There are 7 Things to Remember When You are in Need of Hiring a Hazardous Waste Disposal Company
1. Interview the Company
Go to the office and meet the people, see if the place is a dump or if it is organized. The lay out of the office and staff will tell you the true story of the habits of the company. When you go to visit and the facility has poor house keeping skills that SHOULD send you a message. If they have a messy office and a dirty facility that tells you that they do not pay much attention to details. Go find another company to interview.
2. You need to understand where your hazardous waste is being transported to.
Ask the contractor about the waste and what will be the “end result” of the waste material. Some waste will be recycled and that is good. Other waste material will be fixated and then sent to a landfill. You want to understand which licensed and lined landfill that your waste is going to be transported to. Learn about the landfill and how the facility tracks and disposes of your waste material.
3. Remember, YOU as the generator are responsible from cradle to grave.
Although you are hiring a contractor to transport your hazardous or non-hazardous material, YOU are the generator of the waste and YOU are totally responsible from the time you generate it to the time you dispose of it.
4. Make certain that you receive the correct documentation for the waste.
The environmental contractor needs to be able to explain the disposal documentation pertaining to each waste stream. There are bill of ladings, land ban forms and
manifests that are required for various waste streams.
5. Do not be afraid to contact your local environmental regulatory authority.
Go on the web site for your states specific regulations. Seek out the person that issues the permits for the hazardous waste haulers in your state. Ask the contact if there are any fines or “notice of violations” with the company that you are planning to hire. You are going to be educated in a very short period of time. As a matter of fact, as long as you are speaking with them ask about other firms in your area.
6. Find out the safety rating of your environmental contractor. You can simply ask them to supply you with that information or you can request an insurance certificate. This document will show you the insurance carriers and the contact information for each insurance firm. You need to find out what the safety rating is for your contractor. Each company has what they call an “Experience Modification Rating” (EMR) based on their safety rating with workman’s compensation records. An EMR of 1.0 is good and the company has a good safety record. If the firm has a EMR of 1.7 it is time for you to look elsewhere. This shows you that the company is not practicing safe working practices.
7. Last but not least, DO NOT HIRE THE CHEAPEST CONTRACTOR!!!
Saving money should not be important in choosing a waste contractor. If you are the type of person that goes out and gets three prices for your waste disposal, BEWARE. You need to keep the safety, documentation, regulatory fines and final disposal facility in mind. What good is it to you if you hire the least expensive contractor and then run into more trouble than it is worth.
Do it once and do it correctly. Do your homework. I have seen many horror shows when it comes to cheap and lousy contractors. My firm has even been hired to clean up messes that other contractors have made. If you have any questions or you feel as though I can assist you on this subject matter please feel free to contact me. I would be glad to help you in any way.
Peter Marshall