Final answer:
Hazardous waste is any material that poses substantial health or environmental risks and includes those with properties like ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, and toxicity. OSHA and the EPA regulate the management of hazardous waste to ensure safety and protect public health. Employers are required to educate employees on these hazards and implement safety measures.
Step-by-step explanation:
A hazardous material (hazmat) is defined by OSHA as a substance that may cause harm, serious injury, or death to humans or animals, or damage to the environment if released. Hazardous waste poses substantial or potential threats to public health or the environment and can manifest in different states such as gaseous, liquids, or solids. The RCRA's legal definition of hazardous waste indicates it's a waste with properties that may cause an increase in mortality, serious illness, or constitute a significant hazard when managed improperly.
The EPA has established a hazardous waste management program, which includes measures for recycling, treatment, storage, and disposal to ensure these dangers are appropriately mitigated. Characteristic hazardous wastes have specific properties such as ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, and toxicity, making them dangerous. Moreover, OHSA provides regulations to protect workers from these hazards, requiring employers to inform and train employees about potential dangers, and preferentially utilize safety measures that eliminate or reduce hazards.