These guidelines describe the responsibilities and tasks for handling, declaration and disposal of hazardous waste, infectious waste and radioactive waste. Individuals responsible for handling, declaration and disposal of these types of waste are obligated to familiarize themselves with procedures, guidelines and legislation.

Norsk versjon - Farlig, smittefarlig og radioaktivt avfall - ansvar og oppgaver

Subject page about HSE | Pages labelled with waste

Responsibilities and tasks

Line manager

The line manager should make sure that

• the unit is disposing of hazardous, infectious and radioactive waste in accordance with the guidelines. This responsibility applies for anyone who is involved in and/or has leadership responsibility for production and handling of hazardous, infectious and/or radioactive waste.
• one or more disposers are appointed to be responsible for the disposal of the unit's hazardous, infectious and radioactive waste to the waste recipient. The line manager is responsible for providing the disposer(s) with the necessary training.
• risk assessments are conducted of waste storage facilities. Room cards with clear and understandable information should be placed next to all doors leading to rooms where hazardous, infectious and/or radioactive waste is being stored. For more information about storage of radioactive waste, see Radiation protection – radioactive waste (in Norwegian).
• the unit keeps records of hazardous, infectious and radioactive waste is has disposed of. The records should be kept for at least three years.
• employees do not work alone with hazardous, infectious and radioactive waste, unless this has been specifically agreed.
• a coordination agreement is made for disposal of hazardous, infectious and radioactive waste, if the unit shares facilities with SINTEF, St. Olavs Hospital, or others. The coordination agreement shall state who is responsible for disposal of the waste and which guidelines must be followed.

Employees who generate hazardous, infectious and radioactive waste

Employees who generate hazardous, infectious and radioactive waste should

• assess whether the waste should be classified as hazardous, infectious and radioactive waste per the requirements of the Waste regulation (in Norwegian), Regulation of the Pollution Act's application on radioactive contamination and radioactive waste (in Norwegian) and Regulation of infectious waste from health services and animal health services etc. (in Norwegian).
• make sure that the waste disposed of as chemical waste does not contain explosive, spontaneously flammable or radioactive substances, and handle and dispose of chemical waste as described in Handling hazardous and chemical wastes.
• assist the disposer with all information necessary to ensure correct classification and declaration. You can find the safety data sheet/information sheet in the NTNU substance index (in Norwegian) (ECO-Archive). These should preferably be enclosed with the product for disposal.
• deliver hazardous, infectious and radioactive waste at least once a year. If the establishment is closed down, or if a shutdown of more that 3 months occurs, the waste should be disposed of immediately.

Disposer

The disposer is the person responsible for delivering hazardous, infectious and/or radioactive waste from employees who have generated the waste to the waste recipient. The disposer should make sure that

• the waste is eligible for transport
• the waste is correctly classified, packaged and declared. Containers with waste and external packaging must be fit for transport. The containers must be undamaged and, if applicable, the cap must be in place. If containers with solid hazardous waste are damaged: Replace the external packaging with, for instance, zip lock bags.
• the recipient of radioactive waste is contacted before the waste is sent with Norsk Gjenvinning AS. This is important to make sure that Norsk Gjenvinning AS are able to deliver the waste.
• hazardous, infectious and radioactive waste is handled and disposed of in accordance with the guidelines.

Contact the waste recipient if you (the disposer) are in doubt about the correct sorting, packaging and declaration of the waste.

Help

• Substance index
• Ordering chemicals (in Norwegian)
• Purchase agreement for hazardous waste (in Norwegian)
• Danish Emergency Management Agency: Information on peroxide forming chemicals (in Danish)
• The University of Bergen, HSE Portal: Peroxide forming chemicals (in Norwegian)
• Replacement (in Norwegian) (pdf)
• Laboratory and workshop handbook (in Norwegian)
• REACH (in Norwegian) – the Norwegian Environment Agency
• Chemicals (in Norwegian) – the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority
• Solvent-induced injuries (in Norwegian) – the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority
• Respiratory protective devices (in Norwegian) – the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority
• Hazard symbols (in Norwegian) – the Norwegian Environment Agency
• Classification and labelling of chemicals (in Norwegian)– the Norwegian Environment Agency
• List of Priority Substances - environment.no
• The Product Register – the Climate and Pollution Agency
• Instructions regarding biological factors (in Norwegian) – the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority
• Instructions about submission and declaration of hazardous waste (in Norwegian), Norwegian Centre for Waste and Recycling (NORSAS), 2012.

NTNU regulations

• Emergency plans
• HSE process
• Chemicals and gases
• Laboratory and workshop handbook (in Norwegian)
• Risk assessments
• Room cards
• Coordination agreement

Legislation

• The Working Environment Act (in Norwegian)
  • Chapter 4: Working environment requirements (in Norwegian)
• The Workplace Regulation (in Norwegian)
• The Waste Regulation (in Norwegian)
• The Fire and Explosion Protection Act (in Norwegian)
• ADR/RID Regulation of land-carriage of hazardous goods (in Norwegian)
• Regulation of registration, evaluation, authorization and restriction of chemicals (REACH) (in Norwegian)
• Regulation of the Pollution Act's application with regard to radioactive pollution and waste (in Norwegian)
• Regulation of organisation, management and partaking (in Norwegian)
  • Chapter 7: Risk assessment (in Norwegian)
  • Chapter 8: Training (in Norwegian)
  • Chapter 9: Information to employees (in Norwegian)
  • Chapter 10: Planning and adaption of work and safe operation (in Norwegian)
• Regulation of measure and boundary values (in Norwegian)
• Regulation of the performance of work (in Norwegian)
  • Chapter 2: Substance index (in Norwegian)
  • Chapter 3: Work where chemicals can constitute a danger to the safety and health of employees (in Norwegian)
  • Chapter 6: Work in environments that can lead to exposure to biological factors (in Norwegian)
• The Pollution Act (in Norwegian)
  • Chapter 5: About waste
  • Chapter 7: Supervision of pollution and waste (in Norwegian)
• Environmental Information Act (in Norwegian)

Contact

• Questions about handling and disposal of hazardous and infectious waste, packaging, labelling, etc.: Norsk Gjenvinning AS, Jørn Viggo Lofstad, e-mail: jorn.viggo.lofstad@norskgjenvinning.no, phone: 97 05 88 74
• http://www.ntnu.edu/employees/espen.fjarvik, HSE Adviser, NT faculty (waste handling at NT and creating user accounts on avfallsdeklarering.no)
• Roger Aarvik, Staff Engineer, NT faculty (disposal of spontaneously flammable and explosive chemicals at NT)
• Ingvild Hammer, HSE Adviser, DMF (waste handling at DMF and creating user accounts on avfallsdeklarering.no)
• Ragnar Hellan, Operations Manager (waste handling at NTNU)
• Wenche Karlseng, Process Manager (waste handling at NTNU)
• Arve Johansen, HSE Adviser (hazardous waste, infectious waste and creating user accounts on avfallsdeklarering.no)
• Ann Kristin Sjaastad – Cert. Occupational Hygienist (radioactive waste)
• Safety Adviser, Sven Wiik AS (transport of hazardous goods)

Approval/signature

Approved by Director of HSE - October 14th 2016 - HMSR1803E