Personal Injury Law

Waste Disposal Issues

By Megan Roth

Both OSHA and the EPA have set regulations regarding proper disposal of construction waste. Regardless of whether it's hazardous or not, all materials stemming from worksites need to be disposed of in a manner that fits in line with those standards. And, unfortunately for contractors, waste disposal is not optional. Many construction workers consider such aspects of the business to be an expense, but it's an unavoidable cost.

Numerous organizations and companies exist for the sole purpose of collecting and properly disposing of construction waste. There are federal agencies setting, evaluating, and enforcing such laws, which maintain that not all construction waste can be disposed of in the same manner. The standards for disposal vary based on the type of construction the waste is stemming from (for example, residential construction and whole building construction require that materials be disposed of in different ways). In fact, even the standards within those standards vary based on the material (for example, certain scraps of wood can be reused while others simply cannot).

And, despite the financial and time burden that such standards can have to construction agencies, efficient waste management can actually save money, keep job sites cleaner, and reduce liability. How, exactly, does it reduce liability? Construction companies are responsible for any and all materials present on their jobsites. Recycling requires that workers are aware of how certain materials are handled and lessens the risk that potentially hazardous materials are disposed of in an unacceptable or innappropriate manner.

In addition, proper waste management has a select few other benefits as well. Take the greening effort, for example. Recycling not only increases the number of materials that we're able to reuse but also conserves valuable landfill space, thus benefiting the environment tremendously.

Construction waste management is like anything else: it has its ups and downs, but all-in-all, the benefits greatly outweigh the cons.

Full post as published by Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer on July 28, 2008 (boomark / email).