From violent volcanoes to terrifying twisters, you never know when disasters will strike. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) protects and serves Americans during emergencies. A significant part of their mission involves emergency preparedness.
Ever ask yourself, can I throw aerosol cans in the trash? The answer is complicated. It’s not the can, but the contents of the can that may cause issues. Many cans used in the workplace contain hazardous materials. Either the product or the propellant used to spray the product is harmful to the environment. Aerosol disposal must be handled carefully.
Many workshops, industrial facilities and laboratories generate small quantities of hazardous waste. Anything from contaminated solvents, used oil and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) waste needs temporary storage before safe disposal. OSHA inspectors check for flammable liquids in open containers. They impose fines for non-compliance to regulations and putting employees at risk.
At an airshow in San Diego in 1989, famous test pilot Bob Hoover was entertaining the crowd in his small, piston-powered Shrike Commander plane with a couple thrill-seeking passengers in tow. At about 300 feet off the ground during takeoff, the engine lost all power.
Whether you are dealing with a widespread spill on the scale of Deepwater Horizon, or a few drips from a leaking pump seal, every spill must be cleaned up. But did you know using the wrong absorbent material may make the situation worse?
Using a safety can to store and dispense flammable liquids might seem like a minor issue when running a busy waste collection facility. Yet, one company learned the severity of non-compliance the hard way. OSHA cited the company for improper transfer of flammable liquids, along with other unsafe conditions. The penalty? Nearly $300,000 in fines.
Corrosive liquids are hazardous. These could be acids with a pH of below 2 or bases with a pH above 12.5. Either way, corrosives have the potential to eat away metal components. It’s not just the liquid that is corrosive. Fumes of these chemicals combine with humidity to condense onto metal surfaces. As the moisture evaporates, a corrosive residue remains behind.
Laboratories use flammable chemicals for experiments and analytical tests. Safely dispensing into vials, flasks and test tubes limits the risk of fire. It only takes a moment for a flammable liquid to catch fire and cause serious injury.
Flammable storage cabinets help prevent the heat of a fire from reaching chemicals stored inside. Flammable chemicals become more volatile and vaporous when exposed to high temperatures. As the temperature of a flammable liquid increases, the molecules in the liquid speed up. Some acquire enough energy to escape into the air as a vapor.
Almost every workplace uses some form of flammable liquids. Cleaning solvents, paints, and certain laboratory chemicals are a few examples. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that fires and explosions in the workplace killed more than 200 people in 2015 and 2016. And for every fatality, there are many incidents that occur without the loss of life.
