Subscribe to our newsletter. Get your site now Hazardous Waste Introduction. When we think of the term hazardous, normally we associate it with something dangerous. Hazardous substances are all those things around us, both man made and natural, that pose a potential danger. Fire, for example, can be considered a hazardous substance because of its possibility to cause damage whenever it is used.
Special precautions are always necessary when using hazardous substances.
In the area of the environment, hazardous substances generally refer to man made chemical compounds that pose a danger to human health or the environment. These chemical compounds are a part of our every day life at home, school and work. Take a look a your cleaning products, for example, and you will find the names of many different chemicals. The labels on these products always provide instructions for their proper use and remedies in case of human contact. Hazardous waste is the term given to the waste we generate at home, school and work that poses a danger to human health or the environment.