Since the UA Chemical Hygiene Plan requires that no chemicals be disposed of by pouring them down drains, the Office of EHS tries to encourage compliance with this rule by making the disposal procedure as effortless and economical as possible. Therefore, EHS picks up unwanted chemicals, transports them to the Chemical Storage Facility, maintains all documentation and pays for disposal from EHS budget. Since unknown chemicals pose a considerable hazard to personnel and their disposal is very expensive, lab workers are urged to take care in labeling.
Request for Chemical Pick-up – Call EHS (8-5905) to leave a message for a chemical pick-up. Give your name, phone number, building, room number and a brief description of the chemicals you want removed and the approximate quantity. Your request will be posted and an EHS representative will respond within three days. You may receive a phone call to arrange entry into the area.
Whenever a representative from the Office of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) collects "unwanted" chemicals for disposal, there are strict regulations regarding how they are handled. Observe the following steps when handling/labeling unwanted chemicals:
1. If an unwanted product is to be generated from an experiment:
| a. Have an appropriate receptacle readily available. b. Securely tape an unwanted chemical label on the receptacle and list the chemical(s) poured into the receptacle as they are generated. DO NOT wait until the time of container disposal. Sometimes unlabeled bottles are moved within the lab and there is confusion regarding content. Actually, it is unwise and against regulations to have unlabeled chemicals. Merely writing "Waste, Exp. 7" with a marker is not acceptable. c. It is acceptable to bulk some chemicals, such as solvents. However, be aware of incompatibilities and be specific. |
2. If unwanted chemicals are generated during experimentation in a teaching lab while a student is attempting to identify an unknown that has been issued by the Lab instructor, then the student needs to list any known chemicals added to the discard receptacle. It is acceptable to use multiple labels if necessary. At the completion of the experiment, the lab instructor should add to the list the name of the chemical that was the student’s designated unknown.
3. Unwanted chemicals that have been commercially produced should have an unwanted chemical label if the original label has deteriorated.
If you need copies of the unwanted chemical label, (click previous link) or select it from the main menu, print and make as many copies as needed.