Hazardous Waste

Hazardous Waste Menu Workers' Rights

Hazard Recognition

The types of hazards most frequently identified for hazardous waste sites are similar to those that exist on construction sites and include: electrical, excavations, walking/working surfaces, lockout/tag out, cranes and other material handling equipment, hand and portable powered tools, and welding and cutting. The following references aid in recognizing hazards at a waste site.

  • Remediation Technology and Health Safety Standards: Thermal Desorption. OSHA Safety and Health Information Bulletin (SHIB), (February 3, 2003). Provides employers assistance with recognizing hazards associated with thermal desorption and controlling them in a manner consistent with OSHA requirements and other industry standards.
  • Hazard Communication: Small Entity Compliance Guide for Employers That Use Hazardous Chemicals. OSHA Publication 3695, (2014).
  • Chemical Reactivity Hazards. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.
  • NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 2005-149, (September 2007). Provides a source of general industrial hygiene information on several hundred chemicals/classes for workers, employers, and occupational health professionals.
  • ToxFAQs™. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). Provides a series of summaries about hazardous substances developed by the ATSDR Division of Toxicology. Answers are provided to the most frequently asked questions about exposure to hazardous substances found around hazardous waste sites.
  • Medical Management Guidelines (MMGs). Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). Aids emergency department physicians and other emergency healthcare professionals who manage acute exposures resulting from chemical incidents.
  • Safety and Health Aspects of EM CX Remediation Technologies. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Publication No. EM 1110-1-4007, (August 15, 2003). This engineering manual contains detailed hazard analyses for 25 commonly used EM CX site remediation technologies and is written for USACE project designers, Architect-Engineers (A-Es) and safety and health professionals. The document serves as a resource in identifying potential hazards unique and/or significant to the technologies addressed along with recommended controls.