Hazardous Substances Project
Cleaner Production
Waitakere City Council is promoting a proactive stance to hazardous substance
management, including good practice initiatives to encourage safer workplaces
and healthier environments, and help to reduce toxicity in your business and the
city.
The Cleaner Production Hazardous Substances project was initiated in 2000, and
was to be done in three stages. Firstly by identifying what hazardous substances
are held in the city, then looking at how practices with existing substances can
be improved and finally researching less toxic alternatives.
Information for Your Business
Here are some simple things that you can do to improve your hazardous
substance management. Note: You will need to have 
Adobe Acrobat Reader
installed on your computer in order to view and print these documents. For
help opening PDF files or tips on copying information see Helpful
Tips.
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Keep an accurate inventory of what hazardous substances you hold on-site |
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Some useful templates you can print, or use for
ideas:
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Check your storage facilities, use good quality containers for decanting and
place large clear signs around your hazardous substance area(s) |
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Make sure all hazardous substance containers are
labelled correctly |
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Tidy-up! Get an approved hazardous substance collector
to take away all your old and unwanted substances and contaminated
containers
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Document your procedures - provide written information
to your staff on how to handle, use and store the different substances
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Build a 'bund' (secondary containment structure) around
your hazardous substance storage areas |
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Keep your hazardous substances separated, this includes used substances such
as solvents and oil, it can help to keep down your disposal costs! |
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Initiate a waste audit to see what waste products could be avoided or recycled |
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Make sure you know what you are required to do under current
legislation, check out:
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Under the new HSNO regime most sites with an existing Dangerous Goods Licence
will need a HSNO Location Test Certificate, issued by a Test Certifier. Many
sites will also need to have an Approved Handler available on site whenever the
hazardous substances are not secured. For most places this effectively means you
will need two people certified by a Test Certifier. Check the
ERMA Website for a
list of approved Test Certifiers, and check that the Test Certifier you choose
is authorised to issue Approved Handler Test Certificates for all the classes of
hazardous substances you store or use. |
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See link below for more detailed information on the
things your business can do. |
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Improving Your Used Oil Management
If you are interested in improving your management of used oil or would like
to check that you are doing the right thing, the Cleaner Production team has
produced a four page set of guidelines called "Tips for Better Used Oil
Management" which includes an educational poster for staff areas and practical
examples of how other Waitakere businesses manage used oil.
This resource is available free to Waitakere businesses that store or use oil
on-site, in particular it is aimed at the Automotive industry.
Simply contact the Cleaner Production team for your copy.
Support & Advice
The Cleaner Production team are available to help out individual businesses.
We
may be able to help you directly, or put you in touch with other organisations
that have the relevant expertise. As part of the Hazardous Substances Project
there are a number of resources available to businesses including things such as
informative fact sheets for owners/managers and educational posters/artwork for
your staff areas.
For more information on the Hazardous Substances project and/or if you would
like advice or assistance from the Cleaner Production Team contact
us.
Background on the Project
In early 2000, Council estimated that there were potentially 800-1000
commercial, industrial and rural sites that could be storing or using hazardous
substances on-site. Approximately 474 of these sites had been identified through
Council's dangerous goods database, which identified sites with dangerous goods
licences. Waitakere City Council's
Waste Management Plan (draft 1999) proposed to develop a toxic substance
database from which less toxic alternatives could then later be researched.
Stage 1 of the project commenced in 2001 with the individual surveying of
Waitakere businesses. To gain in-depth information it was decided to begin the
project through area surveys in Henderson and New Lynn. In total 187 businesses
were surveyed as part of Stage One. The results highlighted a number of issues
which are now being targeted as part of Stage 2 of the project in the
Education Strategy.
Some of the concerns highlighted by the survey were:
- Storage practices for Hazardous Substances
- Disposal of Hazardous Substances
- Recycling of Hazardous Substances
- Health & Safety Issues associated with Hazardous Substances
- Stormwater Education and awareness
Stage 1 - Survey Report (Size
281K)
This report outlines the results of the survey. Note: You will need to have
Adobe Acrobat Reader
installed on your computer in order to view and print this document. For
help opening PDF files or tips on copying information see Helpful
Tips.
Information for Cleaner Production Practitioners
An education strategy has been developed to address the issues identified in
the survey. Resources are being gathered or created in order to provide
businesses accurate and up-to-date information on the best practices for the
use, storage and disposal of existing hazardous substances.
Stage 2 - Education Strategy (Size 490K)
An education programme for the handling and use of Hazardous Substances in
Waitakere City. Note: You will need to have
Adobe Acrobat Reader
installed on your computer in order to view and print this document. For
help opening PDF files or tips on copying information see Helpful
Tips.
For further information or advice from the Cleaner Production Team contact us.
Resources for Cleaner Production Practitioners
Used Oil Resources
Survey results found that 31% of businesses hold oil or oil-based products
on-site, 50% of businesses storing used oil hold more than 400 litres and that
77% of businesses that hold used oil lacked an emergency spill response plan.
The Used Oil resources consist of the 4 page guidelines titled
"Tips for Better Used Oil Management" which includes practical examples with
photos and an A3 educational colour poster designed for staff areas titled
"Better Used Oil Storage."
These resources are suitable for Waste Minimisation, Cleaner Production,
BusinessCare or Water Quality officers to support businesses to increase
recycling rates for used oil, improve storage practices for oil or used oil and
reduce impacts on soil and waterways from oil or used oil.
Note: You will need to have
Adobe Acrobat Reader
installed on your computer in order to view and print this document. For
help opening PDF files or tips on copying information see Helpful
Tips.
Tips for Better Used
Oil Management Guidelines (Size 1044K)
Clean Streams Poster
Survey results found that only 12.8% of businesses provided staff with some
form of environmental education, 49.2% of businesses had a spill kit and 0.5%
of businesses disposed of hazardous substances "down the sink."
The Clean Streams poster is an attractive A2 original artwork portraying one
stream with good practices occurring around it and one with bad practices.
This resource is suitable for Waste Minimisation, Cleaner Production,
BusinessCare or Water Quality officers who wish to provide education in anything
from schools to businesses to increase awareness of the impact of our activities
on stormwater quality.
For more information on the Hazardous Substances project and/or its resources
contact the Cleaner Production Team.
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