Procedures for the Proper Disposition of Equipment and Materials Through Lion Surplus pot

Procedures for the Proper Disposition of Equipment and Materials Through Lion Surplus The Pennsylvania State University Environmental Health and Safety May 2006... Lion Surplus is re

Procedures for the Proper Disposition of

Equipment and Materials Through

Lion Surplus

The Pennsylvania State University

Environmental Health and Safety

May 2006

Table of Contents

II Items Prohibited from Sale or Transfer

III Items with Regulatory or Safety Restrictions as to Sale or Transfer

F Equipment Containing Coolants, Oils, and Refrigerants 18

IV Equipment and Labware used with Chemicals, Petroleum Products, 20

Oils, Infectious Agents, or Radioactive Materials

I Introduction

Lion Surplus, formerly known as Surplus and Salvage, operates a public sales store open to students, faculty, staff and the general public Lion Surplus is responsible for the collection, sale, and disposal of University-owned equipment, supplies and

materials that are obsolete or surplus to the needs of Penn State

Some equipment and material may not be appropriate for resale due to the presence of hazardous materials, characteristics, or regulatory constraints It is the responsibility

of the equipment owner to ensure that all oils, coolants, and other hazardous materials have been removed prior to submitting the item for disposition through Lion Surplus Items that may be contaminated by chemical, biological, or radioactive material must

be cleaned prior to submission to Lion Surplus

The descriptions provided on the following pages are examples of the types of

hazards and potential items that may be a concern This is not intended to be a

complete and all encompassing list but rather a summary compilation of existing policies and best practices It is not intended to replace or supercede any established university safety policies

Questions about a potentially hazardous item or material should be directed to

Environmental Health and Safety, 814-865-6391, for resolution Any spills during transport, loading, unloading, or storage must be reported to the appropriate

supervisor and EHS immediately Clean-up costs will be charged to the equipment owner

In all cases, items recognized as being a potential problem will be left at the pickup location Lion Surplus, with EHS, will work with the respective departments to evaluate the item and expedite processing

To dispose of surplus material complete and submit a DISP from through IBIS If IBIS is inaccessible, departments may submit two copies of Form GF6.2, Report of Transfer or Disposition of Equipment Form, to Property Inventory This form is available through FormLocator on GURU at: http://guru.psu.edu/Forms/6-

02ReportOfDispositionOrPermanentTransferOfTangibleAssetsFRM3.pdf Upon receipt of the request, Lion Surplus will arrange to pick up the surplus item

II Items Prohibited from Sale or Transfer

A Asbestos Containing Material (ACM)

b Handling and disposal of asbestos is strictly regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the PA Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) and the PA Department of Labor and Industry (PA L&I)

c Contact EHS for confirmation as to whether the item contains asbestos For additional information on the university’s Asbestos Management Program, please see:

http://www.ehs.psu.edu/occhealth/Asbestos_management_program_manual.pdf

2 Associated Hazards

a Long term over-exposure to airborne asbestos fibers has been shown to cause lung and abdominal diseases, specifically asbestosis and cancer Since asbestos is naturally occurring, there are allowable exposure limits

b Manipulating asbestos containing materials (e.g drilling, sanding, or sawing) may generate dangerous levels of respirable asbestos fibers These activities are strictly regulated and can only be conducted by PA L&I licensed Asbestos Workers using equipment and procedures that are specifically approved for these materials

3 Procedures for Proper Disposition

a For disposal at University Park, a Work Order must be submitted through OPP Area Services This may require the disposal of entire pieces of equipment

b For disposal at facilities other than University Park contact EHS for guidance

c Disposal costs are the responsibility of the originating work unit

Examples of asbestos containing material can be found on the following page

Examples of asbestos containing material

Asbestos Braiding Transite Board inside Hood

Transite Sheet on Water Bath Soapstone Bench Top

B Batteries

1 Description

a Expended batteries such as nickel-cadmium, lithium ion, and those found in uninterrupted power supply (UPS) systems contain hazardous materials including heavy metals and acids Lion Surplus will not accept batteries except as part of functional equipment

b Disposal of hazardous materials is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA-DEP)

c For additional information and guidance on proper battery disposal, please see: http://www.ehs.psu.edu/hazmat/battery_disposal.cfm

2 Associated Hazards

a Mercury and other heavy metals can cause a variety of health effects including kidney and neurological damage

b The acid contained in some batteries can cause skin and eye burns

c Improper disposal of hazardous chemicals may result in the contamination of soil and ground water

3 Procedures for Proper Disposition

a Complete and submit a Chemical Waste Disposal Request Form on the

EHS web site:

http://www.ehs.psu.edu/hazmat/chem_manifest/chem_manifest.cfm

For University Park, EHS has established recycling and disposal options for rechargeable batteries Plans are under way for expanding this recycling program to other campus locations

b For University Park, disposal of vehicle batteries can be arranged directly through the Office of Physical Plant’s vehicle maintenance garage, 814 – 865 – 3871 At other campus locations disposition may

be handled by the maintenance garage services or local recyclers

c Alkaline batteries may be disposed of in the regular trash

Examples of batteries that may contain hazardous material

C Fire Extinguishers

1 Description

a Fire extinguishers come in a variety of styles including pressurized water, chemical powder, CO2, halon, and specialty extinguishers designed to put out metal fires

3 Procedures for Proper Disposition

a For University Park, a work order must be submitted through the OPP Service Desk to arrange for the removal and disposal of fire

D Gas Cylinders

1 Description

a Gas cylinders are manufactured in a variety of styles and are used to store compressed or liquefied gasses under high pressure Examples include:

• Laboratory gas cylinders

a Gas cylinders may contain hazardous or toxic gases

b Gas cylinders are pressurized devices that may cause serious injury if ruptured

3 Procedures for Proper Disposition

a For University Park, cylinders purchased through General Stores are to

be used in accordance with SY25 (http://guru.psu.edu/policies/SY25.html) and returned through General Stores when empty or no longer needed

b For campuses other than University Park, cylinders should be returned

to the gas supplier contracted for that campus

c For unknown or other wise non-returnable gas cylinder, the generator shall complete and submit a Chemical Waste Disposal Request Form

on the EHS web site:

Examples of gas cylinders

Calibration Gas Cylinders Lecture Bottles

Misc Cylinders Propane Tanks

Miscellaneous Cylinders Supplied Air Breathing Apparatus

E Mercury

1 Description

a Mercury, a silver liquid metal, is a toxic chemical most commonly used in thermometers It may also be found in certain vacuum pumps, batteries, and many types of lab equipment where mercury

thermometers are often used but may have been broken Other items often found contaminated with mercury include incubators, heating blocks, ovens, refrigerators and water baths

b Spilled mercury is often found when moving lab equipment or furniture Take a few moments to carefully check the floor or bench top for small beads of mercury that may have spilled some time in the past

c The disposal of mercury is strictly regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA-DEP)

2 Associated Hazards

a Mercury is a poison that can cause kidney and lung damage in high concentrations Mercury vapor is also a chronic poison that can cause neurological damage

b Mercury spills can also lead to potential environmental implications including soil and groundwater contamination

3 Procedures for Proper Disposition

a Contact EHS immediately for any mercury spills EHS will initiate cleanup when an item is found contaminated with liquid mercury Items free of mercury contamination may be sold or auctioned If unable to be cleaned the item will be disposed of as waste through EHS

b Thermometers containing mercury should be exchanged through the EHS thermometer exchange program For more information on the program please see: http://www.ehs.psu.edu/chem/mtep.html

c Thermometers found intact must be removed from the item Complete and submit a Chemical Waste Disposal Request Form on the EHS web site:

Examples of items that may contain mercury

c For additional information and guidance on PCB containing light ballasts, please see: http://guru.psu.edu/policies/sy26.html

2 Associated Hazards

a PCBs can cause health effects from long term high exposure

b PCBs are stable and do not break down in the environment

3 Procedures for Proper Disposition

a Notify EHS of the general description, origin, and serial number, if available, of the item This includes transformers and/or capacitors that may have already been labeled as “non-PCB” EHS will determine if the item contains PCBs EHS will either authorize the items resale as a non-PCB item, or arrange for proper disposal of the fluids

Examples of items that may contain PCBs

Fluorescent Light Ballasts Oil Filled Transformers

III Items with Regulatory or Safety Restrictions as to Sale or Transfer

A Computers and Monitors

b CRT type monitors also contain heavy metals including a large amount

of lead used in making the glass tube

3 Procedures for Proper Disposition

a Computers and monitors shall be sent through Lion Surplus for disposition

b There are no special disposal requirements for flat panel type monitors

Examples of computers and monitors

B Gas Chromatographs

1 Description

a Gas chromatographs are analytical instruments used to separate and identify components within a mixture of chemicals, gases, or compounds

b These devices may be subject to federal and state regulations governing the ownership and use of radioactive materials

c Gas chromatograph manufactures included:

b Some equipment can be contaminated with chemical hazards

3 Procedures for Proper Disposition

a Contact EHS to inspect each system If it contains a radioactive source EHS will remove the source and perform a survey to confirm the system is free of any radioactive contamination

b Once the source has been removed and the system confirmed free of radiological and chemical contamination, the system can be sold or auctioned without restriction

Examples of gas chromatographs

Hewlett Packard / Agilent Perkin Elmer

C Laser Systems

1 Description

a Lasers, an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation, are a source of intense, coherent, directional beam of optical radiation of either visible or invisible light

b Lasers can be imbedded as part of analytical and other scientific equipment

c For additional information and guidance on the university laser safety policy; http//guru.psu.edu/policies/SY17.html

2 Associated Hazards

a Laser light can damage the eyes and burn unprotected skin

b Laser systems can contain hazardous chemicals, coolants, oils or dyes used to generate the laser beam

3 Procedures for Proper Disposition

a Systems in working order may only be resold to the original manufacture or other manufacturer of similar equipment; a manufacturer certified installer and/or representative, educational or research institutions, or private companies who currently use similar equipment

b Potential buyers of Class 3B or 4 lasers, or systems with imbedded Class 3B or 4 laser systems shall provide a letter or email to Lion Surplus, traceable to the business, educational, or research institution, acknowledging their experience and awareness of the hazards

associated with the equipment This letter must include information as

to the intended use of the equipment and contact information for their safety department or representative EHS will review the proposed buyer's information and make a recommendation approving or disapproving the sale

c When a suitable buyer for a Class 3B or 4 lasers, or systems with imbedded Class 3B or 4 systems, cannot be found, or if the potential sale is not justifiable financially, the system must be made inoperable EHS is responsible for ensuring that the system has been made

inoperable

d Laser systems may also contain hazardous chemicals, coolants, oils, or dyes used to generate the laser beam It is the responsibility of the owner of the equipment to drain the equipment and arrange for disposal of the hazardous materials through EHS before requesting the system be picked up by Lion Surplus

e Class 1, 2, and 3A lasers, with no imbedded Class 3B or 4 systems, may be sold without restriction

Examples of several types of lasers can be found on the following page

Examples of various types of laser systems

D Liquid Scintillation Counters

3 Procedures for Proper Disposition

a Contact EHS to inspect each system If it contains a radioactive source EHS will remove the source and perform a survey to confirm the system is free of any radioactive contamination

b Once the source has been removed and the system confirmed free of radiological and chemical contamination, the system can be sold or auctioned without restriction

Examples of liquid scintillation counters

E Radiation-Producing Equipment

1 Description

a Radiation-producing equipment includes a variety of analytical instruments typically used to study the structure and composition of materials

b These devices are subject to state and federal regulations governing the ownership, sale, and transfer of such devices

c Radiation-producing equipment includes the following:

• Analytical and Fluorescence Systems

• Electron Microscopes

• Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis Systems (ESCA)

• Medical Radiograph and Fluoroscope Systems

• X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy Systems (XPS)

• X-ray Vacuum Spectroscopy Systems

d For additional information and guidance on the university’s producing equipment policy; http//guru.psu.edu/policies/SY15.html

3 Procedures for Proper Disposition

a Penn State restricts the sale of all radiation producing equipment Systems may only be resold to the original manufacture or other manufacturer of similar equipment; a manufacturer certified installer and/or representative, educational or research institutions, or private companies who currently use similar equipment

b Potential buyers of radiation producing equipment shall provide a letter or email to EHS acknowledging their experience and awareness

of the hazards associated with the equipment The letter must state the intended use of the equipment and include their safety department or representative contact information EHS will review the proposed buyer's information and make a recommendation approving or disapproving the sale

c When a suitable buyer for system cannot be found, or if the potential sale is not justifiable financially, the system must be made inoperable EHS is responsible for ensuring that the system has been made

inoperable

d It is the responsibility of the owner of the equipment to drain the equipment and arrange for disposal of the hazardous materials through EHS before requesting the system be picked up by Lion Surplus Examples of radiation-producing equipment can be found on the following page