Disposal of Dangerous Goods
A number of members have enquired regarding the responsible disposal of old or un-saleable airbags and seatbelt pretensioners. They correctly recall that these are considered a pyrotechnic device and as such cannot be simply tossed in with the rubbish to go to the local tip.
To help understand the need for a safe responsible airbag disposal let me briefly explain about the dangers of these items. Airbag modules may contain sodium azide or similar products which are identified by OSH as dangerous goods. As part of the inflation system, sodium azide reacts with potassium nitrate to produce nitrogen gas. This system is said to be a like a solid rocket booster igniting a solid propellant which burns extremely rapidly to create a large volume of gas which inflates the bag. Now this sounds scary stuff but the reality is that these items which are more conveniently described as Safety Restraint Systems (SRS) are very stable, have built in safety mechanisms and are unlikely to be dangerous if handled with respect. There is a code of best practice available from APIA for those who wish to become more aware of the best way to handle these items. It covers all aspects of handling and storing SRS.
As a product considered dangerous by OSH, recyclers have a responsibility to deal with product that is un-salable because it is damaged, corroded, obsolete or because there is simply no demand for it. It is also illegal to sell the old mechanically operated SRS. Simply leaving them in storage is not an option as we are advised there is a maximum quantity of explosive material allowed on any site. (Currently no-one in authority is able to advise me what that quantity is – but previously it wasn’t that great.)
Given that there are very few options for disposing of SRS or other pyrotechnic devises (and flares), APIA have contacted the NZ Defense Force and arranged for their personnel to visit your premises and collect any unwanted units. This is a free service. We recommend that you take advantage of the service and ruthlessly clean out your stocks of old, damaged or generally un-saleable units. A notice detailing the contact details of your nearest collector has been distributed to members. If you can’t find it just contact APIA for the information.