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Guide for Appliance Recyclers June 2004 number of mercury switches shipped, date they were shipped, and name and address of the facility to which the mercury switches were shipped. A sample shipping record is provided in Appendix G. The following records also must be kept on paper or electronically for at least three years: • the total number of appliances destined for shredding; • the total number of appliances destined for crushing, baling, shearing, or shredding that were determined to contain one or more mercury switches; • the number of mercury switches removed from these appliances; and • the number of appliances from which mercury switches could not be removed due to the damaged condition of the appliance. MERCURY SAFETY AND SPILL GUIDELINES General Safety Precautions Because mercury is harmful if inhaled, ingested, or touched, proper safety precautions must be followed at all times. Further, you must be prepared to deal with spills or leaks of mercury from switches. • Before you begin handling mercury switches, be sure to have a plan in place for responding to a mercury spill. Your plan should include precautions to prevent spills and leaks from occurring and procedures to prevent the exposure of employees to mercury in the event that a spill does occur. The plan should cover: ■ appropriate personal protective equipment, ■ procedures for cleaning a spill, ■ waste management procedures, ■ first aid procedures, ■ when to summon emergency responders (such as the local fire department's hazardous materials team), and ■ proper disposition of mercury and cleanup residues. Consult with your fire department when developing your plan, and make sure you have the necessary cleanup supplies (spill cleanup kits, containers) and personal protective equipment on hand beforeyoubegin handling mercury switches. -rvp - V�` yy u�1PTF y 8, Eik�2i`k "' �£� � y.{ `' :�, S �` C�' •�{ ,. _ r r M kk� 4 • 27