1

Queen Mary University of London (QMUL)

Occupational Health and Safety Directorate (OHSD)

Safe Disposal of HEPA Filters – QMUL Arrangements

Briefing Note to Safety Coordinators and Key Managers – 30 July 2014

Introduction

Air discharged from a Microbiological Safety Cabinet (MSC) to atmosphere passes through a High Efficiency Particle Absorption (HEPA) filter in order to remove contaminants. Other Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) equipment may also contain HEPA filters (e.g. fume cupboards used with nano-materials, clean rooms with clean air extraction systems, bench top glove boxes used for preparation of cytotoxic drugs). Depending on the nature of the contaminant, safe decontamination and final disposal procedures for HEPA filters must be in place to ensure the health and safety of the users, maintenance / cleaning staff, service engineers and waste disposal contractors.

The following details the arrangements at QMUL to ensure health and safety for HEPA filter disposal:

Biological contaminants

  1. Containment Level 3 Laboratories (for ACDP HG 3 wild type pathogens, GM Class 3 GMMO’s, Group 3 SAPO Agents or other biological material equivalent to HG 3)

All HEPA filters from Containment Level 3 MSC’s and room extraction systems must be fumigated with a validated fumigant before removal from the laboratory

(see for further information on fumigants).

The filters must be safely and securely packaged in appropriate hazardous waste bags*by the service engineer and uplifted by an authorised hazardous waste contractor for final disposal by high temperature incineration.

The filters must NOT be placed in clinical waste collection bins awaiting collection, as filters will not be upliftedfrom these collection bins by the hazardous waste contractor.They must be kept in a safe place in the laboratory until uplift.

A service contract with the MSC servicing company should be in place for the safe change/removal and final disposal of HEPA filters.

Where the current service contractheld by a department does not include the disposal of HEPA filters, OHSD will arrange with the current authorised hazardouswaste contractor for uplift and final disposal by incineration, and arrange payment for the service. The details of the HEPA filters must be completed as per the REQUESTFORM below and sent to OHSD who will then arrange for uplift and final disposal.

Please note that uplift will depend on the schedule of the hazardous waste contractor.

A completed QMUL Declaration of Decontamination Form and the fumigation contractor / service engineer’s ‘safe for disposal’ certificate must be completed and attached to all packaged HEPA filters and where OHSD are requested to arrange final disposal, copies sent in with the REQUEST FORM or as soon as they are prepared(Declaration of Decontamination formavailable at

  1. Containment Level 2 Laboratories (for ACDP HG2 wild type pathogens, GM Class 2 GMMO’s or Group 2 SAPO Agents, HG 2 or equivalent Prion Agents, or other biological material equivalent to HG 2)
  1. GM Class 2 GMMO’s / Group 2 SAPO Agents

HEPA filters from MSC’swhere GM Class 2 GMMO’s or Group 2 SAPO Agents are handled should be either (i) ‘made safe’ (e.g. by disinfection with a validated disinfectant) or (ii) fumigated with a validated fumigant.

Due to GM/environmental legislative requirements for both these categories of agents,the filters must then be safely and securely packaged in appropriate hazardous waste bags* by the service engineer and uplifted by an authorised hazardous waste contractor for final disposal by high temperature incineration.

The filters must NOT be placed in clinical waste collection bins awaiting collection, as filters will not be uplifted from the collection bins by the hazardous waste contractor. They must be kept in a safe place in the laboratory until uplift.

A service contract with the safety cabinet servicing company should be in place for the safe change/removal and final disposal of HEPA filters.

Where the current service contract held by a department does not include the disposal of HEPA filters, OHSD will arrange with the current authorised hazardous waste contractor for uplift and final disposal by incineration and arrange payment for the service. The details of the HEPA filters must be completed as per the REQUEST FORM below and sent to OHSD who will then arrange for uplift and final disposal.

Please note that uplift will depend on the schedule of the hazardous waste contractor.

A completed QMUL Declaration of Decontamination Form andthe fumigation contractor / service engineer’s ‘safe for disposal’ certificate must be completed and attached to the packaged HEPA filters, and where OHSD are requested to arrange final disposal, copies sent in with the REQUEST FORM or as soon as they are prepared.(Declaration of Decontamination formavailable at

  1. ACDP HG2 wild type pathogens

HEPA filters from MSC’s where ACDP HG2 wild type pathogens are handled should be either (i) ‘made safe’ (e.g. by disinfection with a validated disinfectant) or (ii) fumigated with a validated fumigant.

A completed QMUL Declaration of Decontamination Form and the fumigation contractor / service engineer’s ‘safe for disposal’ certificate must be completed to certify that sufficient decontamination has been conducted (i.e. filters are now ofnegligible risk, including residual risks from a fumigant or other chemical/hazardous substance contaminants) and attached to the HEPA filters.

The filters can then be deemed ‘safe for disposal’ and disposed into domestic waste (e.g. can be sent to QMUL domestic waste stream). Uplift and disposal into domestic waste stream should be arranged with QMUL Estates & Facilities.(See

If exposure riskstill remains after the decontamination process, then the arrangements for incineration noted in B1 above should be followed. Where OHSD are requested to arrange final disposal of filters, copies of QMUL Declaration of Decontamination Form and the fumigation contractor / service engineer’s ‘safe for disposal’ certificate forms must be sent in with the REQUEST FORM or as soon as they are prepared.

  1. Prion Agents classified as ACDP HG 2 or GM Class 2

HEPA filters from MSC’s where Prion Agents classified as ACDP HG 2 or GM Class 2 GMMO’s are handled should be ‘made safe’ (e.g. by disinfection with a validated disinfectant) and securely packaged in clinical waste bags by the service engineer and uplifted by an authorised waste contractor for high temperature incineration. Prion Agents causing Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSE’s) are resistant to fumigants.

The arrangements for incineration noted in B 1 above should then be followed.

  1. HG2 equivalent tissue / blood / primary cell or other biological materials

HEPA filters from MSC’s where the above noted HG2 equivalent materials are handled should be either (i) ‘made safe’ (e.g. by disinfection with a validated disinfectant) or (ii) fumigated with a validated fumigant.

A completed QMUL Declaration of Decontamination Form and the fumigation contractor / service engineer’s ‘safe for disposal’ certificate must be completed to certify that sufficient decontamination has been conducted (i.e. filters are now of negligible risk, including residual risks from a fumigant or other chemical/hazardous substance contaminants) and attached to the HEPA filters.

The filters can then be deemed ‘safe for disposal’ and disposed into domestic waste (e.g. can be sent to QMUL domestic waste compactors). Uplift and disposal into domestic waste should be arranged with QMUL Estates & Facilities.(See

If exposure riskstill remainsafter the decontamination process, then the arrangements for incineration noted in B1 above should be followed.Where OHSD are requested to arrange final disposal, copies of QMUL Declaration of Decontamination Form and the fumigation contractor / service engineer’s ‘safe for disposal’ certificate forms must be sent in with the REQUEST FORM or as soon as they are prepared.

  1. ACDP HG 1biological agents, GM Class 1 GMMO’s and HG 1 equivalent tissue / blood / primary cell work and other non-hazardous work

HEPA filters from MSC’sused with the above noted low risk agents / materials should be decontaminated (e.g. by disinfection with a validated disinfectant).

The filters can then be deemed ‘safe for disposal’ (i.e. filters are now of negligible risk, including residual risks from a fumigant or other chemical/hazardous substance contaminants) and disposed into domestic waste (e.g. can be sent to QMUL domestic waste stream). Uplift and disposal into domestic waste should be arranged with QMUL Estates & Facilities.(See

A completed Declaration of QMUL Decontamination Form and where relevant, the service engineer’s ‘safe for disposal’ certificate must be completed to certify that sufficient decontamination has been conducted (i.e.filters are now of negligible risk) and attached to the HEPA filters.

Where no hazardous work has been conducted in an MSC or other LEV equipment, HEPA filters can be disposed into domestic waste with a completed QMUL Declaration of Decontamination Form attached, attesting ‘negligible risk’ status.Uplift and disposal into domestic waste should be arranged with QMUL Estates & Facilities.(See

  1. Significant quantities of nano-materials / cytotoxic compounds or other toxic / chemicals that can absorb onto the filter

Where MSC’s, fume cupboards or other LEV systems are used with significant quantities of hazardous nano-materials, cytotoxic compounds or other toxic chemicals that absorb onto the filter, these HEPA filters must be safely and securely packaged in appropriate labelled hazardous waste bags* by the service engineer and uplifted by an authorised waste contractor for high temperature incineration.

Where these HEPA filtered LEV systems are also used with biological materials, the filters must be decontaminated first according to the risk level of the biological agents, as noted above.

These filters must NOT be placed in a clinical waste collection bins awaiting collection, as filters will not be uplifted from the collection bins by the hazardous waste contractor.They must be kept in a safe place in the laboratory until uplift.

A service contract with the LEV servicing company should be in place for the safe change/removal and final disposal of HEPA filters.

Where the current service contract held by a department does not include the disposal of HEPA filters, OHSD will arrange for uplift and final disposal by incineration with an authorised hazardous waste contractor,and arrangepayment for the service. The details of the HEPA filters must be completed as per the form below and sent to OHSD who will then arrange for uplift and disposal.

Please note that uplift will depend on the schedule of the hazardous waste contractor.

A completed QMUL Declaration of Decontamination Form and the fumigation contractor / service engineer’s ‘safe for disposal’ certificate must be completed and attached to the packaged HEPA filtersand copies sent in with the REQUEST FORM, or as soon as they are prepared(Declaration of Decontamination formavailable at

  1. Radioactive materials

If HEPA filters are used with radioactive materials, please contact the QMUL Radiation Protection Manager to ascertainarrangements for disposal.

*Colour coded Hazardous Waste Bags for packaginghazardous filters:

(Must be heavy duty bags appropriate for the weight / size of the filters, with the required UN approved coding for incineration)

Clinical waste for incineration

Solely Cytotoxic waste for incineration

Solely Toxic chemical (incl hazardous nano-materials waste) for incineration

Clinical and Cytotoxic for incineration

Clinical and Toxic for incineration

(Hazardous Waste Bags can be procured from the current hazardous waste contractor via OHSD – contact Mark Ariyanayagam)

For further information, please contact:

Mark Ariyanayagam

H&S Manager (SMD) & Biological Safety Adviser (QMUL)

Occupational Health & Safety Directorate

Tel 0207 882 8378

Paul Cassell

H&S Manager (Sc & Eng) & Radiation Protection Manager (QMUL)

Occupational Health & Safety Directorate

Tel 0207 882 8969

QMUL Standards and Guidance for Biological / Chemical hazards and LEV Equipment:

LEV Standard

Biological Agents incl MSC

General Laboratory Safety

Laboratory Hazardous Waste Management / Clinical Waste Briefing Notes

Mark Ariyanayagam

30 July 2014, revised 1 Aug 2014

Checked by Marion Richards, 31 July 2014.

Abbreviations

ACDP: Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens

SAPO: Specified Animal Pathogens Order

GMMO: Genetically Modified Micro Organism

HG: Hazard Group

REQUEST FORM for HEPA Filter Disposal

  1. Name of Disposer:
  1. Institute / School / Directorate:
  1. Telephone number:
  1. Email Address:
  1. Campus:
  1. Building:
  1. Room HEPA filters stored in:
  1. Number of HEPA filters:
  1. Size/s of HEPA filters:
  1. Biological Agents or Contaminants used with these HEPA filters:

ACDP HG 3 wild type pathogens, GM Class 3 GMMO’s, Group 3 SAPO Agentsor other biological material equivalent to HG 3 Yes/No

GM Class 2 GMMO’s / Group 2 SAPO AgentsYes/No

ACDP HG2 wild type pathogens / HG2 equivalent biological materialYes/No

Prion Agents classified as ACDP HG 2 or GM Class 2Yes/No

Significant quantities of nano-materials, cytotoxic compoundsor absorbed toxic chemicals Yes/No

Other contaminants (e.g. residual fumigant / disinfectant, toxic chemical, nanoparticles) Yes/No

State Contaminant/s / Biological Agent/s or Material’s name/s:

  1. Current departmental service contract with LEV Service Company includes arrangements & payment for final disposal Yes/No
  1. Declaration of Decontamination Form completed, and attached to packaged filter:

Yes / No

  1. Where relevant, Service Engineer’s ‘Safe for Disposal’ Form completed and attached to filter package: Yes / No

(Without the completed form/s noted in 12 and where relevant 13, prepared this request for disposal CANNOT be completed with the Hazardous Waste Contractor).

SendREQUEST FORM and other documentation to

Electronically to: Mark Ariyanayagam

Or by internal mail to: Mark Ariyanayagam, OHSD, 404 Bancroft Rd, Mile End Campus

OHSD Use

Form received: Documentation complete: Yes / No

Payment from OHSD budget: Yes / No

Uplift date: Disposer informed of uplift date: Yes/No

Safe Disposal of HEPA Filters – QMUL Arrangements OHSD Briefing Note to Safety Coordinators and Key Managers – 30 July 2014