Center for Engineering, Occupational Safety

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Center for Engineering, Occupational Safety
Health

• Linda Martin, MSIH, MSEd, CIH Director, OSH
  Program Support VHA Center for Engineering
  Occupational Safety and Health  (CEOSH)    V
  [phone], F [phone]
   Linda.Martin5_at_va.gov CEOSH Website 
  http//vaww.ceosh.med.va.gov

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What is GEMS?

• GEMS stands for Green Environmental
  Management System

• Environmental management system integrated into
  VAMC management

vaww.ceosh.med.va.gov
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Why GEMS?

• EO 13148
• ISO 14001
• Environmental protection
• Pollution prevention
• In balance with economic needs

vaww.ceosh.med.va.gov
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VA Policies on GEMS

• VA EMS Directive issued 9/14/04
• VHA GEMS Directive published 3/7/05

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Beyond Environmental Compliance What our
Stakeholders Want

• Sound environmental performance
• Controlling environmental impact
• Accreditation by JCAHO CAP

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GEMS Benefits for Research

• Better control of hazardous waste which
• Avoids fines that deplete your grant
• Avoids delays due to OSHA EPA
  inspections/citations bomb squad
• Provides state of the art training on research
  environmental compliance to researchers
  assistants

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VHA CO   VA VHA EMS (GEMS)Directive, Training, P
erformance Goals Monitors  
VISNs Gap Analysis (E-SAFE), National Goals  
CEOSH   Guidebooks GEMS, RCRA, Environmental
Compliance. E-SAFE, Compliance audit database  
Facilities GEMS Compliance assurance  
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GEMS Guidebook

• Intro, quick fix/find tables
• GEMS Concepts
• 9-steps to implementation
• Sample environmental impacts for operating units
• Sample policies procedures on CD ROM for easy
  editing
• Evaluation tool E-SAFE
• Technical Resources

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Nine Steps to Establisha Successful GEMS
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VHA GEMS Deployment Status
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VHA Deployment by GEMS Step
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Research Cabinet
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Examples of Pharmaceuticals Exhibiting the
Characteristic of Toxicity
Heavy Metals Selenium, Chromium and Silver
Preservatives thimerosal m-cresol
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Examples of P-Listed Pharmaceuticals
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Hazardous Waste Findings

• Containers not provided with secondary
  containment
• RCRA training not conducted
• Mutual aid agreements not entered into or
  attempted

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Regulated medical waste (201)

• Manifests incomplete or missing (97)
• Wastes not segregated properly (20)
• Improper labeling or containers not red (32)
• Containers overfilled

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Wastewater (41)

• Discharges not included in the permit
• Permit requirements not determined
• Failure to conduct required monitoring
• Impermissible drain disposal of wastes

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Best Practices

• Take charge of GEMS for Research Service
  appoint a champion
• Identify environmental aspects impacts
• Write SOPs for environmental compliance
• Develop monthly inspection checklists for
  environmental compliance
• Document inspections track corrective actions
  in minutes of Research Safety Committee

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Best Practices

• Work with your facility GEMS Coordinator to
  develop and maintain a Chemical Inventory List
  for Research.
• Develop a cradle to grave hazardous
  material management program including
• identification of all chemicals entering research
  facilities
• identification hazardous waste storage procedures
  
• coordinate hazardous waste disposal with the
  facility GEMS Coordinator

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Resources

• vaww.ceosh.med.va.gov
• Guidebooks GEMS, Env Compliance, RCRA
• http//www.fedcenter.gov
• VHA Handbook 1200.6 Control of Hazardous Agents
  in VA Research Labs