• Workers at hazardous waste cleanup sites may be unable to avoid encountering a vast array of hazards, both chemical and physical.

An uncontrolled hazardous waste site means any site identified by the government where an accumulation of hazardous substances creates a threat to the health and safety of individuals, the environment, or both.

It may be impossible for hazardous waste cleanup site employees to avoid hazards. That’s because cleanup operations involve handling and processing hazardous substances to remove, contain, incinerate, neutralize, clear up, or stabilize them. The ultimate goal of a cleanup operation is to make the site safer for people and the environment.

Employees at a hazardous waste site might face both chemical and non-chemical health and physical hazards. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) considers a chemical to be a health hazard if it:

• Is toxic
• Is corrosive
• Irritates the skin or eyes
• Is a respiratory or skin sensitizer
• Causes cells to mutate
• Causes cancer, birth defects, or reproductive issues
• Damages organs
• Displaces (and thus deprives the employee of) oxygen
• Is harmful or deadly if inhaled

Some chemicals can inflict physical damage when they react with the environment or other chemicals. The types of chemicals that can present physical hazards include:

• Flammables
• Explosives
• Oxidizers
• Self-reactive substances
• Pyrophoric gases, liquids, and solids
• Chemicals that emit flammable gas when in contact with water
• Self-heating substances
• Organic peroxides
• Corrosive metals
• Combustible dusts
• Gases under pressure

Chemicals are not the only health and physical hazards employees may be exposed to. Other health hazards include:

• Radiation (both ionizing and non-ionizing)
• Biological hazards
• Heat stress
• Cold temperatures
• Ergonomics issues
• Noise
• Psychological impacts

Some other physical hazards employees may encounter include:

• Electrical hazards
• Confined spaces
• Equipment and tool hazards
• Falling objects
• Weather-related hazards like storms and lightning

More physical hazards that employees should be aware of as they move around onsite and perform their work activities include:

• Holes, ditches, steep terrain, or uneven ground;
• Slippery surfaces from rain or spills;
• Sharp objects, such as nails, metal shards, and broken glass;
• Precariously placed objects like drums or boards that may fall;
• Unstable surfaces that may cave in or give way;
• Heights from which an employee may fall; and
• Tripping hazards.

Many hazards can also pose a threat to property and the environment. Chemical fires and explosions, for instance, can damage buildings, infrastructures, power sources, and technology.

Hazardous substances can seep into groundwater, ponds, and other bodies of water, killing off entire fish populations. In fact, the environment is very susceptible to hazardous substances. That’s because the air, land, water, vegetation, and wildlife all interact with each other. Damaging one may affect the others.