In England and Wales, hazardous waste management is governed by the Hazardous Waste Regulations 2005. The act sets out the rules for controlling and tracking the movement of hazardous waste and compels those who produce or handle it to have a workable waste management plan. 

As per the regulations, managing hazardous waste requires the gathering and processing of materials classified as hazardous. Specialised teams and equipment also need to be used to minimise the harm done to both human health and the environment.

Who Has to Follow The Rules?

Following the rules is not a choice; you must follow the regulations fully to avoid any health risks to you or your staff.

Something else that won’t come as a surprise: businesses that work with hazardous waste are liable to be inspected by various organisations, including the Department for Environmental Health. It’s the job of such government bodies to ensure your business is following the rules when it comes to its waste. 

Failing to comply with the rules can result in several penalties. According to the regulations, the UK Government has the power to issue everything from cautions and on-the-spot fines to fully-fledged criminal prosecutions. Obviously, your business could do without any of this hassle, which means you’re better off ensuring you fully comply with the regulations. 

Aside from avoiding any penalties, following the rules also means the risks posed to you, your staff, and the surrounding environment are kept at a minimum.

What The Regulations Say

The regulations set out a vast number of rules which, for many business owners, can seem daunting and hard to understand. So extensive that it would be impractical to list all of them here. They describe exactly how hazardous waste needs to be dealt with, right from its production to its disposal. 

The list below takes you through the most important aspects of hazardous waste regulations. According to the regulations, your business must:

• Ensure that hazardous waste is stored and handled in a way that is safe and creates no risk of harm.
• Classify its waste as hazardous or non-hazardous.
• Complete a consignment note for each load of hazardous waste that is moved off their premises.
• Comply with their duty of care to ensure that hazardous waste produced or handled causes no harm or damage.
• Ensure that their waste collection company is registered and that they are delivering the waste to a registered waste carrier.
• Make sure no waste is removed from any site without the knowledge of the relevant people.
  
  

While the above list is only a brief breakdown of the Hazardous Waste Regulations, it does provide a rough guide on how to conduct your waste management plan. If, however, you want to see the regulations in their entirety, have a look at the UK Government’s website. 

With all that said, it should be clear that managing your hazardous waste properly is a big deal. However, because it’s neither simple nor something you can get wrong, it’s best to leave a lot of it to professionals. Essentially, you need a waste management firm.