April 2, 2021
The Laboratory Standard requires that the employer designate a Chemical Hygiene Officer and have a written Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP), and actively verify that it remains effective. The CHP must include provisions for worker training, chemical exposure monitoring, where appropriate, medical consultation when exposure occurs, criteria for the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and engineering controls, special precautions for particularly hazardous substances, and a requirement for a Chemical Hygiene Officer responsible for implementation of the CHP.
OSHA Laboratory Standard General Information
Laboratory personnel must receive training regarding the Laboratory Standard, the CHP, and other laboratory safety practices, including exposure detection, physical and health hazards associated with chemicals, and protective measures.
Use the following compliance checklist to review your policies and procedures in light of the requirements of the Laboratory Standard (29 CFR 1910.1450).
- Do you monitor employee exposure to any substance regulated by an OSHA standard if there’s reason to believe that exposure levels for that substance routinely exceed the action level (or in the absence of an action level, the PEL)?
- If initial monitoring discloses exposure over the action level (or PEL), do you comply with the monitoring requirements of the relevant standard and conduct periodic tests as required?
- Do you notify employees in writing of monitoring results within 15 days of receipt of such results either by individual letter or posting?
- Is your Chemical Hygiene Plan readily available to employees?
Chemical Hygiene Plan
Does your Chemical Hygiene Plan contain the following elements?
- Standard operating procedures relevant to safety and health considerations to be followed when lab work involves the use of hazardous chemicals?
- Criteria you use to determine and implement control measures to reduce employee exposure to hazardous chemicals, including engineering controls, PPE, and hygiene practices?
- A requirement that fume hoods and other protective equipment are functioning properly?
- Provisions for employee information and training?
- Circumstances under which a particular laboratory procedure or activity requires prior approval from a supervisor?
- Provisions for medical consultation and examinations for employees whenever called for?
- Procedures for safe removal of hazardous waste?
- Decontamination procedures?
- Do you review and evaluate the effectiveness of your plan at least once a year?
CPH Employee Training
It is important to ensure your employee training is set up to maintain OSHA Laboratory Standard compliance.
- Do you provide all employees with information and training to ensure that they are aware of the hazards in their work area?
- Is training provided when an employee is first assigned to work in the lab and before assignments involving new exposure situations?
- Do you provide refresher training for all employees at reasonable intervals?
- Methods and observations that may be used to detect the presence or release of hazardous chemicals?
- Physical and health hazards of chemicals in the lab?
- Precautions employees can take to protect themselves from hazards, including specific procedures you have implemented to protect employees?
- Applicable details of your Chemical Hygiene Plan?
What Medical Considerations Have You Taken?
Do you provide all employees who work with hazardous chemicals an opportunity to receive medical attention under the following circumstances?
- When monitoring reveals an exposure level above the action limit (or in the absence of an action limit, the PEL)?
- Whenever there is a spill, leak, explosion, or other event resulting in the likelihood of a hazardous exposure?
- Are medical examinations performed under the direct supervision of a licensed physician at no cost to the employee?
- Do you provide the physician with all information needed to make a diagnosis?
- Do you obtain a written opinion from the examining physician that includes the results of the examination and any tests as well as any recommendation for medical follow-up?
- Do you ensure that labels on incoming containers of hazardous chemicals are not removed or defaced?
- Do you maintain an SDS for each hazardous chemical used in your laboratory?
- Do you provide employees with respirators when necessary to maintain exposure below permissible exposure limits?
- Do you maintain records for each employee that include any monitoring of the employee’s exposure to hazardous chemicals as well as any required medical consultation and examinations?
It is important that your Arizona laboratory understands how to set up a Chemical Hygiene Plan to stay in compliance with OSHA Laboratory Standards, especially when dealing with hazardous waste disposal.
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