The Grenada Bureau of Standards, with technical support from Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) – the German National Institute of Metrology, facilitated a one-day training workshop on Hazardous Waste Management held at the conference room of the bureau on 29 August 2018.
This workshop is the first of many sensitisation activities targeting laboratory technicians in Grenada. A certification programme for laboratories will be developed, and consultancy services will be offered to laboratories. Claudine Lalite, the bureau’s Hazardous Waste Coordinator who has spearheaded the implementation of a Hazardous Waste Management System in the bureau, will be the resource person for laboratories seeking to implement their system.
One of the goals of the workshop was to establish baseline information on the status of hazardous waste management of laboratories in Grenada. This is the precursor to the development of a technical regulation, scheduled for development in 2019.
Hazardous Waste, by definition, is waste with properties that make it dangerous or capable of having a harmful effect on human health or the environment. Some examples of hazardous waste are print toner, brake fluid, pesticides, chemicals, batteries and asbestos. Some of the benefits of a Hazardous Waste Management System are:
- Reduced chemical wastage
- Reduced environment pollution
- Increased workers’ health and wellbeing, with fewer sick days due to work-related illnesses
- Increased client confidence
- Compliance with international protocols
Grenada Bureau of Standards