Materials Management oversees the collection, handling, and disposal of chemicals and hazardous materials from the Oklahoma State University campus. This process ensures compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations which govern the handling, storing, and disposing of hazardous waste. The program also manages all aspects of environmental compliance. Materials management applies to anyone in the university system that uses paints, solvents, acids and bases, nanomaterials, preservatives or other chemicals.
To meet regulatory requirements, the disposal of chemicals and chemical waste down the drain is prohibited. Intentionally evaporating solvents or other chemicals is also against government regulations. Do not bleed off unused cylinders to the atmosphere. Contact the vendor to pick up the cylinders so that the gases can be reclaimed. EHS will pick up and dispose of chemicals and chemical waste once a Chemical and Material Removal Request form has been filled out, signed and submitted.
- Battery Disposal
- Gas Cylinders
- Recycling
- Satellite Accumulation Containers
- Sharps Waste
- Source Reduction and Reuse
Contact Environmental Compliance
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Hazardous waste poses a potential threat to public health or the environment and is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Environmental Health and Safety provides training and guidance for Oklahoma State University employees who manage hazardous waste.
- Many chemicals are considered hazardous waste when they are disposed
- Hazardous waste must be managed and disposed of in accordance with state and EPA regulations
- DO NOT pour chemical waste down sinks or in drains
- Each laboratory and generator of hazardous waste has collection containers for waste. Do not put incompatible material in the same container, and always make sure the container is closed if not in use
- When the container is nearing full, fill out a Request for Chemical and Material Removal Request
- In the event of a chemical spill or release, call the Environmental Health and Safety Department at 405-744-7241.
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Generator Information: The responsible faculty/staff person is the person who is in charge of the laboratory/maintenance site. The contact person is the person who EHS would contact about the chemicals.
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Identification/Description of the Chemicals:
- List all components and their respective percentages. Do not use chemical symbols or abbreviations.
- List physical state and pH, if applicable (pH paper is adequate)
- List number and type of containers
- List volume (liquids) or weight
- List any hazards associated with this material, e.g., flammable, oxidizer, organic oxidizer, poison, corrosive, water-reactive, pyrophoric, mutagen/teratogen, carcinogen, shock-sensitive, etc.
The chemicals must be prepared for pickup before sending this form to EHS. The request will be processed as it arrives. Chemicals that are improperly packaged, labeled, or identified will not be picked up. Pickup can be expected within two weeks of receipt by EHS. This form must be filled out as completely, specifically and legibly as possible (please print or type). Improperly, inadequately, or illegibly prepared forms will be returned for completion/clarification. If you have questions, a request of special urgency, or if EHS has not picked up your chemicals within two weeks, please call EHS at 744-7241.
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Every effort should be made by laboratory personnel to identify unknown chemicals. Here are a few steps that can be taken to help this effort:
- Ask other laboratory personnel if they are responsible for, or can help identify the unknown chemical.
- The type of research conducted in the laboratory can be useful information for making this determination. Eliminating certain chemicals as a possibility helps narrow the problem as well. This is especially important for Mercury, PCB, or dioxin compounds because they must be managed separately from other hazardous waste.
- For trade products, contact the manufacturer or search online to obtain an SDS. EHS staff can assist you in finding an SDS.
Removing Unknown Chemicals from the Work Area
If it is not possible to identify the material, a Hazardous Chemical Surplus tag should be placed on the container as described above. A Request for Chemical Removal form should be submitted which describes all of the available information (e.g., 4-liter container of clear liquid). Call EHS at (405) 744-7241 if you have a question about an unknown.
Preventing Unknown Chemicals
Here are a few tips that will help prevent the generation of unknown chemicals:
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Label all chemical containers, including beakers, flasks, vials, and test tubes.
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Immediately replace labels that have fallen off or that are deteriorated.
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Label containers using chemical names. Do not use abbreviations, structure, or formulae.
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Archived research samples are often stored in boxes containing hundreds of small vials. Label the outside of the box with the chemical constituents paying special attention to regulated materials such as radioactive, organic solvents, heavy metals and other toxics. If the samples are nonhazardous, label them as such.
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Submit frequent Request for Chemical Removal forms to reduce the amount of chemicals in your laboratory.
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Employees should dispose of all of their waste before leaving/graduating from OSU. The lab and/or department should come up with a system to ensure that all faculty, staff, and students properly dispose of hazardous waste, including unwanted research samples, before employees leave.
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Emergency chemical spills are generally defined as greater than 1 liter, involve a highly toxic or reactive compound, present an immediate fire or environmental hazard, or require additional PPE (e.g., respirator) and specialized training to properly cleanup. The following procedures should be followed in the event of an emergency chemical spill:
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Cease all activities and immediately evacuate the affected area (make sure that all personnel in the area are aware of the spill and also evacuate).
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If chemical exposure has occurred to the skin or eyes, the affected personnel should be taken to the nearest safety shower and eyewash station.
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Dial 911, which will initiate both the OSU Police and Stillwater Fire Department response, if the situation is, or could become an emergency (i.e., chemical exposure has occurred, a fire or explosion has occurred).
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The fire alarm should be pulled, which will initiate building evacuation, if any of the following occurs.
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A fire and/or explosion has occurred (or there is a threat of fire and/or explosion.
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The large spill (which is either highly toxic or presents an immediate fire or environmental hazard) is in a public area such as a hallway.
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Toxic vapors are leaving the area where the spill has occurred, such as seeping from the laboratory into the hallway or neighboring rooms.
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You are unsure of the hazards and feel that the spill could be harmful to building occupants.
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- Ensure that no one else is allowed to enter the area until the spill has been properly cleaned up by the Stillwater Fire Department
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Non-emergency chemical spills are generally defined as less than 1 liter, do not involve a highly toxic or reactive material, do not present a significant fire or environmental hazard, and are not in a public area such as a hallway. These spills can be cleaned up by properly trained lab personnel using conventional PPE (e.g., safety glasses/goggles, lab coat, gloves) and the area spill kit.
In general, when a non-emergency spill occurs, the area around the spill should be isolated, everyone in immediate area should be made aware of the spill, and the spilled material should be absorbed and collected using either pads or some other absorbent material such as oil dry or kitty litter. Decontamination of the spill area should be conducted using an appropriate solvent (soap and water is often the most effective). Proper PPE should be worn at all times and only personnel that have been trained on the Non-Emergency Spill Cleanup should conduct the cleanup. Additionally, review the SDS(s) (specifically Section 6, “Accidental Release Measures”) to obtain chemical-specific cleanup information.
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Each area where hazardous chemicals are stored should have a spill response kit available for use. Spill kits can either be purchased from a vendor or created by area personnel, but each spill kit should be equipped to handle small spills of the most common hazards in the particular area. The kit should be equipped with response and cleanup materials such as:
- Absorbent materials such as pads, booms, oil dry or kitty litter, booms, or pillows
- Neutralizing agents (e.g. Neutrasorb) for acids and/or bases if high volume of acids and/or bases are stored in the laboratory
- Containers such as drums, buckets, and/or bags to containerize spilled material and contaminate debris generated during the cleanup process
- PPE such as chemical-resistant gloves, safety glasses and/or goggles, lab coat or apron, chemical-resistant booties
- Caution tape or some other means to warn people of the spill
Environmental Health & Safety: (405) 744-7241
Facility Maintenance Action Desk: (405) 744-7154
OSU Police: (405) 744-6523
Emergency: 911
Reporting a chemical odor:
Oklahoma State University is dedicated to providing the safest and most productive workplace environment. OSU supports a myriad of functions that range from administrative and clerical duties, to animal care, research, and education. This combination of activities will sometimes bring about odor complaints.
Odors can come from many different sources. The majority of indoor air quality complaints can be tied to the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning, "HVAC" system. HVAC systems are designed primarily for controlling temperature, humidity, odor control, and air quality. If you suspect a HVAC problem call the Facility Maintenance Action Desk (405) 744-7154.
What to do:
Extremely strong and acutely irritating odors (life threatening), strong burning smells or visible smoke:
Leave the area at once and call: 911 or the OSU Police Department at: (405) 744-6523
Chemical, natural gas, electrical burning smells, and any other (non-life threatening) odors:
Call Environmental Health and Safety (405) 744-7241: Someone will come to the area with a meter to measure the oxygen content, carbon monoxide levels, methane levels, and hydrogen sulfide level. An attempt will be made to locate the source and coordinate an appropriate response.
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Used batteries can be considered hazardous waste. Toxic heavy metals and corrosive properties make them unsuitable for disposal in the general trash. Used batteries generated on campus are collected by the EHS for proper recycling.
Typical battery uses
Cell phones, pagers, cameras, computers, flashlights, power tools, research equipment, monitoring devices, health monitors, lanterns, burglar alarms, emergency lights, automobiles, and heavy equipment are all typical battery uses.
Types of batteries used or recycled here at OSU
- Alkaline
- Lithium
- Nickel/Metal Hydride (Ni-MH)
- Mercury and Silver Oxide
- Nickel-Cadmium (Ni-Cad)
- Lithium-Ion
- Lead Sulfuric Acid
How to properly recycle batteries
- Tape each battery terminal with non-conductive tape or place each battery in a sealed clear bag. Take care not to cover the battery type name since each battery will be segregated by the type prior to recycling.
- Store in a plastic container or card board box, to prevent sparking. Label the container “Used Batteries for Recycling”.
- Submit an online chemical and material removal request form found here.
- See Battery Disposal Guide
- Contact EHS to handle any leaking or unsafe batteries.
Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) does NOT routinely collect or manage compressed
gas cylinders, including lecture bottles, for hazardous waste disposal. Users are required to
use proper management techniques or purchase cylinders from companies that accept
them for return. Disposal costs for lecture bottles that cannot be returned can vary in price
from $100 to $1,000 per cylinder.
Purchasing Guidelines: Check to see if there are any surplus lecture bottles amongst your
colleagues within the University. If none are available, then purchase your gas in a
returnable and/or refillable lecture bottles or cylinder. If none of these options are possible,
then you will need to plan for the proper management of the lecture bottle when it is
empty or no longer needed.
Gas Cylinder Returns: Contact the manufacturer or vendor of the lecture bottles or
cylinders to confirm their policy on returns. Follow the instructions given by the vendor to
ship the lecture bottles and/or cylinders. They will be able to provide required shipping
information. There are specific requirements for accepting lecture bottles and/or gas
cylinders for return so it will be necessary for you to contact them beforehand.
Hazardous Waste Disposal: Any lecture bottles and/or cylinders that are not returnable or
cannot be managed on site, will require management as hazardous waste. All lecture
bottles that are hazardous must be clearly identified as “hazardous waste” on the label. In
addition, the date when the waste container was declared a waste, the physical hazards of
the waste, as well as an identification of the chemicals or chemical mixture, must all be put
on the label. In addition to the above labeling requirements, the approximate pressure (psi)
must also be noted on the label.
Questions: Please contact the Office of Environmental Health and Safety, phone 744-7242
or email ehs@okstate.edu.
If a fluorescent bulb breaks, DO NOT attempt to clean it up, call the Environmental Health and Safety Department 405-744-7241 to clean up the broken bulb. Fluorescent bulbs contain small amounts of mercury, which is potentially toxic to humans if inhaled or ingested.
Mercury-Containing Light Bulb (Lamp) Recycling:
Mercury is an essential component of many energy-efficient light bulbs. The two most common types of energy-efficient lighting that contain mercury are:
- Fluorescent bulbs, including compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs)
- High intensity discharge (HID) bulbs.
Examples of common waste electric lamps include, but are not limited to:
- Fluorescent
- High intensity discharge
- Neon
- Mercury vapor
- Migh pressure sodium
- Metal halide lamps
- Specialty lamps that are used for streetlights, floodlights, parking lots, industrial lighting and some automobile headlights.
Under federal regulations Oklahoma State University is required to manage mercury-containing light bulbs as a hazardous waste after they burn out. DO NOT throw burned out fluorescent bulbs in the trash!
Standard incandescent bulbs are non-hazardous and can be placed in either regular trash, or a container for broken glass.
Many batteries are potentially hazardous if thrown in the trash. Oklahoma State University recycles the following types of batteries to comply with federal and state regulations and to keep our environment clean:
- Lead Acid
- NiCad (Nickel-Cadmium)
- Lithium batteries
- Mercury containing batteries.
These can be found in a variety of places, including:
- Vehicles
- Alarms
- Exit Signs
- Electronic devices – Cell phone, PDA, Radios, Computers.
Simply fill out and submit a Request for Chemical Removal form to have your batteries picked up and recycled.
Storm drains are pipes that remove rain water from our streets and then flow directly to the closest creek or stream.
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Sharps are items capable of puncturing, cutting, or abrading the skin such as glass or plastic pipettes, broken glass, test tubes, petri dishes, razor blades, needles, and syringes with needles. Sharps waste contaminated with hazardous chemicals must be placed into puncture resistant containers (e.g., sharps container, glass or plastic container with lid) and properly labeled. All contaminated sharps waste need to be autoclaved prior to disposal. All chemically contaminated waste should be inventoried on a Request for Chemical Removal form and sent to EHS for proper disposal.
Clean uncontaminated broken glassware and plastic sharps should be placed in a corrugated cardboard box or other strong disposable container. Do not exceed 20 pounds. When ready for disposal, the box should be taped shut and prominently labeled as “Sharp Objects/Glass Discard” or similar wording. Do not place sharps, broken glass or similar items in the Recycle Dumpsters. The Recycle Dumpsters items are hand sorted.
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The most desirable method of waste minimization is source reduction, which reduces the impact of chemical wastes on the environment to the greatest extent. This activity reduces or eliminates the generation of chemical waste at the source. The following tips can help reduce the use of chemicals in an area:
- Substitute hazardous materials with less toxic or non-hazardous compounds, such as using non-mercury alternatives for thermometers, gas bubblers, and other devices.
- Micro-scale analytical techniques and experimentation should be used where practicable.
- Purchase only in quantities necessary for immediate use. Large portions of the hazardous waste generated at OSU are unused chemicals in their original containers.
- Designate a single person to be responsible for purchasing chemicals.
- Maintain current chemical inventories and review inventories before purchasing additional chemicals.
- Establish a departmental redistribution system for usable chemicals.
Purchase compressed gas cylinders or lecture bottles only from manufactures that will accept the empty cylinders back. A typical cost for disposal of a lecture bottle can exceed $1,000.
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Waste materials are recycled when they are used for another purpose, treated and reused in the same process, or reclaimed for another process. Used oil, batteries, mercury, fluorescent light bulbs, rechargeable batteries, electronic ballasts and capacitors, precious metals, and electronic wastes are all managed for off-site recycling by EHS and/or the OSU Surplus/Recycling.
When feasible, install solvent distillation systems to recycle organic solvents for reuse. This can be done when ultra-pure solvents are not required such as for classroom experiments or when solvents are being used as cleaning agents.
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