Toolbox talk on waste disposal

Waste disposal means discarding, removing, recycling or destroying waste. Waste is unwanted materials from agriculture, domestic or homes and industrial products. Proper waste disposal is necessary to maintain a safe working environment and also helps to comply with relevant regulations.

Waste disposal has a lot of benefits when done effectively on a site. A site with effective waste disposal promotes a good image of the company involved. Other benefits are 

• Waste disposal promotes the efficiency of work at the site. 
• It encourages good safety habits. The appropriate waste disposal is economical and has numerous environmental benefits.

What to do to promote effective waste disposal on site.

• Ensure there is a proper waste separation procedures in your site or factory. Use a suitable labelled container to separate different waste types e.g. metals, wood, plastics or paper. 
• Position all waste containers closer to waste generation points. 
• Do not store waste closer to the point of watercourses to prevent an immediate pollution hazard.
• Ensure that all contaminated waste is protected with membranes to prevent contaminating the environment.
• Control liquid waste to prevent contaminating the environment. Such liquid waste is Oil, chemicals, and wet concrete.
• Educate the workers on waste recycling methods and provide clear guidelines on things that can be recycled or can not be recycled.
• Ensure that the recycled materials gathered are collected and transported by the waste management company.
• Make provisions for waste bins for different types of waste on-site.
• There should be procedures to manage spills on site and educate the workers about them.
• Clean all spills immediately to avoid environmental contamination.
• Do not dispose of waste improperly either by burying it in unauthorised areas.
• Record and document all waste activities with the relevant certifications and permits.
• Always identify the source of every waste and document this in the waste transfer note.
• Engage the service of the waste management contractors for all waste disposal and removal from your site. This is a legal thing to do. 

Read also:

• HSE publishes annual work-related ill-health and injury statistics for 2021/22
• What is the difference between the HSE manual and the HSE plan?
• What does it mean to have safe places of work?
• Company and director fined after HSE inspectors find an unusable toilet
• The 7 societal factors that Influence the Health and safety standards of an Organisation
• Things you need to know about the BCSP Board of certified safety professionals 
• 5 Health Benefits of Regular Exercise for Men
• How to ensure Off-the-job safety: Toolbox talk
• What is the difference between a stage 1 audit and a stage 2 audit? 
• Company and director fined after HSE inspectors find an unusable toilet
• How often should you do an internal audit in compliance with the ISO management system?
• key responsibilities of audit team members

Onyekachi Emmanuel

Onyeka Emma is a QHSE Professional, a business person, and an entrepreneur. He is very passionate about health and safety, Business and Entrepreneurship.