MANAGER DIRECTIVE
MD-13/ February 18, 2015
To: Flagship FastLube Management Team
Subject: Oil Water Separators
Oil/water separators (O/WSs) help remove oils and greases from wastewater streams and storm water discharges. They operate “in line” through a number of separation methods, including gravity, coalescing, flotation, and others. In our industry, O/WSs are necessary due to the large amount of work we perform with oil, petroleum, and grease. Each Flagship Fastlube shop has one O/WS on site, and the store manager must ensure all employees are aware of the location, function, and their responsibilities regarding the equipment.
An O/WS may be perceived as a convenient place to dispose of any type of waste or oily water waste; however, this misperception may result in unapproved and hazardous discharges to the wastewater and/or storm water system. Items in out industry/shops that SHOULD NOT go through O/WSs include antifreeze, degreasers, fuels, and large amounts of concentrated oily products. These items can break up oil into small droplets and prevent proper separation, create harmful vapors, and overload the equipment and allow discharges to the sewer.
The proper functioning of O/WSs depends on proper usage, routine inspection, and any necessary service and maintenance. Every employee is responsible for keeping unapproved items out of the O/WSs and reporting any spills or events that result in unapproved items entering the drain and/or O/WSs.
Unitek will conduct the annual inspection of the O/WSs in October of each calendar year. This will be managed and scheduled by the director of safety and environmental compliance (DSEC) and facilitated by the store manager when Unitek arrives on site. Any other issues or needs concerning the O/WSs will need to be communicated to the DSEC so Unitek can be called in if necessary to perform any other services.
It is extremely important that all proper paperwork is verified and signed for by the store manager or DSEC when the inspection or any necessary maintenance is performed. This is a regulatory requirement, and we cannot afford to mismanage the paperwork when it comes to O/WSs! The store manager will ensure that a copy of the O/WS manifest/work order is made and placed in the shop binder, and the original paperwork will be sent to the main office with daily paperwork for proper filing.
Amber N. Pair
Director of Safety & Environmental Compliance
Fastlube Inc.
961 Center Street, Wahiawa, Hawaii 96786 Office (808) 621-0899 Fax (808) 621-1617