Product Overview

Summary: This End of Life Disposal and Recycling Safe Operating Procedure sets out a clear, compliant process for safely handling, segregating, and disposing of materials and equipment that have reached the end of their useful life. It helps Australian businesses minimise WHS risks, prevent environmental harm, and demonstrate due diligence in managing waste, e‑waste, chemicals, and recyclables across their operations.

End-of-life disposal and recycling is a critical point in the lifecycle of plant, equipment, chemicals, IT assets, and general materials. If this stage is poorly managed, organisations can expose workers to hazardous substances, create manual handling risks, and breach environmental and waste regulations. This Safe Operating Procedure provides a structured, step-by-step method for identifying items that have reached end of life, assessing associated hazards, segregating materials, and directing them into the correct disposal or recycling streams in line with Australian WHS and environmental requirements.

The procedure is designed for a wide range of workplaces, from offices disposing of electronic equipment, through to warehouses, laboratories, workshops, and manufacturing facilities dealing with hazardous chemicals, batteries, sharps, and obsolete plant. It supports businesses to standardise how they decommission assets, manage waste contractors, maintain traceability and records, and communicate safe practices to workers and contractors. By implementing this SOP, organisations can reduce incident risk, avoid costly non‑compliance, and clearly demonstrate that they are managing waste and recycling activities responsibly and sustainably.

Key Benefits

• Ensure safe handling, segregation and storage of end-of-life materials, reducing the risk of injury and exposure to hazardous substances.
• Reduce environmental and regulatory risk by directing waste and recyclables into compliant disposal and recycling streams.
• Standardise end-of-life processes across sites, improving consistency, accountability, and worker understanding.
• Streamline coordination with licensed waste and recycling contractors through clear acceptance criteria and documentation requirements.
• Demonstrate due diligence to regulators, clients and stakeholders with documented, auditable disposal and recycling procedures.

Who is this for?

• WHS Managers
• Environmental and Sustainability Managers
• Facilities Managers
• Operations Managers
• Warehouse and Logistics Supervisors
• Laboratory Managers
• IT Managers and Asset Coordinators
• Site Supervisors and Leading Hands
• Maintenance Supervisors
• Waste Management and Recycling Coordinators

Hazards Addressed

• Exposure to hazardous chemicals and residues during handling and decanting of waste
• Sharps and puncture injuries from broken glass, metal offcuts and clinical or laboratory waste
• Manual handling injuries from lifting, carrying or moving heavy or awkward end-of-life items and waste containers
• Electrical hazards and stored energy in decommissioned electrical and electronic equipment
• Fire and explosion risks from flammable, oxidising or reactive waste materials and aerosols
• Biological contamination from organic, clinical or laboratory waste streams
• Slips, trips and falls caused by poorly stored waste, spills or overfilled bins
• Environmental contamination from incorrect disposal of chemicals, oils, batteries and e‑waste

Included Sections

• 1.0 Purpose and Scope
• 2.0 Definitions and Terminology
• 3.0 Roles and Responsibilities
• 4.0 Applicable Legislation, Standards and Codes of Practice
• 5.0 Classification of End-of-Life Items and Waste Streams
• 6.0 Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment for End-of-Life Materials
• 7.0 Segregation, Labelling and Storage Requirements
• 8.0 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Safety Controls
• 9.0 Step-by-Step Procedure for End-of-Life Disposal and Recycling
• 10.0 Decommissioning of Plant, Equipment and IT Assets
• 11.0 Handling of Hazardous Chemicals, Batteries and Special Wastes
• 12.0 Contractor Management and Waste Transport Requirements
• 13.0 Spill Response, Incident Management and Emergency Procedures
• 14.0 Environmental Protection and Pollution Prevention Measures
• 15.0 Training, Communication and Induction Requirements
• 16.0 Records, Documentation and Traceability
• 17.0 Inspection, Auditing and Continuous Improvement
• 18.0 Document Control and Review

Legislation & References

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth) and corresponding state and territory WHS Acts and Regulations
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Labelling of Workplace Hazardous Chemicals
• National Environment Protection (Movement of Controlled Waste between States and Territories) Measure
• AS/NZS 3816: Management of clinical and related wastes
• AS 5377: Management of electrical and electronic equipment for re-use or recycling
• AS/NZS 4681: Management and disposal of household and similar electrical waste (where applicable as guidance)
• Relevant state and territory environmental protection legislation and waste disposal guidelines