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Environmental Procedure
PROCEDURE: 3.6.4 Hazardous substance and oil storage
Last updated: 24th August 2015.
Department: Estates and Capital Development
Site: Aston University
Author: Environment and Sustainability Manager
Approved by: EMS Manager
PURPOSE:
To minimise emissions and discharges to land, air and water
To minimise pollution risks by ensuring potentially polluting materials are stored
safely and appropriately
To ensure compliance with the Control of Pollution (Oil Storage) (England)
Regulations SI 2001/2954, the Hazardous Waste (England and Wales) Regulations SI
2005/894 and the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations SI
2010/675.
SCOPE:
All staff that handle, store and transport hazardous substances or oils
METHOD:
All staff who handle, store, transport or dispose of hazardous substances or oil must
operate in accordance with this procedure.
Heads of Departments are responsible for ensuring their staff are trained in the use
of chemicals in accordance with the relevant Health and Safety procedures.
All labs dealing with hazardous substances have restricted access and doors have
contact names and numbers for people to be contacted in case of an incident.
Radioactive substances
 Currently only have Very Low Level Waste on site.
Storage and transport
 Radioactive deliveries are signed in by member of the goods team, details
entered into a record book and the associated paper work is retained.
The delivery is placed into a designated secure storage (signed
radioactive).
 Authorised personnel collect item, sign and date record log.
 Correct PPE to be worn if necessary.
 Log of radioactive substances stored on Isostock, automatically monitors
current stocks on site against allowances, new orders are not authorised
if it will exceed the total allowance.
 Audit of all radioactive materials every 2 years, if item is not needed they
are destroyed in a safe manner.
Disposal

V. Low Level waste (individual items less than 40 kBq or total volume per
bag less than 400 kBq) is placed in unmarked black refuse bags and
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disposed of with general waste; must leave site within 14 days.
Any solvent waste is disposed via dilution down the designated drain in
MB 543.
Waste disposal drains are routinely inspected (every 6 months and every
12 months) as described in the safe working practice ECD-HA-SWP-13407-11
All workers are given a ¾ day training prior to working provided by the
Radiation Protection Supervisor in conjunction with IRS Ltd. As of 2014
annual tests will be required administered through Blackboard teaching
software.
Monitoring
 Monitoring is achieved via IsoStock, which automatically monitors
volumes of substances on site.
Asbestos
 Procedures and associated information is covered in Asbestos
Management Plan which outlines how the university manages the risk
from asbestos on site.
 This covers roles and responsibilities, policy, management plan,
identification, risk assessment, management, information and training,
emergency procedures, action plan and documentation.
 The most recent version can be found in the Asbestos folder on the
Estate’s shared drive, along with other relevant paper work.
 Asbestos safe removal is monitored through the record log and
consignment notes.
Chemical and oil storage
 Hazardous substances are stored indoors, where possible, in designated
storage cabinets as designated in COSHH records.
 Life and Health Sciences (LHS) Health and Safety policy covers specific
considerations within LHS
 Bulk chemicals, for use in laboratories, are stored in labelled purpose built
bottles in the solvent store, which has appropriate bunding and is bonded.
 Low level aqueous hazardous waste is disposed of via dilution down lab
sinks which have engineering control via traps to collect any particulates.
All other waste chemicals are stored in the solvent stores prior to safe
disposal.
 Collections of hazardous waste from labs or engineering are arranged via
the Chemical Services Technician. A hazardous waste disposal form or
solvent disposal form must be correctly completed and sent to Chemical
Services Technician, who will arrange for the safe collection and storage
of waste until disposal can be arranged via waste contractor.
 Hazardous substances are transported between solvent store and labs via
designated van, no more than 50 litres at a time. Transported within the
building using the designated transport packs from the supplier.
 Only authorised staff are allowed to access the solvent stores.
 Safe removal and disposal is monitored via waste and consignment notes.
 Any contractor working on site is given an induction which states they
have to properly dispose of any hazardous waste through a licensed
contractor.
Bulk oil storage for generators
 Large volumes of oil are stored across campus for use in generators for
which Aston University has responsibility for.
 Storage tanks are double bunded, with a capacity greater than 110% and
fitted with a fluid level gauge and an automatic shut off valve to ensure
that it does not overflow.
 External contactors are used for generator maintenance and fuel refilling
 All work on storage tanks must comply with the safe working practice
ECD-HS-SWP-130-07-11
“Diesel
Fuel
Tanks
Bunds,
Electrical/Mechanicals” which describes how to work safely and avoid
environmental contamination.
 Water is pumped from bunds to maintain capacity, if contaminated with
oil it is taken away for safe disposal.
 The university has a responsibility for the fabric of the CHP building but
Cofeley have responsibility for the bulk oil storage for the CHP.
Spill kits
 Spill kits are located in the gardener’s store, maintenance and engineering
workshop and the chemical store.
 Only staff trained in the use of spill kit should attempt to tackle a
chemical or oil spill.
 Spill kit instructions are described in ECD-HA-SWP-218-08-12 which is
available on the Estates shared drive under Health and Safety, with the
spill kits and on the shared drive. All gardeners and Maintenance and
engineering trades have tool box talks which detail how to use the kits.
 See 3.7.2 Spill Procedure for further details regarding how to manage
chemical or oil spillages.
LHS and GMO
 University only has facilities to handle category one and two GMO
research.
 All information regarding storage, data sheets, COSHH and risk
assessments are stored on Assessnet. These provide information on how
to store handle and dispose of hazardous and GMO substances used in
LHS. Additionally the Health and Safety policy for Life and Health Sciences
has information regarding dealing with spills, disposal and storage.
 LHS also has standard operating procedures for the safe use of equipment
to manage the risk from hazardous substances.
 Safe storage includes limiting flammable liquids to less than 50 L per lab in
containers no larger than 2.5L, stored in spark proof fridges, spill trays
used to limit spills.
 If spills occur with GMO material, small spills can be mopped up with
paper towels and autoclaved before disinfection and waste is put into the
clinical waste bin. Larger (non-acidic) spills are cleaned using percept
granules which are disinfecting then bagged into clinical waste.
 Disposal of GMO is achieved via auto clave with the waste then placed in
clinical waste bins which are removed by waste contractor.
 Other waste disposal is covered in the LHS waste disposal document
 All the above LHS documentation is available from LHS via the Technical
Services Manager.
Pesticides
 Hazardous chemicals are stored in a locked, signed metal container within
a secure room in the gardener’s store. Information regarding use of
chemical store can be found in Safe Working Practice ECD-HA-SWP-21708-11.
 Pesticide inventory, use records, COSHH records are stored in the
gardeners store or on the shared drive in the H&S folder
 Only trained personnel are allowed to use pesticides, wearing appropriate
PPE and they follow the BAP to reduce environmental impact.
 Training records are stored in the gardeners workshop or on the shared
drive
 Monitoring is achieved via pesticide use records.
EBRI (note not currently completed or operational)
 Currently not handed over to Aston University
 Has 30,000 L oil storage but currently only filled with 10,000 L. Double
bunded to 110% of the storage capacity. May in future hold waste rape
seed oil for use in the generator.
 Currently procedures not completed as not operational but will include
emergency procedures, waste storage, spill handling and others are
required.
 No hazardous material used yet, currently virgin wood pellets.
 No water discharges, water from pyrolysis process is stored in tank on
site before being removed by licenced contractor.
 In future will have own team of engineers to maintain the equipment.
 Any biochar produced will be stored on site in material containers, while
experiments for the best use are conducted. If produced from virgin
material is not classed as waste, if from waste material is but can also be
classified as a product.
EFFECTS & ACTIONS ON NON-CONFORMANCE:
If this procedure is not applied it will result in:
 a failure to comply with relevant legislation,
 a failure to minimise on-site pollution risks,
 a non-conformance with clauses of the ISO 14001 standard.
Departures from this procedure are addressed using procedure 4.5.3
Nonconformity, corrective action & preventive action.doc.
CHANGES TO THE PROCEDURE
REASON FOR THE CHANGE
29 June 2013 VLLW no longer required to go to landfill
20th August 2013: Reviewed the procedure and made required changes
29th September 2014: Reviewed the procedure and updated accordingly.
24th August 2015: Updated to reflect current practice.
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