State University of New York Polytechnic Institute
OP-25: Hazardous Waste Management

All materials deemed hazardous, such as those in chemistry and biology labs, must be registered and approved before they are allowed on campus in an effort to reduce the amount of hazardous materials on campus and also prevent the spread of unknown materials.

The following links provide information on the university's electronic waste, hazardous waste, and pollution prevention policies. In addition, disposal of hazardous chemicals is handled through a partnership with the Oneida Herkimer Solid Waste Authority (OHSWA) Clean Harbors contract. https://sunypoly.edu/env-health-safety/policies-procedures/asset-disposal/ http://www.sunypoly.edu/pdf/environmental_health_and_safety/HazWaste.pptx https://sunypoly.edu/env-health-safety/policies-procedures/pollution-prev/

SUNY Poly has had no significant hazardous materials releases in the past three years.

SUNY Poly does not have an inventory system for the reuse or redistribution of laboratory chemicals. Reuse and redistribution does occur but it is more informal between our labs and faculty.

Usable electronic computer equipment that is in working order, with the processor working and/or monitor working can be handled as surplus equipment as described in the surplus equipment policy. If this option is chosen, care should be taken to assure that sensitive information is removed permanently from the computer and that copyrighted software agreements are not violated. A completed Equipment Transfer form must be sent to Facilities. To dispose of electronic waste in the proper manner, a work order should be forwarded to Facilities to arrange for pick-up. It would greatly increase the efficiency in handling electronic waste if each department/school would temporarily store a number of electronic units prior to requesting a pick-up. A completed Asset Disposal form, with all of the signatures, must be sent to Facilities.

Safe practice requires that users of chemicals and hazardous materials have a knowledge of potential hazards and a readiness to maintain safe conditions. The Office of Environmental Health & Safety will assist faculty and staff in obtaining information and establishing training programs. EHS maintains a collection of all campus Material Safety and Data Sheets (MSDS) and training records. Training programs are available both online and in the classroom. Employees must receive training before their initial work assignment annually thereafter and any time the employee changes work assignments where exposure changes. The EHS office also functions as technical consultants in determining existing or potential safety and health hazards, advising as to the elimination or control of those hazards. The EHS staff is available to provide interpretations of current regulations, laws, and codes as they pertain to SUNY Poly operations. The department is also responsible for periodic inspections of the SUNY Poly facilities and operations to determine compliance to applicable regulations, laws, and codes that govern SUNY Poly’s environmental health and safety. The Environmental Health and Safety office continues to maintain reference materials from governmental sources, standard associations and educational resources affecting campus operations. Staff members are available to assist with technical interpretations of the aforementioned reference material. They are also available to assist SUNY Poly community members in the development of additional, appropriate environmental health and safety standards for unique campus situations.