Transformer oil spill in carpark - hazard alert

April 2010

What happened?

An obsolete X-ray machine was left in a public car park, for staff from another institution to cannibalise it for parts. The piece of equipment was then to be collected by professional removalists for disposal to landfill. When the x-ray machine was picked up by the removalists, approximately 20 litres of transformer oil was spilled onto the ground. The item had not been checked prior to it being moved.

It was ascertained that the radiation source had been rendered permanently inoperable in accordance with the Department of Human Services (DHS) procedures prior to the piece of equipment being left in the car park. However, equipment such as this typically contains polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which are toxic to the environment.

The spill was contained with sand and the removalists, in good faith decanted the remaining oil into containers without personal protective equipment (PPE) or knowledge of the potential risks. Later they were advised a spill kit in the adjacent building was available and this was then used to clean up the residual oil and sand. The resulting waste was disposed of via an EPA licensed waste contractor.

After the event, the researcher, who owned the X-ray machine was able to verify that the spilt oil did not contain any PCB's and therefore did not pose a significant environmental or health and safety threat (later confirmed by analysis).

Lessons learned

Correct disposal methods for obsolete equipment must be followed
Equipment should have been thoroughly checked, prior to decommissioning for recycling or disposal to landfill, for all potentially hazardous components. Oil should have been drained and disposed of as EPA prescribed waste
Equipment must not be abandoned in a public space
Relevant information about equipment for disposal should be provided to removalists prior to commencement of the job to ensure their health and safety
Chemical spill kits should be well maintained and fully utilised when spills occur

Recommendations

Obtain as much information about the piece of equipment as possible including manufacturer's information on all parts/components prior to disposal
A comprehensive risk assessment must be completed taking into account every aspect of the disposal process including the appropriate disposal of each of the components and any manual handling risks associated with moving the piece of equipment
Consideration should be given to emergency procedures in the event that something goes wrong prior to and during the disposal process
Discuss the disposal of obsolete equipment with safety officer and/or experienced staff

References

Movesmart pamphlet: http://www.adm.monash.edu.au/ohs/topics/movesmart.pdf
Risk control program: http://www.monash.edu.au/ohs/forms/risk-management-program.pdf
Using ionising radiation at Monash: http://www.adm.monash.edu.au/ohs/management-system/using-ionising-radiation.pdf

Further information

Contact your local OHS&E consultant or the Occupational Health and Safety branch by:

Telephone: 990 51016
E-mail: ohsehelpline@monash.edu