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The following case studies showcase efforts to reduce mercury in the workplace:
Replacing mercury-containing blood pressure machines In its efforts to become mercury-free, the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in Manhattan eliminated all mercury-containing blood pressure machines from its facilities. The motivation for this effort came from the large number of mercury spills HSS experienced every year, as well as the voluntary partnership (memorandum of understanding) developed between the American Hospital Association and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to promote the elimination of mercury in all hospitals by 2005. HSS formed a task force comprised of staff members from the departments of Materials Management, Biomedical Engineering, Safety, Nursing, and Administration to take the following steps:
HSS requested two blood pressure machines from prospective manufacturers and evaluated them in three separate nursing units for a minimum of a week. Many of the nursing staff did not like the aneroid machines. Nurses complained that the needle bounced, making an accurate blood pressure difficult to read. The task force proceeded to acquire other brand samples until two models that “bounced the least” were decided upon. A facility-wide survey determined that 350 machines were needed. Based on this large quantity, HSS was able to purchase the most popular unit at a very competitive price. HSS required that the chosen manufacturer take responsibility for the proper disposal of the outgoing mercury units. The initial plan was to store the new machines and phase them in floor by floor. Storage proved to be unnecessary because the bulk of the machines were delivered between Christmas and New Year, a slow period for HSS, and were installed right away. Source: Hospital for Special Surgery’s (Susan Kreiss, Director of Materials Management) presentation at the Greater New York Hospital Association’s Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Conference, March 2003. ALSO SEE mercury in tips for your business for additional information on reducing mercury in healthcare facilities. The Port Authority of NY & NJ at LaGuardia Airport (PA-LGA), a partner in the NYC WasteLe$$ Business Project, implemented a program to recycle its mercury-containing fluorescent tubes in 1996. Fluorescent lights are one of the most energy-efficient lighting sources available. However, fluorescent lighting tubes contain mercury, and under current federal law, mercury-containing lamps, such as fluorescent and high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps, may be considered hazardous waste. PA-LGA replaces all of its fluorescent tubes each year, resulting in thousands of tubes being recycled per year. When the recycler receives the lamps for processing, aluminum end caps, insulators, and wires are separated from the glass and then melted for reuse. The recovered glass is used in concrete, fiberglass insulation, or other (non-food- or drink-related) glass products. Another process extracts and captures the mercury from the lamps for reuse in industrial and automotive electrical applications. As the table below indicates, Port Authority at LaGuardia Airport saved more than $5,000 over a two-year period by recycling its fluorescent lamps instead of disposing of them as hazardous waste.
Source: NYC WasteLe$$ Business Project findings and conversations with LaGuardia Airport facilities management, Spring 2003 ALSO SEE fluorescent lamps in NYCWasteLe$$ government for additional information on lamp management. Investing in fluorescent bulb crushers In an effort to cut disposal costs and be more environmentally friendly, Metro North purchased a fluorescent bulb crusher and began recycling its fluorescent bulbs. The crusher is a covered 55-gallon drum that holds a crusher, vacuum, and HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter to contain dust and mercury released during crushing. The machine is currently being used on a trial basis at the Metro North shop at Croton-on-Hudson, with hopes to expand its use to other yards. This site employs about 500 employees. They recycle approximately 4,000 bulbs a month, using two to three drums a month. The filter bag is changed after the filling of each drum, and the filter is changed every ten drums. Both items are disposed of with the contents of the drums. Before investing in the crusher, Metro North was disposing of the bulbs as universal waste at a cost of $5,000 to $6,000 per month. By turning to recycling and decreasing (via the bulb crusher) the volume of materials that needed to be handled, Metro North has reduced their bulb-handling costs to approximately $300 a drum or $900 per month. Source: Metro North’s environmental management department, Spring 2003 ALSO SEE fluorescent lamps in NYCWasteLe$$ government for additional information on lamp management.
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Mercury Case Studies
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