During the last decades, it has emerged a major environmental and health concern due to the problems resulting from waste, especially hazardous one.

This concern has allowed confronting the problems of environmental pollution and its adverse effects on public health.

In addition, the last years waste generation has grown exponentially, progressively increasing the levels of risk associated with each waste.

Due to the previously mentioned reasons, it appears the need to decontaminate spaces in order to safely move away from hazardous waste.

Companies have begun to appear in the specialized market in decontamination works, first around hazardous waste and asbestos, and then increasing their fields to other hazardous areas of decontamination.

The European Decontamination Institute surged as an organization that promotes business activity referred to the proper decontamination of this waste.

To sum up, waste is considered hazardous if, due to its characteristics, poses a serious direct risk to human health or the environment, If waste is present in any of the following forms, its considered hazardous: inorganic chemicals, asbestos, PCBs and equipment contaminated with PCBs, lead, fluorescents, used hydrocarbons and oils, paints and solvents, impregnated rags, batteries, rimers and sealants, radioactive waste, etc.

Asbestos:

Asbestos is a mineral product of great durability and low cost. It is very resistant to heat, abrasion and traction material. Products containing asbestos do no present a risk to the health when the fibers remain tightly bonded, but they can be very harmful when the materials are broken or worn, and the fibers are inhaled when they are released into the environment. The amount of asbestosis in products is not related to the increased risk to health, the main diseases associated with exposure to asbestos are mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis. If this materiañ is to be handled, appropriately precautionary measures must be taken into consideration, and specialized companies must be hired, given that its handling is particularly delicate.

Lead

Lead is a soft metal that has been known over the years for many applications from metal products, cables, and pipes to paints and pesticides. Lead can accumulate in individual organisms; is it’s considered a particularly dangerous chemical element because it can also reach humans through the food chain. In addition, lead can generate chronic effects such as hypertension, congenital malformations or damage to the liver and kidneys. If it is detected during an inspection, the lead must be removed by a decontamination process as described in this website.

PCBs and POPs

PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) are banned in most parts of the world and should be removed immediately from any structure, material or support containing them because of on their hazardousness to human health. These hazardous wastes are substances that are poorly biodegradable and ave very long persistence. After being released into the environment, they accumulate in the food chain, amplify in living organisms and are resistant to degradation. The negative effects of PCBs are essentially endocrine disrupters and have been accused of causing breast cancer, brain cancer, malignant melanoma, lymphopenia, soft tissue sarcoma, etc. It is necessary to decontaminate those hazardous wastes which, due to their characteristics or condition (e.g. volatility), pose a direct risk to human health or the environment, requiring a specific isolation, removal and conditioning process.

H1 Explosive H2 Oxidizer H3-A Highly flammable H4 Irritant H5 Harmful H6 Toxic H7 Carcinogen

H8 Corrosive H9 Infectious H10 Toxic for reproduction H11 Mutagenic H12 Sensitizer H13 Ecotoxic H14 Susceptible wastes

 

Technical information on how to deal with these types of waste:

Waste

• Scope: The revision of the Waste Framework Directive aims at the prevention or reduction of waste production and its harmfulness and, secondly, at the recovery of waste by means of re-use, recycling, and other recovery operations. Recycling, reuse recovery, and waste will be defined and binding targets set.
• Impact: Potential new requirements for recycling

Thematic strategy on sustainable use of resources

• Scope: To reduce the negative environmental impacts generated by the use of natural resources in a growing economy. It is a long term strategy (25 years) which emphasize the integration of environmental concerns into other policies. The Commission will, probably by 2008, develop indicators (use of natural resources, decoupling of negative environmental impact from resource use and eco-friendly indicator).
• Impact: Potentially additional revenues from secondary materials.

Batteries

• Scope: Covers all batteries (portable, automotive and industrial) and the collection and recycling of these batteries. Contains specific requirements regarding substances used in batteries. The definition of the producer is broader than just the manufacturers of batteries. Importers of batteries are also included
• Impact: Possible restriction of the use of certain types of pyrotechnic equipment and explosives.

Physical agents – Noise

• Scope: Applies to workers who are exposed to risks from noise (a daily and weekly exposure level). Specific exposure limit values and exposure action values are laid down in this directive. Further, an employer is required to undertake specific risk assessment which should result in specific actions in relation to avoiding or reducing the exposure and employee information and training.
• Impact: Potential further limitation of workforce flexibility and additional equipment requirements.

Physical agents – Vibrations

• Scope: Hand-arm vibration and whole body vibration. Specific exposure limit values and exposure action values are laid down in this directive. Further, an employer is required to undertake specific risk assessment which should result in specific actions in relation to avoiding or reducing the exposure and employee information and training.
• Impact: Potential further limitation of workforce flexibility and additional equipment requirements.

Asbestos

• Scope: The protection of workers against the exposure to dust arising from asbestos. The maximum exposure is 0,1 fibers per cm³ per day. Further, a risk assessment is required to determine the degree of exposure. Authorities should be notified of any activity resulting in exposure to asbestos. Specific measures for demolition activities are required in case the maximum level will be exceeded (e.g. protective equipment).
• Impact: Potential further limitation of workforce flexibility and additional (protective) equipment requirements.

E-procurement

• Scope: Public supply and service contracts. Public work contracts (including demolition and renting of demolition equipment) over € 6,242,000. The directive promotes the use of e-procurement which contains equal treatment for e-communication in a traditional context. This directive is transposed 31st January 2006 and the Commission developed an action plan which sets out how the directive can best be implemented. The guidance note on low-value contracts is not within the scope of this directive.
• Impact: Risk of reverse auctions.

Gypsum

• Scope: Revision waste directive, revision construction products directive, groundwater protection against pollution, fire safety and conformity rules.

Machinery Directive

• Scope: This directive provides the regulatory basis for harmonization of the essential health and safety requirements for machinery at the European level.
• Impact: Key issue of liability equipment manufacturers and the importance of certified training.

High Reach Demolition

• Scope: The NFDC has published guidance notes for the use of working with high reach equipment. During the conference of the EDA in Cyprus in 2004, a kick-off meeting was held for composing this document. The NFDC has taken up this initiative and finished these Guidance Notes. It is the intention of the EDA to promote these Guidance Notes in Brussels as a proposal for a European standard for working with high reach demolition equipment.