Benefits of a Waste Management Audit:
The benefits of waste management auditing can have a wide variety of benefits. This blog is looking at a narrow audit scope of an Ontario based industrial operation for managing their generated waste streams. In this case, the upmost critical advantage of doing an audit is to determine regulatory compliance. Assessing compliance will help manage any risks associated with the generation, storage, transportation, and treatment of said waste streams.
In Ontario, waste treatment and shipment must be in compliance with the Ontario Regulation 347 as well as the Transportation of Dangerous Goods regulations if applicable. Knowledge of these regulations is the key to conducting a waste management audit. Your auditor (internal or external) needs to possess an understanding of these regulations as well as a knowledge of your products and waste streams. Typically, the best approach for this audit, is to have an internal expert with a knowledge of the products used and waste generation processes at the facility. This information could then be communicated to a Dangerous Goods / Waste expert for review. The audit review would then look at how successful any internal procedures are for the generating, managing, storing and shipping of these waste streams.
What to Expect from a Waste Management Audit Review?
Some typical questions that need to be answered during a waste audit review would include:
- Is there an inventory of all waste streams generated onsite?
- Have these waste streams been classified as per Ontario Regulation 347 and TDG regulations?
- Is there documented proof of this classification?
- Are all subject waste streams registered as per Reg 347?
- Are the non-hazardous waste streams being recycled whenever possible and treated or disposed of properly?
- Is the Fire Code and any other regulatory requirements adhered to when storing subject waste?
- Are waste streams compatible with other waste streams or products nearby?
- Have carriers and receivers been verified that they are legally able to transport or treat your waste stream?
- Have documentation been reviewed for all waste shipments to verify accuracy of completion for compliance with Ontario Regulation 347 and TDG by a competent trained individual?
- Are their records for trained individuals?
- Are waste streams shipped outside of Ontario for treatment, and if so, are they in compliance with any necessary regulations for that shipment?
The above questions are just a sampling of typical questions that should be reviewed when conducting a waste audit.
Improvement Benefits from Auditing:
The main benefit of conducting an audit, is determining your regulatory compliance. Aside from compliance, a full review of your program may provide opportunities for improvement which could include:
- Possible opportunities on how to minimize the amount of waste being generated.
- Recommendations for procedural improvements on the managing and storing of your waste streams.
- Verify procedures to address packaging, marking, labelling and transporting subject waste streams when they are a dangerous goods.
- Creation of a company-specific training program on the management and shipping of subject waste streams.
- Relief and knowledge that your wastes are being managed in an environmentally stewardship fashion.
If interested in outsourcing an Ontario waste audit for your facility, feel free to contact Mark Roehler Training Services. Click here to request a cost estimate.
