Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) used by machinery or electrical equipment businesses
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are man-made chemicals. They are dangerous to human health and the environment and you must dispose of them correctly.
Equipment that could contain PCBs includes:
- electrical transformers
- power factor capacitors
- heat transfer equipment
- pole-mounted transformers
- process heating equipment
- high temperature hydraulic systems
- electrical resistors
- bushings and other high voltage equipment
- fluorescent light ballasts
- hospital diagnostic equipment
- vacuum pumps.
What you must do
You must arrange for the safe disposal or decontamination of all equipment that contains PCBs as soon as possible.
See our guidance on hazardous/special waste in:
England on Business Link: Managing your hazardous waste
Northern Ireland on NIBusinessInfo: Managing your hazardous waste
Scotland on Business Gateway: Managing your hazardous waste
Wales on Business.Wales.gov.uk: Managing your hazardous waste
If you possess any components that contain PCBs that are part of a larger piece of equipment, and neither the component nor the larger equipment is classed as Contaminated Equipment you may continue to possess them until the larger piece of equipment is taken out of use - for example, capacitors within fluorescent lighting strips. You must dispose of the equipment correctly at the end of its useful life.
Contaminated Equipment
Contaminated Equipment is any equipment that contains five litres or more of any substance with a PCB concentration greater than 50 parts per million (ppm).
You must not possess Contaminated Equipment unless your business:
- Has the proper authorisation to decontaminate or dispose of PCBs and holds them only for this reason.
- Uses PCBs only for analytical or research work. You must ensure that you dispose of the PCBs properly when this purpose comes to an end.
- Uses transformers with PCB oil at concentrations of no more than 500 parts per million (ppm). You can continue to use the transformer until the end of its useful life. You should still register the equipment and renew the registration annually if it contains oil with a PCB concentration at or above 50ppm.
Registration
If you possess Contaminated Equipment you must register it with your environmental regulator, even if you are about to dispose of it.
You must also register any equipment that could potentially be Contaminated Equipment unless it is reasonable to assume that it is not contaminated.
Contact your environmental regulator
You must renew your registrations annually for as long as you have the equipment.
Disposal and decontamination
You should arrange for the safe decontamination or disposal of all Contaminated Equipment you possess as soon as possible, unless you are permitted to continue possessing the equipment for the reasons outlined above.
Decontamination reduces the PCB concentration of Contaminated Equipment to less than 50ppm. When you submit your registration or renewal paperwork you should tell your environmental regulator how and when you plan to have the decontamination work done.
Contact your environmental regulator
De-registration
You should de-register your Contaminated Equipment after its disposal, decontamination or sale.
You will need to provide evidence such as:
- consignment note numbers
- laboratory test reports
- contact details of the new owner.
Any new owner of Contaminated Equipment must register it with their environmental regulator.
Contact your environmental regulator
Labelling
You must clearly label all Contaminated Equipment as containing PCBs and place warning notices on the doors of any premises where the equipment is held. Transformers that are held until the end of their useful life should also have an additional label showing they have been decontaminated to below 500ppm.
Details of labelling decontaminated transformers can be found in Schedule 2 of the Regulations.
Environmental Protection (Disposal of Polychlorinated Biphenyls and other Dangerous Substances) (England and Wales) Regulations 2000: Schedule 2
For more information, contact your environmental regulator.
Contact your environmental regulator
