Chemical Hygiene Plan

            When it comes to a Chemical Hygiene Plan, it’s hard to start one off from scratch. To begin with, we need to know what a Chemical Hygiene Plan is and what the components of it that make up an effective CHP. The Chemical Hygiene Plan was created and defined by Occupational Safety and Hygiene Association’s Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories standard or 29 CFR 1910.1450. A Chemical Hygiene Plan is a written program that states the policies, procedures and responsibilities that protect the workers from the health hazards associated with the hazardous chemicals used in that particular workplace.

            As said in the definition of the CHP, the elements that make up a Chemical Hygiene Plan are in the policies and procedures that it lays out. These policies and procedures should provide a guideline and the requirements for the use of the equipment in the lab and any personal protective equipment. The Chemical Hygiene Plan should also establish safe working practices known as standard operating procedures or SOPs for the use of hazardous chemicals or material in the lab. The Chemical Hygiene Plan should also be customized to each individual lab and kept within the Lab Safety Manual. The Chemical Hygiene Plan also needs to be accessible to the laboratory staff or students who need to refer to it.

            CHPs are written so that it keeps the employee safe from danger, so worker training needs to be included within it. Every employee needs to be trained in the methods of detecting the presence or release of a hazardous chemical and the use of appropriate work practices, emergency procedures, and personal protective equipment. Permissible exposure limits for any OSHA regulated substances or recommended exposure limits for hazardous chemicals where there is no applicable OSHA standard should also be noted in the CHP.

            Any lab personnel working with hazardous chemicals or materials should have access to the information and know the location of known reference material on the hazards, safe and proper handling, storage and disposal of hazardous material found in the lab. This means that they need access to Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) or Safety Data Sheet (SDS), depending on if HazCom has been initiated at the facility. The employer must also provide all personnel who with the hazardous chemicals an opportunity to receive medical attention if the need should arise, including follow-up examinations if the examining physician deems them necessary. The employer must also review and evaluate the effectiveness of the Chemical Hygiene Plan at least annually and update it as the need arises. The Chemical Hygiene Plan should also implement a laboratory inspection program that is conducted by the Environmental Health & Safety specialist or officer. He/she must ensure compliance with federal, state, and university requirements and beyond. All laboratory inspection reports should be kept in the Laboratory Safety Manual under the appropriate lab. The incident that occurred at the University of California: Los Angeles is a great example to look at if you are in need of updating a Chemical Hygiene Plan.

https://ucla.app.box.com/v/ehs-lab-safety-manual

https://www.osha.gov/Publications/laboratory/OSHAfactsheet-laboratory-safety-chemical-hygiene-plan.pdf

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2014/03/30/a_young_lab_worker_a_professor_and_a_deadly_accident.html