Risk analysis in the operation of waste electrical and electronic equipment recycling plants

Caetano, Marcelo Oliveira; Leon, Lucas Ganzer de; Padilha, Daiane Westhpal; Gomes, Luciana Paulo

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Original Article • Gest. Prod. 26 (2) • 2019 • https://doi.org/10.1590/0104-530X3018-19 copy

Risk analysis in the operation of waste electrical and electronic equipment recycling plants

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Abstract

when inappropriately carried out, management of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) may potentially damage the environment and affect the health of workers. The identification and evaluation of environmental and occupational health risks are essential tools in the prevention of accidents and environmental protection. Despite extensive regulation, WEEE management organizations in Brazil fail to recognize the importance of appropriately address risks associated with their processes and activities. This study developed and tested a methodology to analyze environmental and occupational health risks. The aim was to produce a tool to help WEEE management organizations in decision-making in high priority scenarios. The results show that most environmental impacts and occupational risks classified as significant are associated with the production processes sorting and disassembly of WEEE. However, potential environmental impacts are associated with the transportation of WEEE and coproducts. Accident risks represented 69% of the sum of all risk levels associated with occupational health.

Keywords:
WEEE; Risks; Risk management; Environmental impacts; Occupational health

Score	Description
Normal (0)	Expected situations associated with operational routine (electrical energy use).
Abnormal (5)	Non-routine events such as risk of slight/intermediate damage to the environment and/or health of workers (small leaks).
Emergency (10)	Unexpected events that may cause severe damage to the environment and/or health of workers (fire, leaks, spills, explosion).

Score	Description
Score	Environment	Occupational safety and health
Local (1)	Local impact (small leaks).	Paramedic care and/or emergency care given by the organization’s own staff (dizziness, low blood pressure, back pain, limb twisting).
Near (2)	Impact spreads beyond the event site and is restricted to the organization’s property boundaries (starting of a fire).	Transportation to a hospital in a conventional car (skin wounds, minor fractures).
Intermediate (3)	Impact within a 100-km radius around the organization’s property boundaries (contamination due to the inappropriate fate of waste).	Transport to a hospital in an ambulance (amputations, severe intoxication, lesions on the back caused by falls).
Distant (4)	Impact beyond a 100-km radius around the organization’s property boundaries (electrical energy consumption, transportation of hazardous waste to another state in the country).	Actions requiring the transportation of victims of the accident to another state in the country or another country (severe lesions in the respiratory system, mucosae, and skin, occupational cancer).

Score	Description
Score	Environment	Occupational safety and health
Mild (1)	Easily revertible low-cost impacts (small oil leaks in the company).	Occupational health problems not requiring sick leave (dizziness, mild headaches).
Moderate (2)	Impacts within the organization’s property boundaries mitigated or recovered using the organization’s own structure (starting of a fire).	Treatable injuries and/or occupational health problems that can be treated and require sick leave under 15 days.
Serious (3)	Impacts within the organization’s property boundaries that can be mitigated using in-house and external structures (contamination with Class I waste spills).	Injuries and severe occupational health problems whose effects may be reverted or that may heal requiring sick leave over 15 days.
Severe (4)	Severe environmental impacts that require outside structure to be recovered or mitigated (large fires).	Casualties and high-morbidity, severe injuries and occupational diseases with sequelae such as occupational health, acute fatal diseases, and systemic diseases.

Score	Criteria
Extremely remote (1)	Event that never occurs in a company or whose probability to occur is one in over one year (fires, deaths).
Remote (2)	Event that may occur at least once a year in the organization (accidents requiring sick leave over 15 days).
Possible (3)	Event that may occur at least once a month in the organization (dispatch of Class I waste to be treated in another organization or to disposal).
Frequent (4)	Event that may occur at least once a week in the organization (fuel consumption).
Very frequent (5)	Event that may occur at least once a day in the organization (electrical energy consumption, inappropriate posture of worker).

Score	Risk levels	Priorities of action
GR ≥ 15	Critical (Significant)	Priority (1), high priority actions (6 months)
9 < GR < 15	Moderate (Significant)	Priority (2) intermediate priority actions (12 months).
GR ≤ 9	Negligible (Not significant)	Priority (3) non-priority actions (24 months)

Characterization		Analysis and significance
Aspect / Risk to OHS	Impact / Damage	Operational situation	Range	Severity	Frequency	Risk level	Priority	Significance
Electrical energy consumption	Diminished availability of non-renewable or scarce natural resources	0	4	5	3	12	2	S
Generation of hazardous waste (cutting disks, batteries)	Hydrological contamination	0	3	5	3	11	2	S
Generation of hazardous waste (cutting disks, batteries)	Soil contamination	0	3	5	3	11	2	S
Generation of WEEE	Hydrological contamination	0	3	5	3	11	2	S
Generation of WEEE	Soil contamination	0	3	5	3	11	2	S
Fire	Changes in air quality	10	2	1	3	16	1	S
	Hydrological contamination	10	2	1	3	16	1	S
	Soil contamination	10	2	1	3	16	1	S
	Greenhouse effect – CO₂ emissions	10	2	1	3	16	1	S
	Risk to physical facilities	10	2	1	3	16	1	S
Sum of risk level values for this section of the matrix						136 points

Process	Environmental aspects identified	Significant environmental aspects
Management	26	5 (19%)
Transfer of WEEE to Reception	19	5 (26%)
Reception	16	6 (38%)
Sorting	10	5 (50%)
Disassembly	12	6 (50%)
Storage and dispatch of coproduct	14	5 (36%)
Storage and dispatch of waste	14	5 (36%)
Transportation of coproducts	18	3 (17%)
Storage, treatment, and fate of waste	19	4 (21%)
Total	148	44 (30%)

Identification		Analysis and significance
Aspect / risk to OHS	Impact / damage	Operational situation	Range	Severity	Frequency	Risk level	Priority	Significance
Accident risk: fire	Burns, death	10	3	0	4	17	1	S
Accident risk: work with sharp, cutting objects	Surface and deep wounds	5	3	5	3	16	1	S
Accident risk: objects hauled at eyes	Cuts, eye lesions, blindness	5	3	5	3	16	1	S
Ergonomic risk: weight lift	Muscle distension, low back pain	0	2	5	2	9	3	Non-significant
Chemical risk: exposure to toxic gases (broken monitor or other WEEE)	Respiratory problems	5	2	2	3	12	2	Significant
Chemical risk: direct contact with contaminated WEEE	Dermatitis, rash	0	2	5	3	10	2	S
Sum of risk levels for this section of the matrix						80 points

Process	Risks identified	Significant risks
Management	9	6 (67%)
Transportation of WEEE to Reception	12	7 (58%)
Reception	15	9 (60%)
Sorting	15	9 (60%)
Disassembly	16	10 (63%)
Storage and dispatch of coproduct	15	9 (60%)
Storage and dispatch of waste	15	10 (67%)
Transportation of coproducts	12	7 (58%)
Transport, treatment, and fate of waste	12	7 (58%)
Total	121	74 (61%)

Universidade Federal de São Carlos Departamento de Engenharia de Produção , Caixa Postal 676 , 13.565-905 São Carlos SP Brazil, Tel.: +55 16 3351 8471 - São Carlos - SP - Brazil
E-mail: gp@dep.ufscar.br

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