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Purdue Alumnus
Ryan Marvel
Hazmat Man

Name: Ryan Marvel (LA’16)

Gig: Environmental Safety Technician

Years on the job: One year, seven months

On duty: Collect chemicals and biohazardous waste from campus buildings; safely transport them to our hazardous materials storage facility, where we prepare them to be shipped out.

All in the mix: Chemical containers are sorted and we blend compatibles together in 55-gallon drums to maximize storage and shipping efficiency. I blend about six days a month, but between our four technicians, we are blending every day.   

You’d be surprised: More than half of the materials we handle are used as waste-to-energy.

Safety first: When handling hazardous materials, it is critical that we follow protocol to protect ourselves and others. That means we wear safety glasses, gloves, pants, and closed-toed shoes for pickups. When we’re blending chemicals, we wear full hazmat suits.   

Heavy lift: Annually, the West Lafayette campus generates an average of 250,000 pounds of chemical waste and thousands of pounds of treated biological waste. That equals about 1,100 55-gallon drums each year.   

What I love: I get the opportunity to interact with grad students and share my knowledge of proper material handling. That helps them perform their jobs in a safe manner.

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