Appendix 2: Factors to consider when assessing harm
The factors to consider below are examples only and do not indicate priorities for action.
Examples of harmful properties
Intrinsic properties of hazardous substances
Corrosiveness: The ability to destroy or irreversibly damage another surface or substance it comes into contact with. Examples include acids, such as sulphuric, nitric and hydrochloric acids. The main hazards to people include damage to the eyes, the skin, and the tissue under the skin; inhaling or swallowing a corrosive substance can damage the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts.
Capacity to oxidise: Capable of reacting chemically with oxygen. Examples include the oxidation of carbon to yield carbon dioxide, or the reduction of carbon by hydrogen to yield methane.
Explosiveness: Capable of sudden expansion owing to a release of internal energy; and includes the capability to generate deflagration (subsonic combustion), or pyrotechnic effects. Examples include nitroglycerine or grain dust.
Flammability: How easily something will burn or ignite, causing fire or combustion.
Toxicity (including chronic toxicity): The degree to which a substance is able to damage an exposed organism. Toxicity can refer to the effect on a whole organism, such as an animal, bacterium or plant, as well as the effect on a substructure of the organism, such as a cell (cytotoxicity) or an organ (organotoxicity), such as the liver (hepatotoxicity). Note that the effects are dose-dependent.
Ecotoxicity (with or without bioaccumulation): The potential for biological, chemical or physical stressors to affect ecosystems. Stressors might occur in the natural environment at densities, concentrations or levels high enough to disrupt the natural biochemistry, physiology, behaviour and interactions of the living organisms that make up the ecosystem.
Note: hazardous substances also include those that, on contact with air or water, generate a substance with any one or more of the above properties.
Biological hazards
Infectious disease: A clinically evident illness resulting from the presence of pathogenic microbial agents, including pathogenic viruses, pathogenic bacteria, fungi, protozoa, multicellular parasites, and aberrant proteins known as prions. These pathogens are able to cause disease in animals and/or plants. Infectious pathologies are also called communicable diseases or transmissible diseases due to their potential to transmit from one person or species to another by a replicating agent.
Other forms of harm
Mechanical injury: The ability to result in cuts or grazes. Examples include broken glass and other sharp objects.
Nuisance: The ability to detract from amenity values. Examples include unwanted sights, sounds or smells.
Greenhouse gas emissions: The ability to emit greenhouse gases. Examples include decomposing organic waste.
Examples of methods to minimise exposure
Compliance: Is the labelling, packaging, handling, transportation and disposal of the waste compliant with applicable Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act and Resource Management Act controls?
Labelling: Does the waste’s labelling accurately outline all the hazards or potential hazards to both people and the environment if the waste, or elements of the waste, are exposed to the wide range of conditions that could arise? If there are hazards or potential hazards, does the labelling outline a protocol(s) for minimising the effect of the hazard or minimising the risk of the hazard occurring?
Packaging: Does a waste’s packaging protect both people and the environment if the waste or elements of the waste are exposed to the wide range of conditions that could arise?
Handling and transport: Is the waste handled (for example, stored or transported) in accordance with relevant protocol(s)? Does the handling and transport of the waste protect against any hazardous compound effects that would arise if the waste were to be combined with other wastes?
Disposal: Are there cost-effective means of disposing of a waste once it has reached the end of its life that do not pose a hazard or potential hazard to people and the environment?
Minimising volume: Can the waste or elements of the waste be diverted, recovered or reused? Are there any other measures that could be put in place to minimise the volume of the waste?
