Chemical Hygiene –
Hazardous Chemicals in
Laboratories
Suzanne Reister, Program Manager
Paula Vanderpool, Program Assistant
North Central Washington Workers’ Comp Trust
509-667-7100
PURPOSE
To acquaint you with
DOSHs
“Hazardous Chemicals
in Laboratories” rules,
as they apply to school
districts.
WAC 296-828
GOAL
The goal of any occupational health
and safety program is to reduce or
eliminate risk of injury or illness from
potential hazards.
Note: DOSH rules apply to employee exposures.
To whom these provisions apply
The requirements apply to
the laboratory use of
hazardous chemicals:
• Handling chemicals on a
laboratory scale
• Manipulations can be made
easily by one person
• Using multiple chemicals
• No production process
involved
• Protective practices and
equipment available
Versus industrial use, where
there are large quantities
of chemicals and a smaller
number of containers
Hazardous Chemical
A chemical with evidence
that acute (which will
hurt you right away) or
chronic (which can hurt
you over time) health
effects may occur in
exposed employees, or
could be a physical
hazard.
Chemical hazards
Physical hazards
Flammable, combustible,
compressed gases, explosives,
organic peroxides, oxidizers,
pyrophorics, water reactives
Health hazards
Carcinogens, corrosives, toxic
agents, reproductive toxins,
irritants, sensitizers, target organs
agents
Hazard factors include chemical form, route of
entry, amount, frequency
What’s required?
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Written Chemical Hygiene Plan
Chemical Hygiene Officer
Chemical inventories, MSDSs and labeling
Employee exposure determination
Chemical exposure control
Proper functioning safety equipment
Standard operating procedures
Information and training
Prior approval (for new procedures)
Medical consultation and exam when needed
Employee exposure
determination
• Monitoring (initial and periodic) is
required if there is reason to believe
that exposure levels for that substance
routinely may be hazardous to the
employee (exceed the action level or
permissible exposure limit).
• Exposure limits are determined by
DOSH, NIOSH or ACGIH.
• Maintain exposure level monitoring
records!
Chemical Hygiene Plan
Its purpose is to protect employees from health
hazards associated with hazardous chemicals in
the laboratory. CHP must include:
 Standard operating procedures (work
practices) for working with hazardous
chemicals and emergency procedures
 Control measures to be used to reduce
employee exposures
 Means to ensure proper functioning of fume
hoods and other safety equipment
 Employee information and training
Chemical Hygiene Plan
•CHP must include (continued):
• Method of approval before a new lab procedure is
used
• Means of medical consultation and examination
(when needed) and associated record keeping
• Designation of a Chemical Hygiene Officer to
oversee the chemical hygiene program
• Additional employee protection for particularly
hazardous substances (separate area, containment,
decontamination)
• Annual review of the CHP plan
Chemical Hygiene Officer
An employee who is designated by
the employer and who is qualified
by training or experience to provide
technical guidance in the
development and implementation of
the chemical hygiene plan.
(This is traditionally the
high school chemistry teacher.)
Chemical Hygiene Officer
Duties include:
» Develop and implement appropriate
chemical hygiene policies and
procedures, and audit
» Assist with employee training
» Monitor chemical procurement,
distribution, storage, use and disposal
in the lab
» Keep current with legal requirements
» Ensure proper chemical waste disposal
» Perform quarterly chemical hygiene
inspections
Hazard control measures for
chemicals
Administrative controls
Policies - To safely handle chemicals and
reduce employee exposures
Rules - General safety rules
Training - So employees will understand
possible harm and protections
Signage - To warn others of hazards
Hazard control measures for
chemicals
Operational controls - SOPs
* Generic
•Ordering, storage & distribution of chemicals
•Safe use of chemicals
•Emergency response for spills or unintentional releases
* Experiment-specific procedures
Specific to each experiment, should already be part of the curriculum;
if not, start with procedure and add health & safety info., control
measures, personal protective equipment, waste disposal
* Special procedures - requires prior approval
Changes to the science curriculum, especially new or revised
experiments, need pre-approval.
Hazard control measures for
chemicals
Engineering controls
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Chemical substitution
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Ventilation
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Good general ventilation
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Well ventilated chemical store room
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Lab hoods
Isolation
Hazard control measures for
chemicals
Other controls
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Lab maintenance and inspection
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Protective equipment
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Safety equipment
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Lab hoods and sinks
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Eyewash fountains and drench showers
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Fire extinguisher
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Fire alarm & telephone
Chemical inventory & MSDSs
Conduct a full chemical inventory.
Update yearly. Properly dispose of
unused chemicals.
Gather Material Safety Data
Sheets and retain 30 years.
Ensure that chemical labels
remain intact, and proper
relabeling is conducted if chemical
is transferred.
Employee information and
training
Employee training to be provided at time of
initial assignment should include:
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Lab standard content
Details of the Chemical Hygiene Plan
Location of CHP and MSDSs
Location of reference materials
Chemical exposure limits
Signs and symptoms of exposure
Physical and health hazards of chemicals
Methods to detect presence of chemicals
How to reduce or eliminate exposure
Employee responsibilities
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Familiarize yourself with the Chemical Hygiene Plan
• Be aware of lab hazards
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Follow standard operating procedures
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Review processes with Chemistry Teacher
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Use equipment properly (fume hood, PPE, etc.)
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Label, store and dispose of chemicals properly
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Manage chemical inventories
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Be a good example to others
Medical exposure treatment
Medical attention shall be given to
employees when:
• Signs are symptoms of
overexposure are observed
• Chemicals exposure levels are
routinely above action level
• There is a spill or leak where
employees may have been
exposed
How to modify the sample
plan
˚ Add your school district name (and
page numbers may be helpful)
Other to do’s:
˚ Designate a qualified person as Chemical
Hygiene Officer
˚ Inventory chemicals and gather MSDSs
˚ Identify potential employee overexposures
˚ Become familiar with lab experiment SOPs
˚ Establish employee training
Questions or Comments