Managing chemical wrappers and chemical containers by the wholesale and retail traders Vis-à-vis the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 and the Environmental Quality Act 1974

In the services sector, one prospective area for the contribution and development of SMEs is “Distributive trade” which focus on retail, wholesale, restaurants, motor vehicle distribution, motor vehicle trade and repair services, and franchising. One business undertaken by wholesale and retail trading is distributing and supplying of chemicals to the consumers. Chemical products in particular are move to consumers and to other businesses through the distribution channels. Poorly chosen channels of distribution through which goods and services flow can cause a superior product or service to be out of the market. Workers who are employed in the wholesale or retail industry at the chemical workplaces are required to manage, handle and make delivery of chemicals to client’s base on their demand. The outcomes from the process of repacking are unwanted or throw away chemical wrappers and unwanted or throw away chemical containers. This throw away chemical wrappers and chemical containers fall under the category of Scheduled Waste (SW) that is “SW 409 - Disposed Containers, Bags or Equipment Contaminated with Chemicals, Pesticides, Mineral Oil or Scheduled Wastes.” Some of the health effects due of exposure of this throw away chemical wrappers and chemical containers include skin irritation, occupational asthma, systemic chemical poisoning, chemical burns from corrosives, cancer etcetera. Since these throw away chemical wrappers and chemical containers are classified as schedule waste, hence, these wastes have to be disposed of in accordance with the Environmental Quality Act 1974 with its subsidiary legislation “Environmental Quality (Scheduled Wastes) Regulations 2005.”