Waste Handling, Packaging, Transport, and Disposal
Packaging and labeling
Asbestos waste must be wetted and placed in leak-tight containers, commonly 6-mil bags or drums, while still inside the work area. Bags are sealed, cleaned, and labeled with the OSHA caution label and generator information. Sharps and heavy debris should not puncture bags; rigid containers are used where needed. Containers must not be overfilled, and exterior surfaces must be free of visible dust before leaving containment. No visible emissions are allowed during handling.
Transport and disposal
Waste is transported by a permitted hauler to an approved landfill that accepts asbestos waste. The generator prepares a waste shipment record identifying the generator, quantity, and destination; records are retained. Waste should not be compacted in a way that ruptures containers, and it should not be stored uncovered or left unattended. Maryland requires compliance with state waste and asbestos rules in addition to NESHAP; the disposal site's acceptance requirements should be confirmed before shipment.
Worked example
A job produces 180 filled bags of pipe insulation. Each bag is wetted, sealed, labeled, and HEPA-vacuumed before it leaves the containment. The bags are loaded into a covered vehicle, and the waste shipment record lists 180 bags and the approved landfill. If a bag tears during loading, it is overpacked and relabeled rather than taped and shipped. The reasoning is that the container is the primary emission control, so a damaged container must be replaced or overpacked, not merely patched.
Traps that cost marks
- Using ordinary trash bags or unlabeled containers.
- Overfilling bags so they rupture.
- Shipping to a landfill that does not accept asbestos waste.
- Failing to retain waste shipment records.