Laboratory Safety And The Chemical Hygiene Plan Joseph Cook 2014

Chemical Hygiene Plan  Policy and procedures for specific laboratories and specific guidelines to protect students and staff from hazards  Standard Operating Procedures for specific chemicals.  Designation of one Chemical Hygiene Officer per lab.  Readily available to everyone.

Basic Rules And Procedures  MSDS for specific chemicals being used must be included.  Chemical labels must be used and comply with guidelines.  Eye protection must be used when working with chemicals.  No mouth pipetting.  No food or drink in the lab.  No beverages or food stored in Laboratory freezers and refrigerators.  Use gloves when handling chemicals.  Wash hands when leaving laboratory.  Do not work alone if hazardous chemicals or procedures are being used.  Know what PPE to use for each procedure (Goggles, safety glasses, face shield, lab coat, gloves, etc.)  Be familiar with emergency procedures.  Report unsafe conditions in the laboratory.  Use equipment only for it’s designed purpose.  Do not use damaged glassware.  Appropriately use, label, store and transport gas cylinders.

Chemical Procurement, Storage & Distribution  Inventory your chemicals.  Arrange for removal of old chemicals and those not being used.  Secondary containers (plastic buckets) should be used when transporting large bottles of chemicals.  Designate on individual to maintain internal inventory.  Carry chemicals with a gloved hand. Leave other hand ungloved for touching door handles, etc.  Verify that new chemicals are properly labeled.

Exposure Monitoring An employee's / student's exposure to any regulated hazardous chemical shall be monitored if there is reason to believe exposure levels for that chemical exceed the regulatory limits. See WSU Laboratory Safety Manual, Section II.C. Housekeeping  Do not use stairways, hallways, or mechanical spaces as storage areas.  Access to exits, emergency equipment, controls, and the like must never be blocked.  Small, non-hazardous spills should be cleaned up immediately by laboratory personnel. Hazardous chemical spills that cannot be cleaned up safely by laboratory personnel should be reported according to the procedures outlined in Section II.I.1.  Questions about custodial services should be directed to Facilities Operations at

Medical Surveillance  Exposed to hazardous chemicals (i.e., toxic substances, carcinogens, reproductive toxins, etc.) at or above established exposure limits or exposure monitoring reveals an overexposure.  Experiencing signs or symptoms (see chemical's material safety data sheet) associated with an exposure to a hazardous chemical.  Present when a non-routine event takes place (i.e., spill) resulting in the likelihood of an overexposure.  Frequently using specific amounts of certain hazardous chemicals (i.e., mercury, chlorinated solvents, formaldehyde, heavy metals, lead, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, arsenic, etc.) and enclosures and local exhaust (i.e., fume hood) are not available or ineffective.  Using hazardous chemicals capable of rapid absorption through the skin (i.e., methylene chloride, pesticides, carbon tetrachloride, cyanides, etc.) and prolonged glove contact is necessary.  Working with a systemic poison (i.e., benzene) where oral exposure is possible from contaminated surfaces (e.g hand to mouth). Employers must provide employees an opportunity for medical surveillance when: Medical consultation, exams and surveillance which may be required under the standard will be coordinated through Environmental Health & Safety and the Human Resource Services Department.

Personal Protective Equipment  Principal Investigators are required to provide PPE for employees.  PPE must be selected as appropriate for the functions being performed.  All employees must be trained by the PI or other representative in proper PPE.  A hazard assessment form must be filled out for each employee. More details see Section II.F in Laboratory Safety Manual Please. No open toed shoes or sandals in the lab!

Recordkeeping  The Chemical Hygiene Plan must be reviewed and evaluated at least annually by the PI or laboratory supervisor, be updated as necessary, and be available to all employees.  Current chemical inventories should be maintained for each laboratory and made available in case of emergency. It is recommended that they be updated at least annually.  Employee Accident Report records, Employee Training records are maintained by Human Resource Services.  The Departmental Administrator and the Principal Investigator or laboratory Supervisor should keep copies of all accident/incident reports filed.  Environmental Health & Safety maintains records of employee attendance at EH&S sponsored safety and health training. Laboratories should maintain records of all internal safety and health training related to hazard communication and/or laboratory safety.  Occupational Health Medical records for employees are maintained in medical office of the physician who performs consultation and/or physical examination or through Human Resource Services. Confidentiality of medical records is maintained.

Chemical Spill Clean-Up and Reporting The chemical is known and the spill can be cleaned-up in ten minutes or less. Employees are trained to safely clean-up chemical spills. Employees can wear the same personal protective equipment that they wear during normal work activities. Appropriate clean-up supplies are readily accessible. The chemical does not have a Ceiling Limit listed in WAC or can create an Immediate Danger to Life and Health (IDLH) atmosphere. IDLH information can be found in the NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards. Clean-up materials are disposed of per SPPM 5.66 (Safety Policies And Procedures Manual). Employees can clean-up minor chemical spills ONLY when all of the following conditions are met: More Details: Section II.H

The Principal Investigator or laboratory Supervisor must provide employees with information and training to ensure that they are apprised of the hazards of chemicals present in their work area. (Policy Reference - WAC ). New employees must be made aware of all possible hazards in the lab. They must know the location of the Chemical Hygiene Plan. More details: Section II.J. Training, Information, and Factsheets Hazardous Waste Disposal Appendix E: RECYCLING OR DISPOSAL OF HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES Appendix H : DISPOSAL OF BIOHAZARDOUS WASTE Appendix I: SHARPS DISPOSAL Appendix J : RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL See the appendices below regarding waste disposal

Inspections  Inspections should be performed regularly by the PI or laboratory supervisor. A form which may be used by the PI or lab supervisor to perform these inspections is presented at the end of this section.  Environmental Health & Safety also conducts periodic laboratory safety inspections and upon request.  EH&S inspections will include a general safety and chemical safety audit and a review of the Chemical Hygiene Plan.  Unsafe practices or conditions will be reported immediately to the PI or laboratory supervisor. A safety audit report will be sent to the PI or laboratory supervisor with recommendations for corrective action.  The Washington State Department of Safety and Health, the WSU Fire Department, and other regulatory agencies may also conduct safety and health compliance inspections.

Material Safety Data Sheets Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) are documents provided by manufacturers describing the physical and health hazards of hazardous chemicals and trade name products and must be accessible to all employees on all work shifts. Laboratories must keep on file any MSDS received with incoming shipments of hazardous chemicals. They may be stored in hard copy or electronic form. Employees must be able to access the information immediately 24/7. It is strongly recommended that a person or persons be designated as responsible for obtaining and maintaining MSDSs for hazardous chemicals used in the laboratory. This person would ensure that MSDSs are available to all laboratory employees, and would obtain MSDSs for laboratory chemicals for which none are present.

Carcinogens in Laboratories Chemical carcinogens are known to cause tumors in mammalian species. Therefore, the use of chemical carcinogens in laboratories must involve specific controls and procedures to protect employees and meet regulatory requirements. See Section II.N for details.

Floor Plan for Laboratory 1.Eyewash stations 2.Emergency showers 3.Flammable liquid storage cabinets 4.Fire extinguishers 5.First Aid kits 6.Auxiliary local ventilation systems 7.Laboratory spill kit 8.Emergency phone number sheet 9.Direction of exit 10.Gas turn-off valve 11.Circuit breaker box 12.Designated Area for hazardous chemical use 13.Laboratory Floor Plan for Each Room Draw a floor plan for each room of your laboratory. Note the location of the following safety equipment and other safety features as appropriate.

Safety Equipment 1.Eye Wash Stations Flush weekly. Record date on the tag. 2.Emergency Showers Know there they are and how to use them. 3.Flammable Liquid Storage Cabinets Must be clearly labeled as “Flammable”. 4.Flammable Storage Refrigerators or Freezers Flammable materials must not store in regular freezer or refrigerators. 5.Fire Extinguishers Class BC or ABC rated are usually appropriate. Know the locations. 6.First Aid Kits Know the location. Inspect for content and quantities of supplies.

Ventilation Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs), established by the Washington Department of Safety and Health (DOSH), shall not be exceeded (see Appendix B). Eight-hour and short-term permissible exposure limits to many chemicals have been set by DOSH to prevent adverse health effects in workers. Local exhaust ventilation systems may be required in order to reduce exposure levels to these acceptable limits. See Section III C for details for items below: 1. Fume Hood Use Keep the sash down when not in use. 2. Other Ventilation Systems 3. Maintenance of Ventilation Systems 4. Site Specific Ventilation Information

Biosafety Facilities