Washington Administrative Code › Title 296 - Labor and Industries, Department of › Chapter 296-843 - Hazardous waste operations › Section 296-843-099 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
Buddy system.
A system of organizing
				employees into work groups so that each employee is assigned to
				observe another employee in the same work group. The purpose of this
				system is to provide rapid assistance to employees in the event of an
				emergency.
Clean-up operation.
An operation where
				hazardous substances are removed, contained, incinerated,
				neutralized, stabilized, cleared up, or in any other manner processed
				or handled with the goal of making the site safer for people or the
				environment.
Contamination reduction zone.
The buffer
				zone between the exclusion and the clean zone.
Decontamination.
The removal of
				hazardous substances from employees and equipment, to the extent
				necessary, to avoid foreseeable adverse health effects.
Emergency response or responding to
				emergencies.
An organized response to an anticipated release
				of a hazardous substance that is, or could become, an uncontrolled
				release.
Exclusion zone.
A controlled area at a
				site, where contamination occurs, that is a risk to human health or
				the environment.
Exposure or exposed.
Employee contact
				with a toxic substance, harmful physical agent, or oxygen deficient
				condition. Exposure can occur through various routes of entry, such
				as inhalation, ingestion, skin contact, or skin absorption.
Facility.
Any building structure,
				installation, equipment, pipe, or pipeline (including any pipe into a
				sewer or publicly owned treatment works), well, pit, pond, lagoon,
				impoundment, ditch, storage container, motor vehicle, rolling stock,
				or aircraft; or
Any site or area where a hazardous substance has been
				deposited, stored, disposed of, placed, or otherwise located (not
				including any boat, ship or barge).
Hazardous materials team (HAZMAT team).
A group of employees who are expected to perform responses to
				releases, or possible releases, of hazardous substances for the
				purpose of control and stabilization. As a result of their duties,
				HAZMAT team members may have close contact with hazardous
				substances.
Hazardous substance.
Any of the
				following substances that could adversely affect an exposed
				employee's health or safety:
(a) Substances defined under section 101(14) of the
				Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act
				of 1980 (CERCLA) or "Superfund" Act (found at
http://www.epa.gov
).
(b) Biological or other disease-causing agents
				released that could reasonably be expected to cause death, disease,
				behavioral abnormalities, cancer, genetic mutation, physiological
				malfunctions, including malfunctions in reproduction, or physical
				deformations in a person or their offspring when the person:
(i) Is directly exposed to the agent in the
				environment.
(ii) Directly ingests, inhales, or assimilates the
				agent from the environment.
(iii) Indirectly ingests the agent through a food
				chain.
(c) Substances listed by the United States Department
				of Transportation as hazardous materials under Title 49
				(Transportation) in the Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.), Part
				172, Section 101 and appendices (found at
http://www.nara.gov
, search
				for "List of C.F.R. subjects").
(d) Hazardous wastes as defined in this
				chapter.
Hazardous waste.
Any substance
				designated by the department of ecology as a dangerous or extremely
				hazardous waste by chapter 173-303 WAC, Dangerous waste
				regulations.
Hazardous waste site.
A hazardous waste
				site is any facility or location within the scope of this
				chapter.
Health hazard.
Means a chemical or a
				pathogen where acute or chronic health effects may occur in exposed
				employees. It also includes stress due to temperature extremes. The
				term health hazard includes chemicals that are classified in
				accordance with the hazard communication standard, WAC
				296-901-140,
				as posing one of the following hazardous effects: Acute toxicity (any
				route of exposure); skin corrosion or irritation; serious eye damage
				or eye irritation; respiratory or skin sensitization; germ cell
				mutagenicity; carcinogenicity; reproductive toxicity; specific target
				organ toxicity (single or repeated exposure); aspiration toxicity or
				simple asphyxiant. (See WAC
				296-901-14022
				Appendix A-Health hazard criteria, mandatory, for the criteria for
				determining whether a chemical is classified as a health
				hazard.)
IDLH or immediately dangerous to life or
				health.
Any atmospheric condition that would:
(a) Cause an immediate threat to life; or
(b) Cause permanent or delayed adverse health
				effects; or
(c) Interfere with an employee's ability to
				escape.
Incidental release.
A release that can
				be safely controlled at the time of the release and does not have the
				potential to become an uncontrolled release.
An example of a situation that results in an
				incidental release:
A tanker truck is receiving a load of hazardous
				liquid when a leak occurs. The driver knows the only hazard from the
				liquid is minor skin irritation. The employer has trained the driver
				on procedures and provided equipment to use for a release of this
				quantity. The driver puts on skin protection and stops the leak. A
				spill kit is used to contain, absorb, and pick up the spilled
				material for disposal.
Oxygen deficiency.
An atmosphere where
				the percentage of oxygen by volume is less than 19.5%.
Permissible exposure limit (PEL).
Permissible exposure limits (PELs) are employee exposures to toxic
				substances or harmful physical agents that must not be exceeded. PELs
				are specified in applicable DOSH rules.
Postemergency response.
The stage of the
				emergency response where the immediate threat from the release has
				been stabilized or eliminated, and cleanup of the site has started.
				For more information, see the definition for "emergency
				response."
Published exposure level.
Exposure
				limits published in "
National Institute for Occupational
				Safety and Health (NIOSH) Recommendations for Occupational Safety and
				Health
" (DHHS publication #92-100, 1992).
If an exposure limit is not published by NIOSH, then
				"published exposure level" means the exposure limits published by the
				American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) in
				"
TLVs and BEIs-Threshold Limit Values for Chemical Substances
				and Physical Agents
" (1999 edition).
Safety data sheet (SDS).
Written,
				printed, or electronic information (on paper, microfiche, or
				on-screen) that informs manufacturers, distributors, employers or
				employees about a hazardous chemical, its hazards and protective
				measures as required by WAC
				296-901-14014
				Safety data sheets.
Site safety and health supervisor (or
				official).
The individual present at a hazardous waste site
				who is responsible to the employer and has the authority and
				knowledge necessary to establish the site-specific health and safety
				plan and verify compliance with applicable safety and health
				requirements.
Site work zones.
Zones established at a
				hazardous waste site before clean-up work begins to control work on
				the site and access to the site. The work zones are: Exclusion zone,
				contamination reduction zone, and clean zone.
Uncontrolled hazardous waste site.
An
				area where an accumulation of hazardous substances creates a threat
				to the health and safety of individuals or the environment or both.
				Examples include: Former municipal, county, or state landfills,
				locations where illegal or poorly managed waste disposal has taken
				place, or property of generators or former generators of hazardous
				substance waste (surface impoundments, landfills, dumps, and tank or
				drum farms).
Uncontrolled release.
A release where
				significant safety and health risks could be created. Releases of
				hazardous substances that are either incidental or could not create a
				safety or health hazard (i.e., fire, explosion, or chemical exposure)
				are not considered to be uncontrolled releases.
Examples of conditions that could create a
				significant safety and health risk:
(a) Large-quantity releases.
(b) Small releases that could be highly toxic.
(c) Potentially contaminated individuals arriving at
				hospitals.
(d) Airborne exposures that could exceed a DOSH
				permissible exposure limit or a published exposure limit and
				employees are not adequately trained or equipped to control the
				release.
Example of an uncontrolled release:
A forklift driver knocks over a container of a
				solvent-based liquid, releasing the contents onto the warehouse
				floor. The driver has been trained to recognize the vapor is
				flammable and moderately toxic when inhaled. The driver has not been
				trained or provided appropriate equipment to address this type of
				spill. In this situation, it is not safe for the driver to attempt a
				response. The driver needs to notify someone of the release so an
				emergency response can be initiated.