When closing down a facility, it’s important to ensure that you follow a set of tasks to prevent contamination of the environment. That’s why for this matter, a facility closure checklist is an excellent tool to have.
If you haven’t closed down a facility before, you might not know how the process works or how to create and utilize a facility closure checklist. That’s fine, by the way—we’ve got you covered!
This article will discuss a facility closure checklist and how you can make one for your business. A systematic process for facility closure will help ensure that your business complies with all applicable regulations.
What is a Facility Closure?
It is simply shutting down a facility or site. It follows a set of tasks that include the proper disposal of hazardous wastes and materials at the site. This is done to prevent contamination of the immediate vicinity and environment.
When you’re closing down a facility, it’s important to make sure that you have a checklist to ensure that you’re following all the necessary steps. This checklist will help you track what needs to be done to close your facility properly.
Why is Facility Closure Important?
Apart from being a federal law requirement, this is important because it helps protect the environment from contamination. When you properly dispose of hazardous wastes and materials, you’re helping to prevent pollution and contamination of the air, water, and soil.
Additionally, it helps ensure the safety of the workers tasked with closing down the site. By having a checklist, you can make sure that all the necessary safety precautions are being taken.
Sites That Benefit from Facility Closure
Most of the time, healthcare facilities and manufacturing plants benefit the most from having a facility closure checklist. These sites usually generate a lot of hazardous waste and materials.
If you’re unsure if your facility would benefit from this checklist, you can always consult with an environmental health and safety consultant. They will be able to help you assess your facility and determine if a facility closure checklist is right for you.
Types of Facility Closure
The type of facility closure will depend on how a facility disposes of waste. With that said, there are two types of facility closures: clean closure and closure with the waste in place.
Clean Closure
Clean closure includes completely removing all hazardous wastes and materials from the facility. Once the site is cleared of all these materials, they can be turned over to the local municipality for reuse.
The main advantage of clean closure is that it reduces the chances of contamination. However, it can be quite costly down the line.
Closure with the Waste in Place
This type involves leaving the hazardous wastes and materials on-site and sealing them off. The site is then monitored to ensure the hazardous materials don’t leak out and cause contamination.
Closure with the waste in place is less effective than clean closure, but it’s a lot less expensive. At the same time, it still poses a risk to the environment if hazardous materials leak out.
What is a Facility Closure Checklist?
It is simply a list of all the tasks that need to be completed to close down a facility properly. This checklist should be followed to ensure that the facility is closed safely and promptly.
The checklist should include all the necessary steps for disposing of hazardous wastes and materials and monitoring the site after the facility has been closed.
The Facility Closure Process
Before you can incorporate a facility closure checklist, it’s important to know the entire process. Doing so will help you understand why each task on the checklist is important. This will typically include the following procedures:
Before the Operation of a Facility
Before Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facilities (TSDFs) or Hazardous Waste Management Units (HWMUs) are allowed to operate; they are required by law to produce a written closure and contingency plan. They will then need to approve this plan as part of the facility’s permit.
During Operation
Healthcare facilities and other types of facilities should secure and update contact information so that, in the event of a closure, the correct people can be notified with the required timeline before closing the facility completely.
In addition, facility managers should keep track of their hazardous wastes and materials throughout the duration of their operations and ensure that incidents such as spills are mitigated. At the same time, issues that happen and the appropriate action taken should be recorded accordingly.
After Closure
Unlike clean closure, closure with waste in place needs post-closure care that could last for three decades. Depending on the site, post-closure can involve risk management activities such as site inspections, groundwater monitoring, and maintenance. These activities will determine how to close or seal the unit or site properly.
Meanwhile, for clean closure sites that have been turned over to the municipality, it is important to have a site assessment and/or environmental site investigation done to ensure that the facility is free of hazardous wastes and materials.
Use DATAMYTE to Create a Facility Closure Checklist
Creating something as important as a facility closure checklist should not be taken lightly. This is where DATAMYTE comes in to help. With our workflow automation software, you can create a digital facility closure checklist that you can manage and monitor in real-time.
The DataMyte Digital Clipboard is a workflow expert that can create a comprehensive facility closure checklist to help you make sure that nothing is missed. At the same time, you can also create digital checklists and other forms to help you with the entire process.
Having all the tasks in one place ensures that your facility closure process will comply with all the necessary regulations. At the same time, you can also share it with other team members so that everyone is on the same page.
To learn more about how DATAMYTE can help you with your facility closure checklist, book a demo with us today.
Conclusion
Creating a facility closure checklist may seem daunting, but it’s quite simple. All you need is a list of the tasks that need to be completed to close down your facility properly. Once you have that, you can use DATAMYTE to create a digital facility closure checklist that you can manage and monitor in real-time.
