Criteria for Implementing of Control Measures
Management of Chemical Fume Hoods and Other Protective Equipment
Employee Information and Training
Medical Consultation and Examination
Additional Employee Protection for Work with Particularly Hazardous Substances
Record Keeping, Review and Update of Chemical Hygiene Plan
A. Purpose
This Chemical Safety Plan (CSP) sets forth policies, procedures, equipment, personal protective equipment and work practices that are capable of protecting employees from the health hazards in laboratories. This plan is intended to meet the requirements of both the federal Laboratory Safety Standard, formally known as "Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories" and the Minnesota Employee Right to Know Act (MERTKA).
This CSP is intended to safely limit laboratory workers' exposure to OSHA and MERTKA regulated substances. Laboratory workers must not be exposed to substances in excess of the permissible exposure limits (PEL) specified in OSHA rule 29 CFR 1910, Subpart Z, Toxic and Hazardous Substances. PELs for regulated substances are provided at this website: http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/pel/PELs refer to airborne concentrations of substances and are averaged over an eight-hour day. A few substances also have "action levels". Action levels are air concentrations below the PEL which nevertheless require that certain actions such as medical surveillance and workplace monitoring take place.
MERTKA requires employers to evaluate their workplaces for the presence of hazardous substances, harmful physical agents, and infectious agents and to provide training to employees concerning those substances or agents to which employees may be exposed. Written information on agents must be readily accessible to employees or their representatives. Employees have a conditional right to refuse work if assigned to work in an unsafe or unhealthful manner with a hazardous substance, harmful physical agent or infectious agent. Labeling requirements for containers of hazardous substances and equipment or work areas that generate harmful physical agents are also included in MERTKA.
An employee's workplace exposure to any regulated substance must be monitored if there is reason to believe the exposure will exceed an action level or a PEL. If exposures to any regulated substance routinely exceed an action level or permissible exposure level there must also be employee medical exposure surveillance.
B. Scope and Application
The Laboratory Safety Standard applies where "laboratory use" of hazardous chemicals occurs. Laboratory use of hazardous chemicals means handling or use of such chemicals in which all of the following conditions are met:
· the handling or use of chemicals occurs on a "laboratory scale", that is, the work involves containers which can easily and safely be manipulated by one person,
· multiple chemical procedures or chemical substances are used, and
· protective laboratory practices and equipment are available and in common use to minimize the potential for employee exposures to hazardous chemicals.
At a minimum, the Chemical Safety Plan covers employees (including students) who use chemicals in teaching and research laboratories at Minnesota State University Moorhead. Certain non-traditional laboratory settings may be included under this standard at the option of the individual departments within the University. Also, it is the policy of the University that laboratory students, while not legally covered under this standard, will be given training commensurate with the level of hazard associated with their laboratory work.
This standard does not apply to laboratories whose function is to produce commercial quantities of material. Also, where the use of hazardous chemicals provides no potential for employee exposure, such as in procedures using chemically impregnated test media and commercially prepared test kits, this standard will not apply. When laboratory work is limited to use of these commercially available kits, a Chemical Safety Plan is not required.
C. Coordination with Other University Standards and Guidelines
Although this standard deals only with use of hazardous chemicals, employees may also encounter potential physical, biological, or radioactive hazards in the laboratory. In the unlikely event that there is a conflict between provisions of various standards, the Director of Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) should be contacted to assist in resolving the discrepancy.
D. Responsibilities
Implementation of the Laboratory Safety Standard at the University is a shared responsibility. Employees, supervisors, department heads, deans, upper administrative staff, and EH&S staff all have roles to play. These roles are outlined below.
Administration
Minnesota State University Moorhead is responsible for developing and supporting a broad-based Chemical Safety Plan that will protect its laboratory employees from health effects associated with hazardous chemicals. Management is responsible for integrating safety into all of its activities, for promoting the same attitude among all levels of employment at the University, and for providing adequate time and recognition for employees who are given laboratory safety responsibilities.
Each academic and non-academic department that engages in the laboratory use of hazardous chemicals will identify at least one laboratory safety officer to serve as a focal point for laboratory health and safety activities within the unit and as liaison with the EH&S director.
Environmental Health & Safety -
The Department of EH&S is responsible for preparing and updating the University's Chemical Safety Plan (CSP), for distributing it to departments who will implement the Plan, and directing/monitoring the progress of departments toward achieving compliance. The EH&S director will work with other safety personnel in developing the CSP.
Supervisor -
The immediate supervisor of a laboratory employee is responsible in scheduling time for the employee to attend designated training sessions and for assuring that potential hazards of specific projects have been identified and addressed before work is started. The supervisor is also responsible for conducting periodic audits of the laboratory, enforcing safe work practices and reporting hazardous conditions to the university, departmental laboratory safety officer, or EH&S.
Employee -
Each laboratory employee is responsible for attending safety training sessions, following safety guidelines applicable to the procedures being carried out, assuring that required safety precautions are in place before work is started, and reporting hazardous conditions as they are discovered.
Employees who have significant responsibility for directing their own laboratory work are responsible for assuring that potential hazards of specific projects have been identified and addressed before work is started.
Part II – Standard Operating Procedures
A. Prudent Practices in the Laboratory
Laboratory standard operating procedures found in Prudent Practices in the Laboratory: Handling and Disposal of Chemicals (National Research Council, 1995) are adopted for general use at Minnesota State University Moorhead. Departments should have hard copies of this text.
Note below the following topics which are covered:
General Recommendations for Safe Practices in Laboratories
General Principles
Flammability Hazards
- Health and Hygiene
- Cold Traps and Cryogenic Hazards
- Food Handling
- Systems Under Pressure
- Housekeeping
- Waste Disposal Procedures
- Equipment Maintenance
- Warning Signs and Labels
- Guarding for Safety
- Unattended Operations
- Shielding for Safety
- Working Alone
- Glassware
- Accident Reporting
Protective Apparel, Safety Equipment, Emergency Procedures and First Aid
- Glasses and Face Shields
- Gloves
- Other Clothing and Footwear
- Chemical Ingestion or Contamination
- Safety Equipment
- First Aid
- Emergency Procedures
Design Requirements for and Use of Electrically Powered Laboratory Apparatus
- General Principles
- Stirring and Mixing Devices
- Vacuum Pumps
- Heating Devices
- Drying Ovens
- Electronic Instruments
- Refrigerators
Laboratory Ventilation
- General Laboratory Ventilation
- Special Ventilation Areas
- Use of Laboratory Hoods
- Maintenance of Ventilation Systems
- Other Local Exhaust Systems
B. The American Chemical Society's "Safety in Academic Chemistry Laboratories"
ACS's "Safety in Academic Chemistry Laboratories" is another useful text. This manual presents information similar to that found in Prudent Practices, but in a considerably condensed format.
C. Hazardous Waste Management
Extensive and detailed policies regarding hazardous waste management are specified in MSUM's Hazardous Waste Management Program. Please refer to this document for approved waste management and handling procedures. Contact Environmental Health & Safety at 477-2998 for copies.
D. Emergency Procedures for Chemical Spills
The procedures listed below are a quick reference guide intended as a resource in preparing for emergencies before they happen. If you are experiencing an emergency such as a chemical or blood spill, please contact Environmental Health & Safety at 477-2998.
Quick Reference Guide
Evacuate
· Leave the spill area; alert others in the area and direct/assist them in leaving, if necessary.
· Without endangering yourself: remove victims to fresh air, remove contaminated clothing and flush contaminated skin and eyes with water for 15 minutes. If anyone has been injured or exposed to toxic chemicals or chemical vapors, call 9-911 and seek medical attention immediately.
Confine
· Close doors and isolate the area.
· Prevent people from entering the spill area.
· If a volatile, flammable material is spilled, immediately warn others in the area, control sources of ignition, and ventilate the area.
Report
· From a safe place, call Campus Security at 477-2449.
· Report there is an emergency and give your name, phone, and location; location of the spill; the name and amount of material spilled; extent of injuries; safest route to the spill.
· Request shutdown of building ventilation and, if needed, assistance for building evacuation and crowd control.
· Stay by the phone; send someone to meet the response personnel.
· Moorhead Fire & Rescue's Hazardous Materials Unit will clean up or stabilize large spills that are considered high hazard (fire, health or reactivity hazard). In the case of a small spill low hazard situation, EH&S, the laboratory supervisor, and/or laboratory technician will clean up or advise you how to clean up and what precautions and protective equipment to use.
Secure
· Until emergency response personnel arrive: block off the areas leading to the spill, lock doors, post signs and warning tape, and alert others of the spill.
· Post staff by commonly used entrances to the area to direct people to use other routes.