Information On Handling Off Spec Chemicals

By Marcia Marks


Many manufacturing businesses produce off spec chemicals as a result of their activities. Off-specification products range from simple cleaning products to complex and costly intermediates used in pharmaceutical and chemical synthesis. These are simply a surplus in the company that probably arose because a certain product is no longer needed in the business, contaminated, or does not meet certain specifications. Regardless of the reason, these products should be disposed in the right way.

There are people who might be in need of such items in such a state. An example of such is the people who are keen on treating stagnant water in their home environment. This is normally in a bid to deter insect habitation of the said pools. An option for mosquito control involves the adding of a layer of oil either used or not to the pond and it is deemed safe.

These products can be reclaimed or reformulated to be used for the previously intended purpose. So what you should do is to contact the manufacturer or a supplier about these products and find out if they can be used instead of just disposing them. They will help you manage them safely with maximum value in mind.

However if you have decided to dispose them probably by burning them and using them as fuel, then you may need to call in a professional to the task. This is because some of these products are highly inflammable and so can cause uncontrollable fires. Before embarking on burning these products, sufficient analysis should be done to ensure that fumes they produce are safe to the environment. If they are, then another method should be used to dispose them.

Bearing in mind the risk that such items could pause to human kind and life as a whole, people that deal in this type of business are therefore required to do an evaluation. This practice is to be conducted to be in a position to classify the chemicals according to laid down clusters. This process is what groups such substances as toxic or non-toxic.

The process also allows the involved parties to tell whether the substance in question is able to be reclaimed or is regarded as not useful in anymore. With this information, therefore appropriate ways of disposal should be derived. Some of these substances could cause equal risks while washed down the drain just as it would when thrown in the rubbish pit.

It is a requirement for handlers of such products to possess a permit. This is mainly to ensure that each one is responsible and strictly adheres to the laid down procedures with regard to disposal. The responsibility does not only end at the site but includes even safe transportation.

The generators of off spec chemicals are responsible for knowing the fate of their hazardous products. They must comply with the hazardous waste rules that require proper waste management while it is onsite. They are also required to use a hazardous waste transporter and a hazardous waste manifest. In addition to these, proper record keeping as well as reporting are a requirement.




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