BEST PRACTICES

Even when not required by environmental regulations, the following best practices are recommended. In some instances, best practices presented here are actually required by regulations.

Training employees on proper procedures to reduce your facility's impact on the environment is a best practice. More detailed training information is provided in the regulatory requirements sections of the EVC. Employee training may include the following:

1. Spill response training for personnel who handle hazardous material,
2. Right-to-know awareness training, and
3. Hazardous materials management.

Utilize these best practices to lessen the impact of amalgam handling:

1. Consider purchasing an amalgam recycling unit, or if not cost-effective, utilize the services of an amalgam recycler.
2. Consider the use of mercury-free materials, as appropriate.
3. Use precapsulated alloys of the smallest possible size to minimize amalgam waste that needs to be managed.
4. Place leftover material in an airtight container for recycling.
5. Place empty capsules in the trash.
6. Shavings and drilling waste from restoration procedures can be intercepted by drain traps and screens. Consult with your equipment supplier to determine the most appropriate mesh size to use in the drain traps.
7. Clean screens and traps at least once a week or more frequently as needed.
8. Screen, draintrap material, or extracted filled teeth should not be placed in the medical waste bag or general solid waste. Medical waste may be incinerated and will release the mercury to the atmosphere.
9. Care should be taken when amalgam waste that has contacted human body fluids is handled. Some dentists place the removed traps inside a glove to prevent exposure. The container in which contact amalgam is stored should be red or labeled with the appropriate symbol and the word "biohazardous."

1. Never put scrap amalgam in the sharps container or in the red biohazard bag.
2. Never place scrap amalgam in the trash.
3. Never rinse scrap amalgam down the drain.
4. Never place extracted teeth with the amalgam in the red biohazard bag. Extracted teeth should be put in the "CONTACT AMALGAM" container.