Key Terms

Buddy system: A system in which two individuals are paired together for mutual safety in hazardous situations.

Cradle to grave: Refers to a framework set forth by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) to ensure that waste is safely managed from the time that it is created to when it is transported, stored, and finally disposed of.

Department of Transportation (DOT): An agency of the federal or state government that oversees transportation systems.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): An agency of the federal government of the United States. The EPA was created to protect human health and the environment by promulgating and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress.

Hazardous waste: Waste with a chemical composition or other properties that make it capable of causing illness, death, or some other harm to humans and other life forms when the waste is mismanaged or released into the environment. Hazardous wastes can be liquids, solids, or contained gases.

Hazardous Waste Identification Process (HWIP): A four-step process that determines whether waste is hazardous.

HAZMAT: Refers to a material (such as a flammable or poisonous material) that would be a danger to life or to the environment if released without precautions.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): An agency within the U.S. Department of Labor. OSHA determines and enforces workplace safety and health standards.

Personal protective equipment (PPE): Protective clothing, helmets, goggles, or other garments or equipment designed to protect the wearer's body from injury or infection.

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA): An Act of Congress that allows the EPA to control hazardous waste, including generation, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal.

Safety Data Sheet (SDS): A document that communicates the dangers and risks associated with hazardous materials.

Treatment, storage, and disposal facilities (TSDFs): Facilities that treat, store, and dispose of hazardous waste.

To learn more about Hazardous Waste visit our Hazardous Waste Safety Online Training web page.