Policies & Procedures

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CHEMICAL HYGIENE PLAN

INTRODUCTION

In the absence of our own legislative framework, this Chemical Hygiene Plan follows the US Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) regulation, Occupational Exposures to Hazardous Chemicals in the Laboratory (29 CFR 1910.1450), commonly referred to as the "Laboratory Standard".

The Chemical Hygiene Plan provides guidelines for prudent work practices and procedures intended to protect laboratory workers from the potential health hazards of any chemicals they encounter in the workplace.

All laboratory workers must be made aware of this plan. New employees should review the plan and receive safety training before beginning work with hazardous chemicals.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The University is committed to providing a safe working environment to all employees, students and users of its facility. The Safety Officer is, at present, working with various departments to develop safe working practices for the campus. Training courses for safe use of chemical, hazardous materials and worker safety would be provided through his office. The various departments will ensure through inspections, regular meetings and presentations, that safe practices are being followed. Each academic staff member, researcher and demonstrator in the department are responsible for making sure that the people working with them have been properly trained and follow safe procedures in the laboratory at all times. Ultimately, the enforcement of safe laboratory practices rest with those who supervise the laboratory.

Safety Officer
• Provides consultation for safe work practices with respect to hazardous chemicals.
• Organizes general training.
• Provides safe working guidelines for laboratory workers through the dissemination of information to the Department’s Safety Team.
• Develops and maintains a generic Laboratory Safety Manual.
• Conducts exposure monitoring, as needed.
• Audits the departmental program periodically with an annual review.
• Conducts limited laboratory safety inspections annually.

The Department’s Safety Team
The Department’s Safety Team is made up of
---------------------: - Chemical Hygiene Officer
---------------------: - Safety Designate

The Safety Team is responsible for: -
• Developing and implementing specific Chemical Hygiene Plan.
• Reviewing and updating the Chemical Hygiene Plan at least annually.
• Organizing fume hood inspection annually.
• Investigating accidents and chemical exposures within the department in collaboration with the safety officer.
• Acting as a liaison between their Department and the Safety Officer on all HSE issues.
• Maintaining records of training, exposure monitoring and any other pertinent records.
• Ensuring laboratory workers receive chemical and procedure-specific training.
• Reviewing and approving use of particularly hazardous substances.

Academic Staff, Technicians, Demonstrators

• Ensure laboratory workers attend general lab safety training
• Ensure laboratory workers understand how to work with chemicals safely. Provide chemical and procedure-specific training, as needed.
• Provide laboratory workers with appropriate engineering controls and personal protective equipment needed to work safely with hazardous materials. Ensure such equipment is used correctly.
• Ensure laboratory workers complete and submit to the Safety Designate, a Lab Safety Analysis on Hazardous Substance to be used and control measures proposed.
• Review and approve work particularly with hazardous substances.

Laboratory Worker

• Attend laboratory safety training.
• Review the Chemical Hygiene Plan.
• Follow procedures and laboratory practices outlined in the Chemical Hygiene Plan and the Laboratory Safety Manual.

• Adhere to all University and departmental safety policies and procedures and comply with safety directives issued by the Safety Officer, Chemical Hygiene Officer, Safety Designate and Technician
• Use engineering controls and personal protective equipment, as appropriate.
• Report all incidents, accidents and potential chemical exposures to the principal investigator and the Safety Team.
• Document specific operating procedures for work with particularly hazardous substances, including carcinogens, reproductive toxins and chemicals with high acute toxicity.

HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND USE OF CHEMICALS

All laboratory workers should be aware of the properties and potential hazards of chemicals they use in the laboratory. Chemical manufacturers or distributors perform an assessment of the physical and health hazards of each chemical they produce. This information is included in a material safety data sheet (MSDS) and, in part, on container labels. Laboratory workers should always read the MSDS for a material before using it for the first time. They should also keep a copy of MSDS sheets on file in the laboratory for reference.
The manufacturer's label should be kept intact. When a chemical is transferred to another container for storage, the new containers should be labelled with the name of the product, the chemical components and hazard warnings.
Any person receiving a chemical for the first time must ensure that the Material Safety Data Sheet is received with chemical shipments. Laboratory personnel who receive an MSDS should keep the original MSDS in the laboratory and send a copy to the Chief Technician of the department. The copy will be used to prepare a hardcopy binder of all chemicals used in the Laboratory.
Electronic copies are also available from the Safety Officer.

CONTROLLING CHEMICAL EXPOSURE

Safe laboratory practices attempt to limit the exposure of chemical hazards to the laboratory worker. In devising procedures the worker should be aware of what is considered to be a safe exposure and the proper handling techniques of it. The following criteria are used to determine and implement control measures to reduce exposures to hazardous chemicals.

Exposure Monitoring

The Safety Officer, upon request, conducts exposure monitoring if there is reason to believe that exposure levels for a particular substance may routinely exceed either the action level or the established permissible exposure limits set. Individuals may contact him directly at extension 3138 or notify their chief technician.

Control Measures

Engineering controls are the primary means of control for exposure to hazardous chemicals. Local ventilation, including fume hoods, bio-safety cabinets, glove boxes and vented storage cabinets are the most common types of engineering controls.
Protective equipment, including gloves, face shields, safety glasses and safety goggles, lab coats and aprons, are used when engineering controls are not sufficient to adequately control exposure. Specifically, this equipment is used to prevent exposure to the skin or eyes. Personal protective equipment is carefully selected to ensure that it is compatible with the chemicals used. Information about selection of appropriate protective equipment is available from the Safety Officer.
When feasible engineering controls are not adequate to reduce inhalation exposure to acceptable levels, a respirator may be used to minimize exposure to airborne contaminants. Use of a respirator is subject to training through the efforts of the Safety Officer and/or The Department’s Safety Team.

Administrative Controls

It may be necessary to supplement engineering controls and protective equipment with administrative controls, such as restricting access to an area, restricting use of particular chemicals to a limited group of people, or limiting the length of exposure. Laboratory and office space should be separately as much as possible to minimize inadvertent chemical exposure. Chemicals should only be stored and used in the laboratory. Food and beverage should never be brought into or consumed in the laboratory.

Fume Hood Performance Evaluation

Laboratory fume hoods are to be evaluated and certified at least annually by a competent person. An inspection sticker must be affixed to each hood to document the evaluation and to provide information to the hood user regarding the measured performance of the hood.
In the event that a hood does not appear to be operating properly, hood users may contact the chief technician and the safety officer.

INFORMATION AND TRAINING

All laboratory workers must receive laboratory safety training when they are first assigned to a work area where hazardous chemicals are present and before assignments involving new exposure situations. General laboratory safety training is provided through the Safety Officer. More specific training for particular materials or operations in a particular work area is to be provided through the Department’s Safety Team.
At the end of each academic year, laboratory technicians in charge of each lab must show that the lab has been cleaned and all chemicals have been properly disposed of. Research students must do the same at the end of their research period.

Departmental Information and Training

Each new laboratory worker must be trained by The Department Safety Team/Representative and must be made aware of the following information:
• Location of the Chemical Hygiene Plan.
• Nature and potential health and safety risks of specific hazardous substances used by the laboratory worker.
• Proper handling, under all circumstances, of hazardous substances used in the laboratory.
• Location and availability of reference materials, including material safety data sheets (MSDSs) for hazardous chemicals used or stored in the laboratory.

PRIOR APPROVAL FOR LABORATORY PROCEDURES

Responsibility for determining whether a chemical is a particularly Hazardous Substance rests jointly with the supervisor and the individual planning to use the substance.

MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS AND CONSULTATIONS

Medical Consultation Policy
Laboratory workers should seek medical attention from the Health Center/Medical Institution under the following conditions:
1. If the individual experiences signs or symptoms associated with a hazardous chemical to which he or she may have been exposed to in the laboratory
2. Where exposure monitoring reveals an exposure level routinely above the OSHA action level or permissible exposure limit
3. Whenever a spill, leak, explosion or other occurrence results in the likelihood of a hazardous exposure to a laboratory worker

Incident Reporting
In the event of any incident that results in a possible overexposure to a chemical, regardless of whether any signs or symptoms of exposure are noted or whether the laboratory worker seeks medical attention, the laboratory worker should inform the chief technician who will in turn inform the Head of Department, the Chemical Hygiene Officer and the Safety Officer. An accident reporting form must be completed.

Medical Emergency Procedure

In an emergency situation, the laboratory worker should immediately be taken to Health Center of the nearest Hospital. The laboratory worker, supervisor, or Chemical Hygiene Officer must provide the physician with the identity of the hazardous chemicals encountered in the workplace and the conditions by which the worker was exposed. If available, the material safety data sheet or other safety information resource should be provided to the physician.

PARTICULARLY HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES

Particularly hazardous substances are defined to include select carcinogens, reproductive toxins and substances that have a high degree of acute toxicity (such as cyanides and dimethyl mercury).

LABORATORY INSPECTIONS AND AUDITS

Laboratory Inspections

The Department’s Safety Team will conduct a laboratory inspection at least once each semester and submit a written report to the department head, the dean and the safety officer.

Fire Extinguishers

Safety personnel inspect fire extinguisher monthly. Should a fire extinguisher be used or if the inspection is out-of-date, please call the safety officer at extension 3138 or e-mail yparasramsingh@works.uwi.tt

Safety Showers and Eyewash Fountains

Safety showers and eyewash fountains are inspected every six months. Persons in charge of each lab should make Daily/Weekly checks. Each lab depending on the risk should have emergency eyewash and/or emergency showers.