Introduction
Relevant legislation and guidance
Definitions
Hazardous waste is waste that can be harmful to health or the environment. It includes infectious biological/clinical waste, chemicals, solvents, pesticides, fluorescent light tubes, refrigeration equipment containing ozone, non-edible oils, batteries, asbestos and paints.
'Duty of care' is a legal obligation to ensure the safety or well-being of others. In the context of this policy anyone who produces, imports, keeps, stores, transports, treats or disposes of waste must take all reasonable steps to ensure that waste is managed properly.
Policy statement
The University will manage, so far as is reasonably practicable, all hazardous waste activities falling under its control in a manner such as to minimise the harm to human health or the environment.
The University will aim to satisfy its duty of care by:
producing and communicating procedures to enable employees to comply with their ‘duty of care’ for the management of hazardous wastes, and monitor these procedures to ensure compliance
applying the waste management hierarchy with the aim of minimising the generation of hazardous waste
Responsibilities
The Vice-Chancellor (VC)
The VC has the overall day-to-day responsibility for health and safety matters at the University. The VC delegates responsibility for undertaking aspects of these duties through line management and identified roles.
The following people are identified as having responsibilities (in addition to any other responsibilities under other health and safety policy) for the management of hazardous waste in those areas, and for those relevant persons, that fall under their control:
Heads of Departments
Heads of Departments are responsible for ensuring that:
departmental arrangements for the management of hazardous wastes are put in place, communicated and monitored
competent persons are identified to implement the arrangements for the management of hazardous waste
where practicable, aim to minimise the procurement of hazardous materials to prevent redundant materials needing to be disposed of as hazardous waste
ensure sufficient allocation of appropriate storage facilities for hazardous wastes until such time as it can be collected
Line Managers
Line Managers are responsible for:
ensuring the management and disposal or recovery of hazardous waste is included in the risk assessments and local procedures for the tasks undertaken by their employees
ensuring that relevant workers are informed of the significant findings of such risk assessments and that local procedures are followed for the management of hazardous wastes
In addition to their general duties under this policy, the following departments have additional responsibilities relating to their specific operations:
Campus Services Department is responsible for
Managing the collection of hazardous waste from departments and transporting these safely to designated storage areas on campus.
Ensuring that staff who operate the hazardous waste collection service are adequately trained to carry out their duties.
Managing the University’s waste compound.
Ensuring that procedures are established to ensure the ‘best available techniques’ for the correct identification, segregation, labelling and storage of hazardous wastes on University premises under its control.
Segregating hazardous waste under their management, such as WEEE, and storing them safely and securely.
Managing the collection and disposal of hazardous waste, from their managed storage facilities by authorised and appropriately licensed contractors.
Maintaining records, at the premises, of hazardous waste consignment notes, consignee returns and any other related documents (such as carrier schedules or rejected loads) for at least 3 years.
Undertaking periodic ‘duty of care’ audits of the licenced waste contractors that they use to remove wastes.
Campus Infrastructure Department is responsible for:
Ensuring that hazardous waste arising from activities that they manage (such as asbestos containing waste from asbestos removal or abatement works), is stored safely and securely.
Ensuring that hazardous waste, that is directly disposed of under their remit, is only removed by authorised licensed contractors.
Maintaining records, at the premises, of hazardous waste consignment notes, consignee returns and any other related documents (such as carrier schedules or rejected loads) for at least 3 years.
Ensuring that periodic ‘duty of care’ audits of licenced waste contractors are carried out.
Safety Health and Employee Wellbeing (SHEW)
SHEW is responsible for:
ensuring that the appropriate licence/s is renewed with the Environment Agency when required
ensuring that procedures are established to ensure the ‘best available techniques’ for the correct identification, segregation, labelling and storage of hazardous wastes on University premises under its control
the production and communication of procedures and guidance regarding the management of hazardous waste, under its remit, on University premises
managing the collection of hazardous waste, under its remit, from University storage facilities by authorised licensed contractors
undertaking periodic ‘duty of care’ audits of licenced waste contractors
maintaining records, at the premises, of hazardous waste consignment notes, consignee returns and any other related documents (such as carrier schedules or rejected loads) for at least three years
Employees
Employees are required to follow the University procedures to manage hazardous wastes. This includes the correct identification, segregation, disposal and storage of hazardous wastes in dedicated, labelled containers with prompt removal when full.
University Health and Safety Committee
University Health and Safety Committee will be responsible for monitoring and reviewing this policy. Reviews to be carried out every two years from the date of approval.
Document control
Date of next review: This policy is scheduled for review March 2026.