The ability of personnel to manage hazardous waste can have a lot to do with the quality and quantity of the training that they receive. It is common for medical institutions to generate chemicals (developer/fixer waste, amalgam waste, radiographic X-rays, photochemicals, film processing, scrap film, discarded imaging films, fixer solutions and outdated chemicals) that may potentially be classified as a hazardous waste. An effective training program does not have to consume a great deal of time, but it does need to be comprehensive enough to cover the topics required by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Although RCRA training is typically up to the central environmental, health and safety (EH&S) or Facilities Management offices of a college or university, this responsibility may fall on the individual departments at some schools. Relevant information is provided both here and in the expanded section of this activity area of the tour.
Whether or not RCRA personnel training requirements apply to your department depends on the quantity of hazardous wastes generated per month. Many organizations will combine different EH&S training sessions to minimize the amount of time employees are "away" from their job responsibilities. Continue on through the expanded section to learn more about RCRA training requirements.