, storage, collection, transport, transfer and disposal. From the results of analysis, it can be concluded that the components of solid waste management at transport, transfer, and disposal level are generally still adequate, but solid waste management at source, storage and collection level have to be improved.

40 CFR 60.2899 - What is a waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What is a waste management plan? 60.2899 Section 60.2899 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS... Management Plan § 60.2899 What is a waste management plan? A waste management plan is a written plan that...

Thirty-year solid waste generation forecast for facilities at SRS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1994-07-01

The information supplied by this 30-year solid waste forecast has been compiled as a source document to the Waste Management Environmental Impact Statement (WMEIS). The WMEIS will help to select a sitewide strategic approach to managing present and future Savannah River Site (SRS) waste generated from ongoing operations, environmental restoration (ER) activities, transition from nuclear production to other missions, and decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) programs. The EIS will support project-level decisions on the operation of specific treatment, storage, and disposal facilities within the near term (10 years or less). In addition, the EIS will provide a baseline for analysis ofmore » future waste management activities and a basis for the evaluation of the specific waste management alternatives. This 30-year solid waste forecast will be used as the initial basis for the EIS decision-making process. The Site generates and manages many types and categories of waste. With a few exceptions, waste types are divided into two broad groups-high-level waste and solid waste. High-level waste consists primarily of liquid radioactive waste, which is addressed in a separate forecast and is not discussed further in this document. The waste types discussed in this solid waste forecast are sanitary waste, hazardous waste, low-level mixed waste, low-level radioactive waste, and transuranic waste. As activities at SRS change from primarily production to primarily decontamination and decommissioning and environmental restoration, the volume of each waste s being managed will change significantly. This report acknowledges the changes in Site Missions when developing the 30-year solid waste forecast.« less

Innovations in the management of child protection workers: building worker resilience.

PubMed

Yin, Robert T

2004-10-01

CPS staff work in a fishbowl. Parents, teachers, advocates, counselors, doctors, and lawyers frequently see themselves as experts in the field of CPS. Yet, few of them have had the experience of a CPS worker telling them how to do their job. The true potential for CPS work will not be realized until our communities decide to increase worker pay and reduce worker caseloads. Yet, if we choose to work under these conditions, it is our responsibility to find ways to survive them. The CPS workers unanimously reported that the overall impact of these progressive management strategies was to significantly reduce their stress. Given the serious threats, criticisms, and outrage thrown daily at CPS workers, it is imperative that managers act first to protect their worker's "best interests." It is my belief that all of the policy deviations described above are ethical. None of them put children at risk. I hope that policymakers will someday change the old-school, management policies that are pervasive within our bureaucracies. I do not promote a wanton disregard for policy compliance; however, I do promote change where change is due. In light of the enormous impact that CPS workers have on children and their families, it is crucial that CPS managers be allowed to create an atmosphere where workers can successfully do their work.

Test plan 241-C-103 natural breathing characteristics evaluation using the ultra sensitive flowmeter

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hertelendy, N.A.

1995-02-13

To facilitate the reduction of worker exposure to hazardous fumes and vapors, it is imperative to characterize and measure flows out of waste tanks that breathe due to atmospheric pressure changes. These measurements will lead to a better understanding of how these tanks breathe and thus will aid in better worker exposure control at lower cost.

[Cardiovascular and hormonal strain in waste collection workers employed in Amsa SpA, municipality of Milan, in permanent day and night work].

PubMed

Biggi, N; Consonni, D; Fragasso, G; Lattuada, G; Perseghin, G L; Verga, R; Costa, G

2007-01-01

Aim of the study is to explore in shiftworkers: a) blood pressure and hormonal variations; b) dyslipidemia and blood glucose levels; c) insulin resistence syndrome. We have assessed 48 male workers employes in Amsa SpA, a large municipal enterprise in charge of street cleaning and domestic waste collection, in permanent day and night work as hand sweepers, motor sweepers and delivery tricar drivers. 24 of those workers (daily and nightly) were normotensive and 24 were hypertensive. Our medical checks were: physical examination: BMI; laboratory findings (blood): glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, endothelin, insulin, FFA, HOMA S, HOMA B, HOMA R; assay of salivary cortisol and urinary cortisol in 24 h; 24 h pressure monitoring. Nightly hypertensive: increased consumption in wine and coffee, weight and BMI, total cholesterol and FFA and endothelin. Nightly normotensive: increased consumption in cigarettes and salivary cortisol. Daily hypertensive: increased total cholesterol; 24 h pressure monitoring showed more pronounced variations of pressure in night workers both normotensive and hypertensive in working time. Night shiftwork looks like more stressfull than day shiftwork. Insuline resistance isn't noticed in all four groups.

Waste management system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sauer, R. L.; Jorgensen, G. K.

1975-01-01

The function of the waste management system was to control the disposition of solid and liquid wastes and waste stowage gases. The waste management system consisting of a urine subsystem and a fecal subsystem is described in detail and its overall performance is evaluated. Recommendations for improvement are given.

Solid waste management in the hospitality industry: a review.

PubMed

Pirani, Sanaa I; Arafat, Hassan A

2014-12-15

Solid waste management is a key aspect of the environmental management of establishments belonging to the hospitality sector. In this study, we reviewed literature in this area, examining the current status of waste management for the hospitality sector, in general, with a focus on food waste management in particular. We specifically examined the for-profit subdivision of the hospitality sector, comprising primarily of hotels and restaurants. An account is given of the causes of the different types of waste encountered in this sector and what strategies may be used to reduce them. These strategies are further highlighted in terms of initiatives and practices which are already being implemented around the world to facilitate sustainable waste management. We also recommended a general waste management procedure to be followed by properties of the hospitality sector and described how waste mapping, an innovative yet simple strategy, can significantly reduce the waste generation of a hotel. Generally, we found that not many scholarly publications are available in this area of research. More studies need to be carried out on the implementation of sustainable waste management for the hospitality industry in different parts of the world and the challenges and opportunities involved. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Eco-health in the rural environment.

PubMed

Carr-harris, J

1993-04-01

The rural population in India is exposed to working and living conditions: drinking supply, sanitation, fuel wood shortages, maternal mortality, alcoholism among males, pesticide use, environmental degradation, migrant workers, sickness and injury compensation in natural resource based industry, and mechanization in the workplace. Good health is dependent on a supportive home environment which physically provides protection, has access to safe potable drinking water and sanitary facilities, and reinforces health habits and behavior. One of the greatest health hazards is the lack of safe drinking water. The result is increases in water-related diseases such as dysentery, cholera, diarrhea, and hepatitis among men, women, children, and fetuses. Today only 30% of the total population has access to sufficient, safe drinking water. Personal hygiene is also affected by inadequate supplies. Another hazard is waste disposal, which if improperly managed, results in hookworm and ascarias infestations. Barefoot people are particularly affected. In 1982, 8790 villages were found to be without latrines, or with only bucket latrines. The firewood fuel shortages impact directly on women through food habit changes and excessive labor in acquiring adequate supplies. Women are also affected by high rates of anemia which are a by-product of environmental and social conditions. There are a number of psychosocial conditions that impact on the health of women. In Himachal Pradesh women complain that their husbands drink too much alcohol, which increases acts of domestic violence. Male migration for work places women in stressful work conditions managing the land and child care, and exposing women to sexually transmitted diseases. The workplace also had hazards. Agricultural workers have little bargaining power and few organizations representing their interests. A brief description is given of conditions among plantation workers in Assam and Darjeeling. There are hazards due to unskilled workers operating machinery, exposure to harmful pesticides, and the lack of benefits for sickness or injury. Mining hazards are characterized. Awareness of conditions will hopefully lead to efforts to establish preventive health.

Solid waste management challenges for cities in developing countries

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Abarca Guerrero, Lilliana, E-mail: l.abarca.guerrero@tue.nl; Maas, Ger, E-mail: g.j.maas@tue.nl; Hogland, William, E-mail: william.hogland@lnu.se

2013-01-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Stakeholders. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Factors affecting performance waste management systems. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Questionnaire as Annex for waste management baseline assessment. - Abstract: Solid waste management is a challenge for the cities' authorities in developing countries mainly due to the increasing generation of waste, the burden posed on the municipal budget as a result of the high costs associated to its management, the lack of understanding over a diversity of factors that affect the different stages of waste management and linkages necessary to enable the entire handling system functioning. An analysis of literature on the work done and reported mainly in publicationsmore » from 2005 to 2011, related to waste management in developing countries, showed that few articles give quantitative information. The analysis was conducted in two of the major scientific journals, Waste Management Journal and Waste Management and Research. The objective of this research was to determine the stakeholders' action/behavior that have a role in the waste management process and to analyze influential factors on the system, in more than thirty urban areas in 22 developing countries in 4 continents. A combination of methods was used in this study in order to assess the stakeholders and the factors influencing the performance of waste management in the cities. Data was collected from scientific literature, existing data bases, observations made during visits to urban areas, structured interviews with relevant professionals, exercises provided to participants in workshops and a questionnaire applied to stakeholders. Descriptive and inferential statistic methods were used to draw conclusions. The outcomes of the research are a comprehensive list of stakeholders that are relevant in the waste management systems and a set of factors that reveal the most important causes for the systems' failure. The information provided is very useful when planning, changing or implementing waste management systems in cities.« less

Decommissioning of the 247-F Fuel Manufacturing Facility at the Savannah River Site (SRS)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Santos, Joseph K.; Chostner, Stephen M.

Building 247-F at SRS was a roughly 110,000 ft{sup 2} two-story facility designed and constructed during the height of the cold war naval buildup to provide additional naval nuclear fuel manufacturing capacity in early 1980's. The manufacturing process employed a wide variety of acids, bases, and other hazardous materials. As the need for naval fuel declined, the facility was shut down and underwent initial deactivation, which was completed in 1990. All process systems were flushed with water and drained using the existing process drain valves. However, since these drains were not always installed at the lowest point in piping andmore » equipment systems, a significant volume of liquid remained after initial deactivation. After initial deactivation, a non-destructive assay of the process area identified approximately 17 ({+-}100%) kg of uranium held up in equipment and piping. The facility was placed in Surveillance and Maintenance mode until 2003, when the decision was made to perform final deactivation, and then decommission the facility. The following lessons were learned as a result of the D and D of building 247-F. Successful D and D of a major radiochemical process building requires significant up-front planning by a team of knowledgeable personnel led by a strong project manager. The level of uncertainty and resultant risk to timely, cost effective project execution was found to be high. Examples of the types of problems encountered which had high potential to adversely impact cost and schedule performance are described below. Low level and sanitary waste acceptance criteria do not allow free liquids in waste containers. These liquids, which are often corrosive, must be safely removed from the equipment before it is loaded to waste containers. Drained liquids must be properly managed, often as hazardous or mixed waste. Tapping and draining of process lines is a dangerous operation, which must be performed carefully. The temptation to become complacent when breaking into lines is great. Incidents of personnel exposure to liquids during draining are likely. Records from the initial 1990 deactivation led early work planners to assume the facility was cold, dark and dry. This turned out to be a poor assumption. Work instructions had to be modified to require that engineers evaluate each of several hundred process lines to identify the low point, where a tap and drain system could be installed to allow positive verification that the line was empty before the line was cut for removal. During the period between facility shut down in 1990 and the start of final deactivation in 2003, roof leaks had developed, allowing rain water to enter building 247-F, which provided an environment for mold growth. Sampling confirmed the presence of Stachybotrys chartarum, a toxic indoor mold that grows on wet cellulosic material, such as drywall paper. D and D workers in areas where this hazard was identified were required to where proper personal protective equipment, which complicated work execution. Discovery of the potential presence of uniquely hazardous chemicals such as shock sensitive compounds and toxic uranium hexafluoride became issues which required investigation and special handling strategies. Team access to subject matter experts, who could quickly provide the required guidance for safe material handling, was critical to keeping the project on schedule. In old legacy facilities, it is possible that the D and D workers will be exposed to undocumented energy sources such as energized electrical conductors and pipes containing hazardous materials that originate outside the boundaries of the facility. Significant effort must be expended on adequate mechanical and electrical isolation. Subdividing the facility into well defined zones for which detailed zone-specific end points could be developed proved to be a highly effective project management strategy. Waste management must be carefully planned. The rate of waste generation as the facility is converted from a structure to waste can frequently exceed the D and D team's resources to characterize, package, store and transport the waste to a disposal facility in a timely manner. This can lead to schedule delays and/or increased project cost.« less

Tribal Decisions-Makers Guide to Solid Waste Management: Chapter 2 - Developing Solid Waste Management Plans

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Solid waste management plans offer a host of benefits for tribes and Alaskan Native villages. Through the preparation of these plans, you can assess your cur-rent and future waste management needs, set priorities, and allocate resources accordingly.

Greening MSW management systems by saving footprint: The contribution of the waste transportation.

PubMed

Peri, G; Ferrante, P; La Gennusa, M; Pianello, C; Rizzo, G

2018-08-01

Municipal solid waste (MSW) management constitutes a highly challenging issue to cope with in order of moving towards more sustainable urban policies. Despite new Standards call for recycling and reusing materials contained in the urban waste, several municipalities still use landfilling as a waste disposal method. Other than the environmental pressure exerted by these plants, waste transportation from the collection points to the landfill needs a specific attention to correctly assess the whole burden of the waste management systems. In this paper, the Ecological Footprint (EF) indicator is applied to the actual MSW of the city of Palermo (Sicily). Results show that the effects produced by the involved transportation vehicles are not negligible, compared to those generated by the other segments of the waste management system. This issue is further deepened by analysing the role of transportation in an upgraded waste management system that is represented by the newly designed waste management plan of Palermo. The computed saved ecological footprint is used here for suitably comparing the environmental performances of the MSW system in both scenarios. Finally, the suitability of the EF method to address not only complete waste management plans but also single segments of the waste management system, is also discussed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prevention-intervention strategies to reduce exposure to e-waste.

PubMed

Heacock, Michelle; Trottier, Brittany; Adhikary, Sharad; Asante, Kwadwo Ansong; Basu, Nil; Brune, Marie-Noel; Caravanos, Jack; Carpenter, David; Cazabon, Danielle; Chakraborty, Paromita; Chen, Aimin; Barriga, Fernando Diaz; Ericson, Bret; Fobil, Julius; Haryanto, Budi; Huo, Xia; Joshi, T K; Landrigan, Philip; Lopez, Adeline; Magalini, Frederico; Navasumrit, Panida; Pascale, Antonio; Sambandam, Sankar; Aslia Kamil, Upik Sitti; Sly, Leith; Sly, Peter; Suk, Ann; Suraweera, Inoka; Tamin, Ridwan; Vicario, Elena; Suk, William

2018-06-27

As one of the largest waste streams, electronic waste (e-waste) production continues to grow in response to global demand for consumer electronics. This waste is often shipped to developing countries where it is disassembled and recycled. In many cases, e-waste recycling activities are conducted in informal settings with very few controls or protections in place for workers. These activities involve exposure to hazardous substances such as cadmium, lead, and brominated flame retardants and are frequently performed by women and children. Although recycling practices and exposures vary by scale and geographic region, we present case studies of e-waste recycling scenarios and intervention approaches to reduce or prevent exposures to the hazardous substances in e-waste that may be broadly applicable to diverse situations. Drawing on parallels identified in these cases, we discuss the future prevention and intervention strategies that recognize the difficult economic realities of informal e-waste recycling.

The Integrated Waste Tracking System - A Flexible Waste Management Tool

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Anderson, Robert Stephen

2001-02-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) has fully embraced a flexible, computer-based tool to help increase waste management efficiency and integrate multiple operational functions from waste generation through waste disposition while reducing cost. The Integrated Waste Tracking System (IWTS)provides comprehensive information management for containerized waste during generation,storage, treatment, transport, and disposal. The IWTS provides all information necessary for facilities to properly manage and demonstrate regulatory compliance. As a platformindependent, client-server and Web-based inventory and compliance system, the IWTS has proven to be a successful tracking, characterization, compliance, and reporting tool that meets themore » needs of both operations and management while providing a high level of management flexibility.« less

Medical Waste Management in Community Health Centers.

PubMed

Tabrizi, Jafar Sadegh; Rezapour, Ramin; Saadati, Mohammad; Seifi, Samira; Amini, Behnam; Varmazyar, Farahnaz

2018-02-01

Non-standard management of medical waste leads to irreparable side effects. This issue is of double importance in health care centers in a city which are the most extensive system for providing Primary Health Care (PHC) across Iran cities. This study investigated the medical waste management standards observation in Tabriz community health care centers, northwestern Iran. In this triangulated cross-sectional study (qualitative-quantitative), data collecting tool was a valid checklist of waste management process developed based on Iranian medical waste management standards. The data were collected in 2015 through process observation and interviews with the health center's staff. The average rate of waste management standards observance in Tabriz community health centers, Tabriz, Iran was 29.8%. This case was 22.8% in dimension of management and training, 27.3% in separating and collecting, 31.2% in transport and temporary storage, and 42.9% in sterilization and disposal. Lack of principal separation of wastes, inappropriate collecting and disposal cycle of waste and disregarding safety tips (fertilizer device performance monitoring, microbial cultures and so on) were among the observed defects in health care centers supported by quantitative data. Medical waste management was not in a desirable situation in Tabriz community health centers. The expansion of community health centers in different regions and non-observance of standards could predispose to incidence the risks resulted from medical wastes. So it is necessary to adopt appropriate policies to promote waste management situation.

Frequent Questions About Universal Waste

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Frequent questions such as Who is affected by the universal waste regulations? What is “mercury-containing equipment”? How are waste batteries managed under universal waste? How are waste pesticides managed under universal waste?

Electronic waste management approaches: An overview

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kiddee, Peeranart; Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment, Mawson Lakes Campus, Adelaide, SA 5095; Naidu, Ravi, E-mail: ravi.naidu@crccare.com

2013-05-15

Highlights: ► Human toxicity of hazardous substances in e-waste. ► Environmental impacts of e-waste from disposal processes. ► Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Material Flow Analysis (MFA), Multi Criteria Analysis (MCA) and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) to and solve e-waste problems. ► Key issues relating to tools managing e-waste for sustainable e-waste management. - Abstract: Electronic waste (e-waste) is one of the fastest-growing pollution problems worldwide given the presence if a variety of toxic substances which can contaminate the environment and threaten human health, if disposal protocols are not meticulously managed. This paper presents an overview of toxic substances present inmore » e-waste, their potential environmental and human health impacts together with management strategies currently being used in certain countries. Several tools including Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Material Flow Analysis (MFA), Multi Criteria Analysis (MCA) and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) have been developed to manage e-wastes especially in developed countries. The key to success in terms of e-waste management is to develop eco-design devices, properly collect e-waste, recover and recycle material by safe methods, dispose of e-waste by suitable techniques, forbid the transfer of used electronic devices to developing countries, and raise awareness of the impact of e-waste. No single tool is adequate but together they can complement each other to solve this issue. A national scheme such as EPR is a good policy in solving the growing e-waste problems.« less

Towards the effective plastic waste management in Bangladesh: a review.

PubMed

Mourshed, Monjur; Masud, Mahadi Hasan; Rashid, Fazlur; Joardder, Mohammad Uzzal Hossain

2017-12-01

The plastic-derived product, nowadays, becomes an indispensable commodity for different purposes. A huge amount of used plastic causes environmental hazards that turn in danger for marine life, reduces the fertility of soil, and contamination of ground water. Management of this enormous plastic waste is challenging in particular for developing countries like Bangladesh. Lack of facilities, infrastructure development, and insufficient budget for waste management are some of the prime causes of improper plastic management in Bangladesh. In this study, the route of plastic waste production and current plastic waste management system in Bangladesh have been reviewed extensively. It emerges that no technical and improved methods are adapted in the plastic management system. A set of the sustainable plastic management system has been proposed along with the challenges that would emerge during the implementation these strategies. Successful execution of the proposed systems would enhance the quality of plastic waste management in Bangladesh and offers enormous energy from waste.

77 FR 59879 - Idaho: Incorporation by Reference of Approved State Hazardous Waste Management Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-01

...: Incorporation by Reference of Approved State Hazardous Waste Management Program AGENCY: Environmental Protection... ``Approved State Hazardous Waste Management Programs,'' Idaho's authorized hazardous waste program. The EPA... Federal Register, the EPA is codifying and incorporating by reference the State's hazardous waste program...

77 FR 46994 - Oklahoma: Incorporation by Reference of State Hazardous Waste Management Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-07

... State regulations that are authorized and that the EPA will enforce under the Solid Waste Disposal Act...: Incorporation by Reference of State Hazardous Waste Management Program AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency... ``Approved State Hazardous Waste Management Programs'', Oklahoma's authorized hazardous waste program. The...

77 FR 29275 - Oklahoma: Incorporation by Reference of State Hazardous Waste Management Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-17

... State regulations that are authorized and that the EPA will enforce under the Solid Waste Disposal Act...: Incorporation by Reference of State Hazardous Waste Management Program AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency... ``Approved State Hazardous Waste Management Programs'', Oklahoma's authorized hazardous waste program. The...

75 FR 36609 - Oklahoma: Incorporation by Reference of State Hazardous Waste Management Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-28

...: Incorporation by Reference of State Hazardous Waste Management Program AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency... ``Approved State Hazardous Waste Management Programs'', Oklahoma's authorized hazardous waste program. The... State regulations that are authorized and that the EPA will enforce under the Solid Waste Disposal Act...

77 FR 3224 - New Mexico: Incorporation by Reference of State Hazardous Waste Management Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-23

... Mexico: Incorporation by Reference of State Hazardous Waste Management Program AGENCY: Environmental... entitled ``Approved State Hazardous Waste Management Programs,'' New Mexico's authorized hazardous waste... of the State regulations that are authorized and that the EPA will enforce under the Solid Waste...

Municipal solid waste development phases: Evidence from EU27.

PubMed

Vujić, Goran; Gonzalez-Roof, Alvaro; Stanisavljević, Nemanja; Ragossnig, Arne M

2015-12-01

Many countries in the European Union (EU) have very developed waste management systems. Some of its members have managed to reduce their landfilled waste to values close to zero during the last decade. Thus, European Union legislation is very stringent regarding waste management for their members and candidate countries, too. This raises the following questions: Is it possible for developing and developed countries to comply with the European Union waste legislation, and under what conditions? How did waste management develop in relation to the economic development in the countries of the European Union? The correlation between waste management practices and economic development was analysed for 27 of the European Union Member States for the time period between 1995 and 2007. In addition, a regression analysis was performed to estimate landfilling of waste in relation to gross domestic product for every country. The results showed a strong correlation between the waste management variables and the gross domestic product of the EU27 members. The definition of the municipal solid waste management development phases followed a closer analysis of the relation between gross domestic product and landfilled waste. The municipal solid waste management phases are characterised by high landfilling rates at low gross domestic product levels, and landfilling rates near zero at high gross domestic product levels. Hence the results emphasize the importance of wider understanding of what is required for developing countries to comply with the European Union initiatives, and highlight the importance of allowing developing countries to make their own paths of waste management development. © The Author(s) 2015.

75 FR 20942 - Hazardous Waste Management System; Identification and Listing of Hazardous Waste; Removal of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-22

... of the waste generation and management information for saccharin and its salts, which demonstrate... partnership with the States, biennially collects information regarding the generation, management, and final... Based on the Available Toxicological Information and Waste Generation and Management Information for...

77 FR 60919 - Tennessee: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revisions

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-05

...: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revisions AGENCY: Environmental..., Division of Solid Waste Management, 5th Floor, L & C Tower, 401 Church Street, Nashville, Tennessee 37243... RCRA hazardous waste management program. We granted authorization for changes to Tennessee's program on...

Oak Ridge Reservation Waste Management Plan

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Turner, J.W.

1995-02-01

This report presents the waste management plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation facilities. The primary purpose is to convey what facilities are being used to manage wastes, what forces are acting to change current waste management systems, and what plans are in store for the coming fiscal year.

40 CFR 60.2060 - When must I submit my waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false When must I submit my waste management plan? 60.2060 Section 60.2060 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR... Management Plan § 60.2060 When must I submit my waste management plan? You must submit a waste management...

40 CFR 60.2060 - When must I submit my waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false When must I submit my waste management plan? 60.2060 Section 60.2060 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR... Management Plan § 60.2060 When must I submit my waste management plan? You must submit a waste management...

40 CFR 60.2060 - When must I submit my waste management plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false When must I submit my waste management plan? 60.2060 Section 60.2060 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR... Management Plan § 60.2060 When must I submit my waste management plan? You must submit a waste management...

Development of sustainable waste management toward zero landfill waste for the petrochemical industry in Thailand using a comprehensive 3R methodology: A case study.

PubMed

Usapein, Parnuwat; Chavalparit, Orathai

2014-06-01

Sustainable waste management was introduced more than ten years ago, but it has not yet been applied to the Thai petrochemical industry. Therefore, under the philosophy of sustainable waste management, this research aims to apply the reduce, reuse, and recycle (3R) concept at the petrochemical factory level to achieve a more sustainable industrial solid waste management system. Three olefin plants in Thailand were surveyed for the case study. The sources and types of waste and existing waste management options were identified. The results indicate that there are four sources of waste generation: (1) production, (2) maintenance, (3) waste treatment, and (4) waste packaging, which correspond to 45.18%, 36.71%, 9.73%, and 8.37% of the waste generated, respectively. From the survey, 59 different types of industrial wastes were generated from the different factory activities. The proposed 3R options could reduce the amount of landfill waste to 79.01% of the amount produced during the survey period; this reduction would occur over a period of 2 years and would result in reduced disposal costs and reduced consumption of natural resources. This study could be used as an example of an improved waste management system in the petrochemical industry. © The Author(s) 2014.

The radioactive waste management policy and practice in the Czech Republic

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kucerka, M.

1996-12-31

In recent period, the new Czech Atomic Law is in the final stage of preparation, and the author expects that Parliament of the Czech Republic will approve it in the first half of the year 1996. Partly the law deals with new distribution of responsibilities among bodies involved in utilization of nuclear energy and ionizing radiation, the state and local authorities. The new provisions include also radioactive waste management activities. These provisions clarify the relations between radioactive waste generators and state, and define explicitly duties of waste generators. One of the most important duties is to cover all expenses formore » radioactive waste management now and in the future, including radioactive waste disposal and decommissioning of nuclear facilities. The law establishes radioactive waste management and decommissioning funds and the new, on waste generators independent radioactive waste management organization, controlled by state, to ensure the safety of inhabitants and the environment, and a optimization of expenses. Parallel to the preparation of the law, the Ministry of Industry and Trade prepares drafts of a statute of the radioactive waste management organization and its control board, and of the methodology and rules of management the radioactive waste fund. First drafts of these documents are expected to be complete in January 1996. The paper will describe recent practice and policy of the radioactive waste management including uranium mining and milling tailings, amounts of waste and its activities, economical background, and safety. A special attention will be paid to description of expected changes in connection with the new Atomic Law and expected steps and time schedule of reorganization of the radioactive waste management structure in the Czech Republic.« less

About the Managing and Transforming Waste Streams Tool

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Managing and Transforming Waste Streams Tool was developed by a team of zero waste consultants and solid waste program managers making informed observations from hands-on work in communities, with contributions from EPA.

The impact of middle manager affective commitment on perceived improvement program implementation success.

PubMed

Fryer, Ashley-Kay; Tucker, Anita L; Singer, Sara J

Recent literature suggests that middle manager affective commitment (emotional attachment, identification, and involvement) to an improvement program may influence implementation success. However, less is known about the interplay between middle manager affective commitment and frontline worker commitment, another important driver of implementation success. We contribute to this research by surveying middle managers who directly manage frontline workers on nursing units. We assess how middle manager affective commitment is related to their perceptions of implementation success and whether their perceptions of frontline worker support mediate this relationship. We also test whether a set of organizational support factors foster middle manager affective commitment. We adapt survey measures of manager affective commitment to our research context of hospitals. We surveyed 67 nurse managers from 19 U.S. hospitals. We use hierarchical linear regression to assess relationships among middle manager affective commitment to their units' falls reduction program and their perceptions of three constructs related to the program: frontline worker support, organizational support, and implementation success. Middle manager affective commitment to their unit's falls reduction program is positively associated with their perception of implementation success. This relationship is mediated by their perception of frontline worker support for the falls program. Moreover, middle managers' affective commitment to their unit's falls program mediates the relationship between perceived organizational support for the program and perceived implementation success. We, through this research, offer an important contribution by providing empirical support of factors that may influence successful implementation of an improvement program: middle manager affective commitment, frontline worker support, and organizational support for an improvement program. Increasing levels of middle manager affective commitment to an improvement program could strengthen program implementation success by facilitating frontline worker support for the program. Furthermore, providing the organizational support items in our survey construct may bolster middle manager affective commitment.

76 FR 4823 - Hazardous Waste Management System; Identifying and Listing Hazardous Waste Exclusion

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-27

... Waste Management System; Identifying and Listing Hazardous Waste Exclusion AGENCY: Environmental... hazardous wastes. The Agency has decided to grant the petition based on an evaluation of waste-specific... excludes the petitioned waste from the requirements of hazardous waste regulations under the Resource...

40 CFR 60.55c - Waste management plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... plan. The owner or operator of an affected facility shall prepare a waste management plan. The waste management plan shall identify both the feasibility and the approach to separate certain components of solid waste from the health care waste stream in order to reduce the amount of toxic emissions from...

40 CFR 60.55c - Waste management plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... plan. The owner or operator of an affected facility shall prepare a waste management plan. The waste management plan shall identify both the feasibility and the approach to separate certain components of solid waste from the health care waste stream in order to reduce the amount of toxic emissions from...

Nuclear waste management. Semiannual progress report, October 1982-March 1983

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chikalla, T.D.; Powell, J.A.

1983-06-01

This document is one of a series of technical progress reports designed to report radioactive waste management programs at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory. Accomplishments in the following programs are reported: waste stabilization; Materials Characterization Center; waste isolation; low-level waste management; remedial action; and supporting studies.

Compliance with universal precautions in correctional health care facilities.

PubMed

Gershon, R R; Karkashian, C D; Vlahov, D; Kummer, L; Kasting, C; Green-McKenzie, J; Escamilla-Cejudo, J A; Kendig, N; Swetz, A; Martin, L

1999-03-01

There were three main objectives of this cross-sectional study of Maryland State correctional health care workers. The first was to evaluate compliance with work practices designed to minimize exposure to blood and body fluids; the second, to identify correlates of compliance with universal precautions (UPs); and the third was to determine the relationship, if any, between compliance and exposures. Of 216 responding health care workers, 34% reported overall compliance across all 15 items on a compliance scale. Rates for specific items were particularly low for use of certain types of personal protective equipment, such as protective eyewear (53.5%), face mask (47.2%) and protective clothing (33.9%). Compliance rates were highest for glove use (93.2%) waste disposal (89.8%), and sharps disposal (80.8%). Compliance rates were generally not associated with demographic factors, except for age; younger workers were more likely to be compliant with safe work practices than were older workers (P < 0.05). Compliance was positively associated with several work-related variables, including perceived safety climate (i.e., management's commitment to infection control and the overall safety program) and job satisfaction, and was found to be inversely associated with security-related work constraints, job/task factors, adverse working conditions, workplace discrimination, and perceived work stress. Bloodborne exposures were not uncommon; 13.8% of all respondents had at least one bloodborne exposure within the previous 6 months, and compliance was inversely related to blood and body fluid exposures. This study identified several potentially modifiable correlates of compliance, including factors unique to the correctional setting. Infection-control interventional strategies specifically tailored to these health care workers may therefore be most effective in reducing the risk of bloodborne exposures.

Biomedical waste management in Ayurveda hospitals - current practices & future prospectives.

PubMed

Rajan, Renju; Robin, Delvin T; M, Vandanarani

2018-03-16

Biomedical waste management is an integral part of traditional and contemporary system of health care. The paper focuses on the identification and classification of biomedical wastes in Ayurvedic hospitals, current practices of its management in Ayurveda hospitals and its future prospective. Databases like PubMed (1975-2017 Feb), Scopus (1960-2017), AYUSH Portal, DOAJ, DHARA and Google scholar were searched. We used the medical subject headings 'biomedical waste' and 'health care waste' for identification and classification. The terms 'biomedical waste management', 'health care waste management' alone and combined with 'Ayurveda' or 'Ayurvedic' for current practices and recent advances in the treatment of these wastes were used. We made a humble attempt to categorize the biomedical wastes from Ayurvedic hospitals as the available data about its grouping is very scarce. Proper biomedical waste management is the mainstay of hospital cleanliness, hospital hygiene and maintenance activities. Current disposal techniques adopted for Ayurveda biomedical wastes are - sewage/drains, incineration and land fill. But these methods are having some merits as well as demerits. Our review has identified a number of interesting areas for future research such as the logical application of bioremediation techniques in biomedical waste management and the usage of effective micro-organisms and solar energy in waste disposal. Copyright © 2017 Transdisciplinary University, Bangalore and World Ayurveda Foundation. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Rules and management of biomedical waste at Vivekananda Polyclinic: A case study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gupta, Saurabh; Boojh, Ram; Mishra, Ajai

Hospitals and other healthcare establishments have a 'duty of care' for the environment and for public health, and have particular responsibilities in relation to the waste they produce (i.e., biomedical waste). Negligence, in terms of biomedical waste management, significantly contributes to polluting the environment, affects the health of human beings, and depletes natural and financial resources. In India, in view of the serious situation of biomedical waste management, the Ministry of Environment and Forests, within the Government of India, ratified the Biomedical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, in July 1998. The present paper provides a brief description of the biomedicalmore » waste (Management and Handling) Rules 1998, and the current biomedical waste management practices in one of the premier healthcare establishments of Lucknow, the Vivekananda Polyclinic. The objective in undertaking this study was to analyse the biomedical waste management system, including policy, practice (i.e., storage, collection, transportation and disposal), and compliance with the standards prescribed under the regulatory framework. The analysis consisted of interviews with medical authorities, doctors, and paramedical staff involved in the management of the biomedical wastes in the Polyclinic. Other important stakeholders that were consulted and interviewed included environmental engineers (looking after the Biomedical Waste Cell) of the State Pollution Control Board, and randomly selected patients and visitors to the Polyclinic. A general survey of the facilities of the Polyclinic was undertaken to ascertain the efficacy of the implemented measures. The waste was quantified based on random samples collected from each ward. It was found that, although the Polyclinic in general abides by the prescribed regulations for the treatment and disposal of biomedical waste, there is a need to further build the capacity of the Polyclinic and its staff in terms of providing state-of-the-art facilities and on-going training in order to develop a model biomedical waste management system in the Polyclinic. There is also a need to create awareness among all other stakeholders about the importance of biomedical waste management and related regulations. Furthermore, healthcare waste management should go beyond data compilation, enforcement of regulations, and acquisition of better equipment. It should be supported through appropriate education, training, and the commitment of the healthcare staff and management and healthcare managers within an effective policy and legislative framework.« less

Rules and management of biomedical waste at Vivekananda Polyclinic: a case study.

PubMed

Gupta, Saurabh; Boojh, Ram; Mishra, Ajai; Chandra, Hem

2009-02-01

Hospitals and other healthcare establishments have a "duty of care" for the environment and for public health, and have particular responsibilities in relation to the waste they produce (i.e., biomedical waste). Negligence, in terms of biomedical waste management, significantly contributes to polluting the environment, affects the health of human beings, and depletes natural and financial resources. In India, in view of the serious situation of biomedical waste management, the Ministry of Environment and Forests, within the Government of India, ratified the Biomedical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, in July 1998. The present paper provides a brief description of the biomedical waste (Management and Handling) Rules 1998, and the current biomedical waste management practices in one of the premier healthcare establishments of Lucknow, the Vivekananda Polyclinic. The objective in undertaking this study was to analyse the biomedical waste management system, including policy, practice (i.e., storage, collection, transportation and disposal), and compliance with the standards prescribed under the regulatory framework. The analysis consisted of interviews with medical authorities, doctors, and paramedical staff involved in the management of the biomedical wastes in the Polyclinic. Other important stakeholders that were consulted and interviewed included environmental engineers (looking after the Biomedical Waste Cell) of the State Pollution Control Board, and randomly selected patients and visitors to the Polyclinic. A general survey of the facilities of the Polyclinic was undertaken to ascertain the efficacy of the implemented measures. The waste was quantified based on random samples collected from each ward. It was found that, although the Polyclinic in general abides by the prescribed regulations for the treatment and disposal of biomedical waste, there is a need to further build the capacity of the Polyclinic and its staff in terms of providing state-of-the-art facilities and on-going training in order to develop a model biomedical waste management system in the Polyclinic. There is also a need to create awareness among all other stakeholders about the importance of biomedical waste management and related regulations. Furthermore, healthcare waste management should go beyond data compilation, enforcement of regulations, and acquisition of better equipment. It should be supported through appropriate education, training, and the commitment of the healthcare staff and management and healthcare managers within an effective policy and legislative framework.

Distinguishing source of autonomy support in relation to workers' motivation and self-efficacy.

PubMed

Jungert, Tomas; Koestner, Richard Frank; Houlfort, Nathalie; Schattke, Kaspar

2013-01-01

The purpose was to investigate the relationship between autonomy support by managers and co-workers and employees' work motivation and self-efficacy in two studies. In Study 1, a sample of 343 Swedish workers completed surveys, and in Study 2, we followed up with a subsample of 98 workers one year later. As in previous studies, managers support of autonomy was significantly positively related to workers' outcomes. However, the results of Study 1 also showed that co-worker autonomy support was related to these outcomes over and above the effects of manager support. Study 2 showed that changes in autonomy support from co-workers during one year significantly predicted motivation and self-efficacy one year later, while change in support from managers was unrelated to outcomes later. These findings provide evidence for the importance of both vertical and horizontal sources of support.

75 FR 11913 - Chrysler, LLC, Sterling Stamping Plant, Including On-Site Leased Workers from Caravan Knight...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-12

... Stamping Plant, Including On-Site Leased Workers from Caravan Knight Facilities Management LLC, Sterling... stampings. New information shows that workers leased from Caravan Knight Facilities Management LLC were... workers leased from Caravan Knight Facilities [[Page 11914

The effect of food waste disposers on municipal waste and wastewater management.

PubMed

Marashlian, Natasha; El-Fadel, Mutasem

2005-02-01

This paper examines the feasibility of introducing food waste disposers as a waste minimization option within urban waste management schemes, taking the Greater Beirut Area (GBA) as a case study. For this purpose, the operational and economic impacts of food disposers on the solid waste and wastewater streams are assessed. The integration of food waste disposers can reduce the total solid waste to be managed by 12 to 43% under market penetration ranging between 25 and 75%, respectively. While the increase in domestic water consumption (for food grinding) and corresponding increase in wastewater flow rates are relatively insignificant, wastewater loadings increased by 17 to 62% (BOD) and 1.9 to 7.1% (SS). The net economic benefit of introducing food disposers into the waste and wastewater management systems constitutes 7.2 to 44.0% of the existing solid waste management cost under the various scenarios examined. Concerns about increased sludge generation persist and its potential environmental and economic implications may differ with location and therefore area-specific characteristics must be taken into consideration when contemplating the adoption of a strategy to integrate food waste disposers in the waste-wastewater management system.

75 FR 76691 - Oregon; Correction of Federal Authorization of the State's Hazardous Waste Management Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-09

...; Correction of Federal Authorization of the State's Hazardous Waste Management Program AGENCY: Environmental... to the State of Oregon's federally authorized RCRA hazardous waste management program. On January 7... changes the State of Oregon made to its federally authorized RCRA Hazardous Waste Management Program...

75 FR 918 - Oregon: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revision

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-07

... Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revision AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA... hazardous waste management program under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, as amended (RCRA). On... has decided that the revisions to the Oregon hazardous waste management program satisfy all of the...

Laboratory Waste Management. A Guidebook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Chemical Society, Washington, DC.

A primary goal of the American Chemical Society Task Force on Laboratory Waste Management is to provide laboratories with the information necessary to develop effective strategies and training programs for managing laboratory wastes. This book is intended to present a fresh look at waste management from the laboratory perspective, considering both…

76 FR 63509 - Small Business Size Standards: Administrative and Support, Waste Management and Remediation Services

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-12

... Small Business Size Standards: Administrative and Support, Waste Management and Remediation Services... Standards: Administrative and Support, Waste Management and Remediation Services AGENCY: U.S. Small Business...) Sector 56, Administrative and Support, Waste Management and Remediation Services. As part of its ongoing...

Building Staff Competencies and Selecting Communications Methods for Waste Management Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richardson, John G.

The Waste Management Institute provided in-service training to interested County Extension agents in North Carolina to enable them to provide leadership in developing and delivering a comprehensive county-level waste management program. Training included technical, economic, environmental, social, and legal aspects of waste management presented in…

Management of solid waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, W. T.; Stinton, L. H.

1980-04-01

Compliance with the latest regulatory requirements addressing disposal of radioactive, hazardous, and sanitary solid waste criteria in the selection, design, and operation of solid waste management facilities. Due to the state of flux of these regulatory requirements from EPA and NRC, several waste management options were of solid waste. The current regulatory constraints and the design and operational requirements for construction of both storage and disposal facilities for use in management of DOE-ORO solid waste are highlighted. Capital operational costs are included for both disposal and storage options.

Household waste compositional analysis variation from insular communities in the framework of waste prevention strategy plans

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zorpas, Antonis A., E-mail: antonis.zorpas@ouc.ac.cy; Lasaridi, Katia, E-mail: klasaridi@hua.gr; Voukkali, Irene

Highlights: • Waste framework directive has set clear waste prevention procedures. • Household Compositional analysis. • Waste management plans. • Zero waste approach. • Waste generation. - Abstract: Waste management planning requires reliable data regarding waste generation, affecting factors on waste generation and forecasts of waste quantities based on facts. In order to decrease the environmental impacts of waste management the choice of prevention plan as well as the treatment method must be based on the features of the waste that are produced in a specific area. Factors such as culture, economic development, climate, and energy sources have an impactmore » on waste composition; composition influences the need of collecting waste more or less frequently of waste collection and disposition. The research question was to discover the main barriers concerning the compositional analysis in Insular Communities under warm climate conditions and the findings from this study enabled the main contents of a waste management plan to be established. These included advice to residents on waste minimisation, liaison with stakeholders and the expansion of kerbside recycling schemes.« less

Implementation of spatial smart waste management system in malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Omar, M. F.; Termizi, A. A. A.; Zainal, D.; Wahap, N. A.; Ismail, N. M.; Ahmad, N.

2016-06-01

One of the challenges to innovate and create an IoT -enabled solution is in monitoring and management of the environment. Waste collection utilizing the Internet of Things (IoT) with the technology of smart wireless sensors will able to gather fill-level data from waste containers hence providing a waste monitoring solution that brings up savings in waste collection costs. One of the challenges to the local authority is how to monitor the works of contractor effective and efficiently in waste management. This paper will propose to the local authority the implementation of smart waste management in Malaysia to improve the city management and to provide better services to the public towards smart city applications.

Identifying potential environmental impacts of waste handling strategies in textile industry.

PubMed

Yacout, Dalia M M; Hassouna, M S

2016-08-01

Waste management is a successful instrument to minimize generated waste and improve environmental conditions. In spite of the large share of developing countries in the textile industry, limited information is available concerning the waste management strategies implemented for textiles on those countries and their environmental impacts. In the current study, two waste management approaches for hazardous solid waste treatment of acrylic fibers (landfill and incineration) were investigated. The main research questions were: What are the different impacts of each waste management strategy? Which waste management strategy is more ecofriendly? Life cycle assessment was employed in order to model the environmental impacts of each waste streaming approach separately then compare them together. Results revealed that incineration was the more ecofriendly approach. Highest impacts of both approaches were on ecotoxicity and carcinogenic potentials due to release of metals from pigment wastes. Landfill had an impact of 46.8 % on human health as compared to 28 % by incineration. Incineration impact on ecosystem quality was higher than landfill impact (68.4 and 51.3 %, respectively). As for resources category, incineration had a higher impact than landfill (3.5 and 2.0 %, respectively). Those impacts could be mitigated if state-of-the-art landfill or incinerator were used and could be reduced by applying waste to energy approaches for both management systems In conclusion, shifting waste treatment from landfill to incineration would decrease the overall environmental impacts and allow energy recovery. The potential of waste to energy approach by incineration with heat recovery could be considered in further studies. Future research is needed in order to assess the implementation of waste management systems and the preferable waste management strategies in the textile industry on developing countries.

Environmental evaluation of municipal waste prevention

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gentil, Emmanuel C.; Gallo, Daniele; Christensen, Thomas H., E-mail: thho@env.dtu.dk

Highlights: > Influence of prevention on waste management systems, excluding avoided production, is relatively minor. > Influence of prevention on overall supply chain, including avoided production is very significant. > Higher relative benefits of prevention are observed in waste management systems relying mainly on landfills. - Abstract: Waste prevention has been addressed in the literature in terms of the social and behavioural aspects, but very little quantitative assessment exists of the environmental benefits. Our study evaluates the environmental consequences of waste prevention on waste management systems and on the wider society, using life-cycle thinking. The partial prevention of unsolicited mail,more » beverage packaging and food waste is tested for a 'High-tech' waste management system relying on high energy and material recovery and for a 'Low-tech' waste management system with less recycling and relying on landfilling. Prevention of 13% of the waste mass entering the waste management system generates a reduction of loads and savings in the waste management system for the different impacts categories; 45% net reduction for nutrient enrichment and 12% reduction for global warming potential. When expanding our system and including avoided production incurred by the prevention measures, large savings are observed (15-fold improvement for nutrient enrichment and 2-fold for global warming potential). Prevention of food waste has the highest environmental impact saving. Prevention generates relatively higher overall relative benefit for 'Low-tech' systems depending on landfilling. The paper provides clear evidence of the environmental benefits of waste prevention and has specific relevance in climate change mitigation.« less

Developing Tribal Integrated Waste Management Plans

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

An IWMP outlines how the tribe will reduce, manage, and dispose of its waste. It identifies existing waste systems, assesses needs, and sets forth the ways to design, implement, and monitor a more effective and sustainable waste management program.

Theoretical Framework for Plastic Waste Management in Ghana through Extended Producer Responsibility: Case of Sachet Water Waste.

PubMed

Quartey, Ebo Tawiah; Tosefa, Hero; Danquah, Kwasi Asare Baffour; Obrsalova, Ilona

2015-08-20

Currently, use and disposal of plastic by consumers through waste management activities in Ghana not only creates environmental problems, but also reinforces the notion of a wasteful society. The magnitude of this problem has led to increasing pressure from the public for efficient and practical measures to solve the waste problem. This paper analyses the impact of plastic use and disposal in Ghana. It emphasizes the need for commitment to proper management of the impacts of plastic waste and effective environmental management in the country. Sustainable Solid Waste Management (SSWM) is a critical problem for developing countries with regards to climate change and greenhouse gas emission, and also the general wellbeing of the populace. Key themes of this paper are producer responsibility and management of products at end of life. The paper proposes two theatrical recovery models that can be used to address the issue of sachet waste in Ghana.

Nutrition training improves health workers' nutrition knowledge and competence to manage child undernutrition: a systematic review.

PubMed

Sunguya, Bruno F; Poudel, Krishna C; Mlunde, Linda B; Urassa, David P; Yasuoka, Junko; Jimba, Masamine

2013-09-24

Medical and nursing education lack adequate practical nutrition training to fit the clinical reality that health workers face in their practices. Such a deficit creates health workers with poor nutrition knowledge and child undernutrition management practices. In-service nutrition training can help to fill this gap. However, no systematic review has examined its collective effectiveness. We thus conducted this study to examine the effectiveness of in-service nutrition training on health workers' nutrition knowledge, counseling skills, and child undernutrition management practices. We conducted a literature search on nutrition interventions from PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, ISI Web of Knowledge, and World Health Organization regional databases. The outcome variables were nutrition knowledge, nutrition-counseling skills, and undernutrition management practices of health workers. Due to heterogeneity, we conducted only descriptive analyses. Out of 3910 retrieved articles, 25 were selected as eligible for the final analysis. A total of 18 studies evaluated health workers' nutrition knowledge and showed improvement after training. A total of 12 studies with nutrition counseling as the outcome variable also showed improvement among the trained health workers. Sixteen studies evaluated health workers' child undernutrition management practices. In all such studies, child undernutrition management practices and competence of health workers improved after the nutrition training intervention. In-service nutrition training improves quality of health workers by rendering them more knowledge and competence to manage nutrition-related conditions, especially child undernutrition. In-service nutrition training interventions can help to fill the gap created by the lack of adequate nutrition training in the existing medical and nursing education system. In this way, steps can be taken toward improving the overall nutritional status of the child population.

Solid industrial wastes and their management in Asegra (Granada, Spain)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Casares, M.L.; Ulierte, N.; Mataran, A.

ASEGRA is an industrial area in Granada (Spain) with important waste management problems. In order to properly manage and control waste production in industry, one must know the quantity, type, and composition of industrial wastes, as well as the management practices of the companies involved. In our study, questionnaires were used to collect data regarding methods of waste management used in 170 of the 230 businesses in the area of study. The majority of these companies in ASEGRA are small or medium-size, and belong to the service sector, transport, and distribution. This was naturally a conditioning factor in both themore » type and management of the wastes generated. It was observed that paper and cardboard, plastic, wood, and metals were the most common types of waste, mainly generated from packaging (49% of the total volume), as well as material used in containers and for wrapping products. Serious problems were observed in the management of these wastes. In most cases they were disposed of by dumping, and very rarely did businesses resort to reuse, recycling or valorization. Smaller companies encountered greater difficulties when it came to effective waste management. The most frequent solution for the disposal of wastes in the area was dumping.« less

Management of radioactive waste in Belgium: ONDRAF/NIRAS and Belgoprocess as major actors of the waste acceptance system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zaelen, Gunter van; Verheyen, Annick

2007-07-01

The management of radioactive waste in Belgium is undertaken by the national agency for radioactive waste and enriched fissile materials, ONDRAF/NIRAS, and its industrial partner Belgoprocess. ONDRAF/NIRAS has set up a management system designed to guarantee that the general public and the environment are protected against the potential hazards arising from radioactive waste. Belgoprocess is a private company, founded in 1984 and located in Dessel, Belgium. It is a subsidiary of ONDRAF/NIRAS and its activities focus on the safe processing and storage of radioactive waste. The management system of ONDRAF/NIRAS includes two aspects: a) an integrated system and b) anmore » acceptance system. The integrated system covers all aspects of management ranging from the origin of waste to its transport, processing, interim storage and long-term management. The safety of radioactive waste management not only depends on the quality of the design and construction of the processing, temporary storage or disposal infrastructure, but also on the quality of the waste accepted by ONDRAF/NIRAS. In order to be manage d safely, both in the short and the long term, the waste transferred to ONDRAF/NIRAS must meet certain specific requirements. To that end, ONDRAF/NIRAS has developed an acceptance system. (authors)« less

Joint Assessment of Renewable Energy and Water Desalination Research Center (REWDC) Program Capabilities and Facilities In Radioactive Waste Management

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bissani, M; Fischer, R; Kidd, S

2006-04-03

The primary goal of this visit was to perform a joint assessment of the Renewable Energy and Water Desalination Center's (REWDC) program in radioactive waste management. The visit represented the fourth technical and scientific interaction with Libya under the DOE/NNSA Sister Laboratory Arrangement. Specific topics addressed during the visit focused on Action Sheet P-05-5, ''Radioactive Waste Management''. The Team, comprised of Mo Bissani (Team Lead), Robert Fischer, Scott Kidd, and Jim Merrigan, consulted with REWDC management and staff. The team collected information, discussed particulars of the technical collaboration and toured the Tajura facility. The tour included the waste treatment facility,more » waste storage/disposal facility, research reactor facility, hot cells and analytical labs. The assessment team conducted the first phase of Task A for Action Sheet 5, which involved a joint assessment of the Radioactive Waste Management Program. The assessment included review of the facilities dedicated to the management of radioactive waste at the Tourja site, the waste management practices, proposed projects for the facility and potential impacts on waste generation and management.« less

Resource Management, Coexistence, and Balance--The Fundamentals of Teaching Waste Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donovan, Connie

1998-01-01

Argues for the need for courses in waste management in departments other than civil engineering. Points out that although waste management is a business administration function, it is best performed from an environmental management perspective. (DDR)

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Seattle's Waste Haulers are Going Green

Science.gov Websites

-hauling companies in the Puget Sound region, Waste Management and CleanScapes, were the first two private revolution in Washington's waste-hauling industry. Eager to win the Seattle contract, both Waste Management per year of greenhouse gas emissions reductions. Waste Management continues to rise to the challenge

40 CFR 267.101 - What must I do to address corrective action for solid waste management units?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... action for solid waste management units? 267.101 Section 267.101 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS FOR OWNERS AND OPERATORS OF HAZARDOUS WASTE FACILITIES OPERATING UNDER A STANDARDIZED PERMIT Releases from Solid Waste Management Units § 267.101 What...

40 CFR 267.101 - What must I do to address corrective action for solid waste management units?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... action for solid waste management units? 267.101 Section 267.101 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS FOR OWNERS AND OPERATORS OF HAZARDOUS WASTE FACILITIES OPERATING UNDER A STANDARDIZED PERMIT Releases from Solid Waste Management Units § 267.101 What...

40 CFR 267.101 - What must I do to address corrective action for solid waste management units?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... action for solid waste management units? 267.101 Section 267.101 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS FOR OWNERS AND OPERATORS OF HAZARDOUS WASTE FACILITIES OPERATING UNDER A STANDARDIZED PERMIT Releases from Solid Waste Management Units § 267.101 What...

40 CFR 267.101 - What must I do to address corrective action for solid waste management units?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... action for solid waste management units? 267.101 Section 267.101 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS FOR OWNERS AND OPERATORS OF HAZARDOUS WASTE FACILITIES OPERATING UNDER A STANDARDIZED PERMIT Releases from Solid Waste Management Units § 267.101 What...

40 CFR 267.101 - What must I do to address corrective action for solid waste management units?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... action for solid waste management units? 267.101 Section 267.101 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS FOR OWNERS AND OPERATORS OF HAZARDOUS WASTE FACILITIES OPERATING UNDER A STANDARDIZED PERMIT Releases from Solid Waste Management Units § 267.101 What...

TOOLS FOR DETERMINING SUSTAINABLE WASTE MANAGEMENT THROUGH APPLICATION OF LIFE-CYCLE ASSESSMENT: UPDATE ON U.S. RESEARCH

EPA Science Inventory

The paper is an update on U.S. research to develop tools and information for evaluating integrated solid waste management strategies. In the past, waste management systems consisted primarily of waste collection and disposal at a local landfill. Today's municipal solid waste ma...

Radiological protection from radioactive waste management in existing exposure situations resulting from a nuclear accident.

PubMed

Sugiyama, Daisuke; Hattori, Takatoshi

2013-01-01

In environmental remediation after nuclear accidents, radioactive wastes have to be appropriately managed in existing exposure situations with contamination resulting from the emission of radionuclides by such accidents. In this paper, a framework of radiation protection from radioactive waste management in existing exposure situations for application to the practical and reasonable waste management in contaminated areas, referring to related ICRP recommendations was proposed. In the proposed concept, intermediate reference levels for waste management are adopted gradually according to the progress of the reduction in the existing ambient dose in the environment on the basis of the principles of justification and optimisation by taking into account the practicability of the management of radioactive waste and environmental remediation. It is essential to include the participation of relevant stakeholders living in existing exposure situations in the selection of reference levels for the existing ambient dose and waste management.