Skip to main content
Risk Management and Safety

Environmental Frequently Asked Questions

Table of Contents

If I work around or with chemicals on campus, where can I go to get information about the chemicals I work with or how to safely handle these chemicals?

Safety Data Sheets (SDS) are an initial source of information including appropriate personal protective equipment, exposure concerns and first aid guidelines.

Campus SDS Service

For further questions regarding chemical safety, call our Laboratory Safety Manager at 801-422-6452. For questions regarding the proper disposal of chemicals, please see our Procedures for Disposal of Unwanted Laboratory Material or call Environmental Management at 801-422-6548.

What type of unwanted laboratory materials do you accept?

We accept all unwanted laboratory material, including chemicals, all biohazardous waste, all radioactive waste, all battery waste, all fluorescent light waste, ballasts, and all aerosol can waste.

What do you not accept?

We do not accept electronics such as monitors and electronics with no circuit boards. We do not accept broken equipment, refrigerators or microwaves. These types of waste can be dropped off at electronic surplus at the Ellsworth Building.

Back to Top

What do you do with all the unwanted laboratory materials?

We consolidate all liquid waste in a 55-gallon drum and ship it out within EPA, DOT and RCRA standards. Solid waste is bulked in 200-gallon boxes and shipped out. Fluorescent lights and batteries are packaged and shipped out. Radioactive waste is also consolidated by isotope and shipped out. For biohazard waste, we transfer the red bags from the yellow bins into 28-gallon containers. This is why it is so vital that no liquid is placed in the bags and that no glass is in the bags. Liquid will drip through the bag and glass will rip through it. Please help ensure the safety of our students and staff by not placing glass or liquids in the biohazardous waste bins. The biohazardous waste is shipped out for incineration. Electronic ballasts, and scrap metal are taken to a local recycling facility. Aerosol cans are punctured, the contents collected as hazardous waste, and the empty cans are recycled.

What containers are available for collection of unwanted material?

Depending on what type of unwanted material is being generated and in what quantities, we offer a variety of types and sizes of containers. Our most common are 5-gallon flammable liquid, base, or acid containers for liquid unwanted laboratory materials. We have 20-gallon yellow biohazard waste bins lined with red biohazard hazard bags. We occasionally find a need for larger containers such as 55-gallon drums (plastic or metal, fixed or removable lid), or smaller containers such as 1 or 2.5 gallon for flammable liquids, acids, bases, or blood/serum containers. We provide large cardboard canisters for the collection of spent fluorescent lamps. If you need help deciding what is best for your purposes, call Chemicals Management at (801) 422-6395. To make a request, fill out the Request a New Container on the BYU Risk Management Website.

Can I just call in my pickup request?

Please go to the BYU Risk Management website. Under the “Quick Links”, click on the “Unwanted Laboratory Management Icon” to complete the pick up request.

Back to Top

Where is the best place to put all the information when I am submitting a pickup request?

In two places. The first, add components of the unwanted laboratory material to the components that are in the container section. Second, in the notes area, put any and all information in the notes. The more, the better. You can put more detailed instructions of how to find the desired item.

What are the requested "container ID numbers" when filling out a pickup request?

The ID numbers are used in our system to keep track of the location of the container. We use the number to match the container to a room number. The room number is assigned to a professor. Identifying the ID number of the container to be picked up ensures that the correct container is picked up. We also track how long a container resides in a lab space, as containers are not allowed to remain longer than 12 months before being picked up.

What are the Bio Safety levels?

BSL-1
Microbes are not known to consistently cause disease in healthy adults and present minimal potential hazard to humans and environment.
Example: nonpathogenic E. coli

BSL-2
Microbes pose moderate hazard to humans and environment. Microbes are indigenous and associated with causing disease.
Example: Staphylococcus aureus
Material contaminated with human blood, body fluids, or tissues generally fall under this level

BSL-3
Microbes can be indigenous or exotic and pose a serious or potentially lethal threat by inhalation. Labs are responsible for autoclaving material before requesting pickup.
Example: Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Why do you need to keep track of what goes into the container?

Because we work with hazardous materials on a daily basis, we need to know what we are working with. When we know what we are working with, we can know how to safely handle the material. This information allows us to properly classify items as a hazardous waste or as not a hazardous waste. We can also accurately report to our shipper what material we are giving them so they can know how to handle it. Safety begins in the lab.

Back to Top

Why do the containers need to stay in the same lab that they are dropped off in?

Our system matches the room with the professor. When we drop off a container, our system records what room it was dropped off in and then by association, which professor is in charge of the room. This helps prevent inconsistencies in record keeping and also helps with keeping track of what is added to the containers. If the container changes rooms, then we will not be able to find the container as it approaches its 12-month limit and we will have to mark the container as lost. Switching rooms also makes it hard to consistently track what types of unwanted materials are added. If you would like a container in a different lab, then please fill out an additional Request a New Container form. If you want to get rid of the container in a lab, then please fill out the Container Pickup Request form and state that you do NOT want a new container.

I’ve been contacted about a 10-month-old container in my lab. What should I do?

You should submit an online Container Pickup Request as soon as possible. At BYU, we operate under the EPA’s RCRA 40 CFR Part 262, Subpart K. Subpart K dictates that a container may be in a lab for a year before it needs to be switched out. In order to prevent containers from violating the provision, an automatic email is sent out at 10 months to the professor that is assigned to the room. Reminders continue to be sent until the container has been picked up.

I’ve received the 10-month old container email, however, I’m no longer in charge of the lab. What do I do?

Please email or call (801-422-6382) the Hazardous Materials Manager so we can correct the information in our system. If you know the new professor or who we should contact, please let us know so we can correct our database. This helps us to find the professor in charge of the container.

Back to Top

Why does Risk Management need to work with the professor when retrieving a 10-month old container?

When we ship out our material, the most important thing we need to know is what we are shipping. This is why we cannot simply take containers from a lab when they are old. We must work with professors or assigned graduate students and have them submit a Container Pickup Request so that we can have the most accurate information in regards to what is in the containers. Your cooperation and help are greatly appreciated.

What do I do with the materials used to clean up a chemical spill?

Materials from chemical spill cleanups should be managed as unwanted laboratory materials. Contaminated items used in cleaning up a spill, such as absorbent cloths, paper towels, gloves, etc., may be placed in a bucket or re-sealable bag. The bag or bucket should then be labelled with the material that was cleaned up and the date. These items should not be put in containers used for liquid unwanted laboratory material. A Container Pickup Request may then be made.

How do I get more detailed information on Disposal of Unwanted Laboratory Material and how to correctly handle the types of unwanted material my lab produces?

Please see the Procedures for Disposal of Unwanted Laboratory Material (ULM).

Back to Top