Waste handling and control is a fundamental phenomenon in the world today. Besides contributing to a safe living environment, it safeguards the human population against exposure to health related hazards. Waste handling and control encompasses a wide range of activities. They include; collection, storage, transportation, treatment, and disposal. These processes ensure the wastes are disposed of safely, guaranteeing a hazard-free environment. Many authors of waste management have spelled out various methods, which organizations, or individuals can use to safely dispose of waste. Incinerators have been noted as one of the efficient and safe methods.
Incineration uses a high temperature that reduces the volume and weight of waste. Mostly, this technique is used to treat wastes that cannot be re-used or recycled. Various types of incinerators are available. They include high temperatures and basic units that can perform at much lower temperatures.
Regardless of their types, when effectively modeled, maintained, and manned by experienced personnel, they support the disposal of solid wastes collected from diverse sources by a larger percent. Similarly, waste compactors are widely used for solid waste disposal. Waste compactors are classified based on their scope of application; hence, two types are common that is; domestic and industrial compactors. Whatever their classifications, compactors use the power of electromechanical hydraulic in their operations to dispose of solid wastes.
Fire prevention and waste handling and control are closely linked elements. This is in the sense that fire can emerge during compilation, reception, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste. For example, some hazardous wastes such as ultra flammable chemicals among others can be agents of fire when improperly disposed of. Hence, an organization needs to have fire prevention strategies in place when handling solid waste management. Such measures will guarantee the safe disposal of waste, safeguard property destruction, and improve environmental protection.
Waste handling and control and fire prevention is a critical role for everyone. The consequences of poor fire prevention practices and lack of sufficient design when handling wastes can pose a significant risk to society and the environment. However, in efforts to assist in simplifying the two elements, various codes and standards have been outlined to guide and direct the stakeholders. These codes and standards have, to a larger extend, simplified fire prevention and waste management practices.
In the United States, the federal government has provided detailed regulations and guidelines which have been instrumental in reshaping Waste handling and control across the country. Some of the regulations in place include; the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Hazardous Wastes Regulations, Toxic Substances Control Act, and Federal Water Pollution Control act of 1948 among others. Besides regulations, the federal government has also fixed standards that waste management organizations have to fulfill.
The standards establish that organizations meet the standards as a means of strengthening the safety of the society, environment, and properties. The standards created include; the NFPA 241 Standard for Safeguarding Construction, Alteration, and Demolition; NFPA 260 Standard Methods of Tests and Classification System for Cigarette Ignition Resistance of Components of Upholstered Furniture and NFPA 58, Liquefied Petroleum Gas Code; NFPA 68, and Standard on Explosion Protection by deflagration Venting among others.
Besides streamlining fire prevention strategies, the codes, regulations, and standards are useful in guaranteeing safety. For example, in the case study, we note that the Fire and Community Evacuation in Apex, North Carolina did not have the National fire code for fire protection measures for hazardous waste facilities. Similarly, the EQNC hazardous waste building was not equipped with fire or smoke sensing devices. Hence, the violation to establish codes and standards hampered the evacuation team efforts. If codes and standards were followed, preventing fire would have been made easier.