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Title / Describe a type of special hazardous waste and explain safe methods for its collection and storage
Level / 2 / Credits / 3
Purpose / This unit standard is for people working in the specialist area of hazardous substance resource recovery and waste disposal.
People credited with this unit standard are able to describe a type of special hazardous waste received for treatment or disposal and explain safe methods for collecting and storing the special hazardous waste.
Classification / Solid Waste > Hazardous and Special Waste Management
Available grade / Achieved
Explanatory notes
1References relevant to this unit standard include where relevant:
Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996;
Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992;
Hazardous Substances (Classes 6, 8, and 9 Controls) Regulations 2001;
Hazardous Substances (Classifications) Regulations 2001;
Hazardous Substances (Disposal) Regulations 2001;
Hazardous Substances (Packaging) Regulations 2001;
Health and Safety in Employment (Asbestos) Regulations 1998;
Radiation Protection Regulations 1982;
NZS 5433:1999 Transport of Dangerous Goods on Land;
Land Transport Rule: Dangerous Goods 2005;
Approved Code of Practice for the Management of Substances Hazardous to Health in the Place of Work, Occupational Safety and Health Service, available at NZ);
International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code(IMDG Code), 2012 International Maritime Organisation available at
material safety data sheets.
2Assessment against this unit standard excludes clinical waste and the transport of hazardous waste by road.
3Evidence is required for one type of special hazardous waste.
4Definitions
Company procedures mean the documented methods for performing work activities and include health and safety, environmental, and quality management requirements. They may refer to manuals, codes of practice, or policy statements.
Special hazardous waste means harmful waste that is prohibited, by central or local government regulation, from disposal at a landfill. It includes waste that is flammable, toxic, ecotoxic, spontaneously combustible, corrosive, or radioactive, but excludes explosives. The treatment and disposal of special hazardous waste is restricted to specialist hazardous waste facilities. For this unit standard, special hazardous waste substances may include but are not limited to – spent batteries, asbestos, agrichemical waste, quarantine waste, electrical transformers containing polychlorinated biphenyls.
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Describe a type of special hazardous waste received for treatment or disposal.
Evidence requirements
1.1The description identifies characteristics of the special hazardous waste in terms of physical and chemical properties.
Rangemay include but is not limited to – volatility, response when wet.
1.2The description identifies the constituents of the special hazardous waste and describes them in terms of their pan-life cycle.
Rangeevidence is required of at least three constituents.
1.3The description identifies and explains hazards and handling precautions for the special hazardous waste in accordance with material safety data sheets and company procedures.
Rangeevidence is required of three hazardous substance classes.
Outcome 2
Explain safe methods for collecting and storing the special hazardous waste.
Rangethe special hazardous waste described in outcome1.
Evidence requirements
2.1The collection and storage of the special hazardous waste are explained in terms of mandatory requirements.
Rangemandatory requirements may include – legislation, regulations, bylaws, codes of practice, certification, registration.
2.2Safe methods for collecting the special hazardous waste are explained in accordance with company procedures.
Rangemay include but is not limited to – designated area, container, quantity, segregation, item identification, documentation, emergency procedures.
2.3Safe methods for storing the special hazardous waste are explained in accordance with company procedures and material safety data sheets.
Rangestorage – temporary, long-term;
may include but is not limited to – designated area, container, quantity, segregation, storage identification, documentation, emergency procedures.
Planned review date / 31 December 2019Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process / Version / Date / Last Date for AssessmentRegistration / 1 / 25 October 2007 / 31 December 2017
Review / 2 / 16 April 2015 / N/A
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference / 0114
This CMR can be accessed at
Please note
Providers must be granted consent to assess against standards (accredited) by NZQA, before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses of study leading to that assessment.
Industry Training Organisations must be granted consent to assess against standards by NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.
Providers and Industry Training Organisations, which have been granted consent and which are assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards.
Requirements for consent to assess and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this standard are outlined in the Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR). The CMR also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors and assessors, and special resource requirements.
Comments on this unit standard
Please contact the NZ Motor Industry Training Organisation (Incorporated) (MITO) if you wish to suggest changes to the content of this unit standard.
NZ Motor Industry Training Organisation (Incorporated) (MITO)SSB Code 101542 / New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2018