Chemical Hygiene

Chemical Hygiene Course Content

1. Introduction
   1. Determining who is covered by the Lab Standard
   2. Minors in Lab Policy
   3. Training needs to be done as soon as possible
2. Responsibilities
   1. Environmental Health & Safety responsibilities
   2. Deans, Directors and Heads of Academic and Administrative Units
   3. Faculty and staff
   4. Laboratory Worker
3. Standard Operating Procedures
   1. General
   2. Personal
   3. Hazardous Material Handling and Storage
   4. Labels
   5. Laboratory Door Signage
   6. Example Violations
4. Controlling Chemical Exposures
   1. Skin/Eye Contact Hazards
   2. Ingestion Hazards
   3. Exposure Assessment
5. Fume Hoods and Other Engineering Controls
   1. Fume Hood Face Velocities
   2. Hoods Needing Repair
   3. Safe Work Practices for Laboratory Fume Hoods
   4. Fume Hood Guide
6. Employee Information and Training
   1. Mandatory Information Requirements
   2. Mandatory Training Requirements
7. Prior Approval
8. Medical Consultation
9. Chemical Hygiene Officer
10. Special Provisions for Select Carcinogens, Reproductive Toxins &Toxic Chemicals

• Standard operating procedures
• Criteria to determine and implement specific control measures, such as engineering controls and personal protective equipment
• An ongoing program be developed to ensure that fume hoods and other engineering controls are functioning properly
• Information and training requirements
• Circumstances under which a particular laboratory function will require "prior approval"
• Provisions for medical consultation and medical exams
• Designation of the Principal Investigator/Laboratory Supervisor as the Chemical Hygiene Officer
• Additional precautions for work with select carcinogens, reproductive toxins, and extremely toxic substance

All Laboratory Workers prior to the commencement of lab duties must read this Chemical Hygiene Plan. In addition to the Plan, the Laboratory Workers must be familiar with and adhere to prudent laboratory safety guideline developed by their laboratory supervisor, UK requirements and other relevant regulatory requirements (e.g. Radiation Safety).

Training records should be kept by the Principal Investigator(PI) or the lab supervisor. One training record will be the certificate that accompanies this training course. Also, a written record stating that each Laboratory Worker has reviewed the Chemical Hygiene Plan and specific health and safety policies and guidelines for the individual lab must be kept by the person in charge of the lab. (See Appendix 3 for an example of a training record form). The University of Kentucky office of Environmental Health and Safety has professionals in several disciplines (e.g. Radiation Safety; Hazardous Materials Management; Fire and Accident Prevention; Occupational Health/Industrial Hygiene) that can be consulted to assist in related laboratory safety issues. See Appendix 2 for and organizational chart.

This model CHP will be reviewed annually by the institutional Chemical Hygiene Officer (CHO) and/or the Chemical Health and Safety Committee. Each laboratory's CHP must be reviewed annually by the laboratory's Chemical Hygiene Officer and the "revised date" must be listed on the identification page. [For discussion of Institutional Chemical Hygiene Officer and Chemical Hygiene Officer see Chapter 9.]

The University of Kentucky is committed to providing a safe and healthful environment for all persons associated with the institution. The university intends to be a role model for the Commonwealth in its environmental stewardship, health protection and safety standards and its compliance with all laws and regulations relating to the environment, health and safety. Management, faculty, staff, and students are asked to support these goals in all university activities and the University administration will provide the necessary resources to achieve these goals. A vast array of educational activities and research utilizing hazardous materials is conducted at the university, which requires cooperation of all parties involved to ensure that such activities are conducted safely with regard to workers, students, the community, and the environment. The following outlines specific responsibilities associated with laboratory safety and this Chemical Hygiene Plan.

Environmental Health and Safety Department responsibilities include the following:

• Appoint an Institutional Chemical Hygiene Officer who will routinely review the model Chemical Hygiene Plan and suggest modifications as needed
• Provide technical assistance to Laboratory Supervisors and workers concerning appropriate storage, handling and disposal of hazardous chemicals
• Provide general laboratory safety training upon request
• Conduct exposure assessments and laboratory inspections upon request and on a routine basis
• Provide technical assistance concerning personal protective equipment and laboratory safety equipment
• Remain current on rules and regulations concerning chemicals used on campus.

Deans, Directors and Heads of Academic and Administrative Units have the primary responsibility for the health and safety of their staff and students. Specific responsibilities regarding the implementation of the Chemical Hygiene Plan include:

• Collaborate with faculty and staff to adapt the Model Chemical Hygiene Plan to include lab-specific guidelines and to develop strategies to implement the Plan
• Consider the idea of developing departmental-wide laboratory safety training programs and/or committees
• Make budget arrangements for health and safety improvements. It is the responsibility of these respective individuals to request the necessary monies in the budget process

The Lab Standard requires operating procedures relevant to safety and health considerations to be followed when laboratory work involves the use of hazardous chemicals.

This Plan represents a minimum set of guidelines for the handling of hazardous chemicals in laboratories at the University of Kentucky. Individual administrative units, laboratories or research groups are required to develop more detailed procedures as their situations warrant. These procedures must be written, added to the laboratory's Chemical Hygiene Plan, and made available to Laboratory Workers. Acceptable lab safety references such as those listed in the Appendix I may be adopted in whole or may be useful in developing additional procedures. In all situations, individual faculty or staff will be responsible for enforcing adequate safety and hygiene measures in laboratories they supervise. If necessary, additional assistance from Environmental Health and Safety is available. A table of violations can be used as a guide for enforcing the adequate safety and hygiene measures. The following standard operating procedures apply to all labs at UK:

#1 - GENERAL

Respect and understand the safety and health hazards associated with the chemicals and equipment in your laboratory, and practice the following general safety guidelines at ALL times:

#2 - PERSONAL

Each laboratory door must be legibly marked with the following information:

1. Room number
2. Department
3. Laboratory supervisor's name
4. Emergency contacts, including names, office location, and office and emergency telephone numbers
5. Special hazards/instructions (e.g. location of large quantities of flammables or the presence of a "local alarm" system).

Appendix VIII of the CHP has standard laboratory signage. A word version can be downloaded off the web site and filled out electronically.

The Lab Standard requires the employer to determine and implement control measures to reduce employee exposure to hazardous chemicals; and particular attention must be given to the selection of control measures for chemicals that are known to be extremely hazardous. There are three major routes of entry for a chemical to enter the body: inhalation, absorption, and ingestion. Three types of controls for prevention of these various routes of entry include engineering controls, administrative or work practice controls and personal protective equipment. Each route of entry a chemical can take to enter the body can be controlled in a number of ways, as explained below.

Evaluating the risk is the first step. A good place to start researching health and safety information is from the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) that are shipped with the chemical. To access an MSDS on the web click here.

Inhalation Hazards

Inhalation of chemicals is the most common route of entry a chemical can take to enter the body. One good way to reduce any type of exposure is substitution. Try to find a chemical that works just as well but is less volatile or toxic. It could also be changing to a liquid or a solid chemical from a gas. If substitution is not practical, engineering controls such as ventilation should be used to lessen the chance of exposure. The use of well-functioning local exhaust ventilation such as fume hoods, biological safety cabinets, vented glove boxes and other local exhaust systems is often required to minimize exposure to hazardous chemicals. Dilution ventilation may be used to reduce exposure to non-hazardous nuisance odors. For extremely toxic chemicals such as those classified as poisonous gases by State or Federal agencies (e.g., arsine, phosgene) the use of closed systems, vented gas cabinets, fail-safe scrubbing, detection or other stricter controls may be required.

In addition the following principles should be utilized to reduce the risk of exposure to hazardous chemicals:

• minimization of exposure time for individual employees;
• restricted access to an area where a hazardous chemical is used; and
• proper signage on lab doors to indicate special hazards within.

Skin/Eye Contact Hazards

To reduce the risk of a chemical entering the body via skin and eye contact, engineering controls include substitution and appropriate ventilation as described above in Inhalation Hazards. Also the fume hood sash provides a good physical barrier. The more obvious means of preventing skin and eye contact is the wearing of personal protective equipment such as eye protection, face shields, gloves, appropriate shoes, lab aprons, lab coats, and other protective equipment as appropriate to the hazard. Chemical resistivity of the different types of protective equipment varies significantly. The lab supervisor should consult Appendix VI of the CHP or other references to ascertain that the protective equipment material is resistant to the chemical being protected against. Safety showers/eye wash equipment is required where corrosive chemicals are used. Such equipment should be prominently labeled and not obstructed.

Exposure Assessment

At the request of faculty, staff or students, exposure evaluations may be conducted by Occupational Health for any suspected overexposure to substances regulated by OSHA. Records of exposure evaluations will be kept in the Occupational Health and Safety Department and provided to the department and affected employees and any other appropriate authorities at the University.

Chemical Hood Face Velocities

Chemical hoods are the most common engineering control in laboratories. All chemical hoods at University of Kentucky facilities should have face velocities between 80-120 feet per minute (fpm)with the sash at a "working height" of approximately 12 inches. As a general rule, chemical hoods should not be operated with the sash fully open and should have the sash closed when not being used. The office of Occupational Health and Safety will conduct a chemical hood inspection for all chemical hoods at the university. Chemical hoods with face velocities within the 80-150 fpm range may be used without restriction and will be marked with a fume hood sticker showing face velocity at a height designated with an arrow.

For additional information on the safe use of chemical hoods, see the University of Kentucky's Chemical Hood Guidelines.

Hoods Needing Repairs

Chemical hoods with face velocities below 80 fpm or above 120 fpm must be marked with a sign indicating that the hood may not be used for chemical manipulations. Occupational Health and Safety will turn in a work order to repair these hoods if noted from a regular inspection. If a chemical hood is suspected of not working a work order can be generated by the lab personnel. For UKMC this can be done online or by contacting the MCPPD at 3-6281. For Lexington Campus contact your building administrator and/or operator. Once the hood has been repaired, contact OH&S to reevaluate the hood's performance.

If a hood is well outside an acceptable range it will be marked as failing. A red sticker will be place on the closed sash so that no one mistakenly uses the hood while in this condition. This sticker can only be removed by Occupational Health and Safety of PPD.

Safe Work Practices for Laboratory Fume Hoods

When using a chemical hood, one must remember that the hood does not provide absolute containment or absolute protection from the materials in the hood. That may be especially true for toxic airborne contaminants with exposure limits in the low part per billion ranges. However, for most exposures, a properly designed hood in a properly designed room can provide adequate protection by following certain work practices. The work practices listed below are recommended by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists in their text: "Industrial Ventilation: A Manual of Recommended Practices."

A chemical Laboratory chemical hood cannot provide complete safety against all events that may occur in the hood, especially for toxic airborne contaminants with an exposure limit in the low part per billion range. For ordinary exposures, however, a properly designed hood in a properly ventilated room can provide adequate protection. Nevertheless, certain work practices are necessary in order for the hood to perform efficiently. The following work practices are required; more stringent practices may be necessary in some circumstances.

1. All operations that may generate air contaminants at levels above the exposure limit must be conducted inside a hood.
   
   
   Proper sash height for working inside a chemical hood.
2. Keep all apparatus at least 6 inches back from the face of the hood. A stripe on the bench surface is a good reminder.
3. Do not put your head in the hood when contaminants are being generated.
4. Do not use the hood as a waste disposal mechanism except for very small quantities of volatile materials.
5. Excessive storage of chemicals or any apparatus in the hood will impair the performance of the chemical hood. Store flammable chemicals in an approved flammable storage safety cabinet. Store corrosive chemicals in a corrosive storage cabinet.
6. Be sure that the switch is in the "on" position whenever the hood is in use and test hood often for air flow (for example using a chemwipe).
   
   Be familiar with your chemical hood monitor and/or alarm.
   
7. Using hazardous solids (powders) in hood may not be appropriate.
8. Keep the slots in the hood baffle free of obstruction by apparatus or containers. No more that 25% of the bottom slot should be blocked.
9. Minimize foot traffic past the face of the hood.
   
   
   Sash movement also creates some turbulence.
   
10. Keep laboratory doors and windows closed (exception: some laboratories are designed for the lab doors to be open).
11. Do not remove hood sash or panels except when necessary for apparatus set-up; replace sash or panels before operating.
12. Do not place electrical receptacles or other spark sources inside the hood when flammable liquids or gases are present. No permanent electrical receptacles are permitted in the hood.
13. Use an appropriate barricade if there is a chance of explosion or eruption.
14. If hood sash is supposed to be partially closed for operation, the hood should be so labeled and the appropriate closure point clearly indicated.
15. Where perchloric acid is heated above ambient temperature, vapors may condense within the exhaust system to form explosive perchlorate salts. In such instances, specially designed chemical hood exhaust systems must be utilized. These systems will have dedicated exhausts and a water wash down system, and may be used for perchloric acid digestions only.
16. All chemical hoods should have spill protection lips (at the front of hood and for cup sinks located in the hood).

Fume Hood Guide

Mandatory Information Requirements

Laboratory Workers must be informed of the location and availability of the following:

• "Occupational Exposures to Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories" (the OSHA Lab Standard - See Appendix I)
• Chemical Hygiene Plan
• Reference materials on chemical safety (including material safety data sheets)
• Permissible exposure limits for OSHA regulated substances, or if there is no applicable OSHA standard, the recommended exposure limits or threshold limit value (TLV) may be provided. Contact Occupational Health and Safety at 257-3827 for assistance
• Signs and symptoms associated with exposure to the hazardous chemicals found in the lab

Mandatory Training Requirements

Laboratory Worker training must include:

• How a release of a hazardous chemicals is going to be detected. Examples of detection methods include visual appearance, odor, detector papers, and an understanding of chemical monitoring devices
• Physical and health hazards of the chemicals
• Hazardous waste training
• The work practices, personal protective equipment, and emergency procedures to be used to ensure that the employee protects himself/herself from overexposure to hazardous chemicals
• Medical consultations and examinations

The manufacturer's material safety data sheets (MSDSs) will generally contain much of the above information needed to comply with the information and training requirements of the OSHA Lab Standard. Laboratory supervisors and employees should understand the relevant MSDSs and/or other comparable literature on the hazardous chemicals which are used or stored in their laboratory. Additional training for specific lab hazards must be provided by the employee's supervisor.

Copies of MSDSs may be obtained from the chemical supplier, via Internet here or from Occupational Health and Safety. Individual departments or laboratories are strongly encouraged to maintain their own files of reference materials.

When all this information is covered the lab worker should sign the training record in Appendix 3 of the CHP.

An opportunity for laboratory workers to receive medical consultation must be provided under the following circumstances:

• if an employee develops any symptoms thought to arise from chemical overexposure
• after an event such as a major spill, leak or explosion which may have resulted in an overexposure
• The departmental or Institutional Chemical Hygiene Officer identifies an overexposure as the result of an evaluation.

Employees or student workers receiving pay that require medical evaluation should follow the same procedure as reporting an accident. The supervisor should be informed and then UK Workers' Care contacted by calling 1-800-440-6285. The Form IA-1, Workers' Compensation First Report of Injury, may be completed at the time of the call by UK Workers' Care or by the employee's supervisor. The original Form IA-1, if completed by the supervisor, is to be sent to UK Workers' Care. Forms are available from UK Benefits at 115 Scovell Hall.

If an employee is injured and DOES NOT SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION at this time, an Accident-Occupational Injury/Illness Report, Form-6 in Appendix X of the CHP, should be completed.

Note: Any medical examination required by this Plan must be provided without cost to the employee, without loss of pay and at a reasonable time and place. Records of any medical examination will be maintained at the medical facility providing service or with appropriate medical personnel at the University.

Chemical Use by Pregnant Laboratory Workers

Individuals of childbearing potential are warned to be especially cautious when working with chemicals known to reproductive toxins. Some examples of these chemicals are arsenic, benzene, Cadmium compounds, mercury compounds, and toluene, and formamide. These individuals must use appropriate protective apparel (especially gloves) to prevent skin contact. For more information and a complete list of reproductive toxins, please visit the following link - http://ehs.uky.edu/ohs/pregnant.html

The laboratory supervisor shall serve as the "Chemical Hygiene Officer" for her/his laboratories. The designated Chemical Hygiene Officer has the primary responsibility for safety and health within her/his laboratories. The Chemical Hygiene Officer is also responsible for conducting an annual review of the Chemical Hygiene Plan(s) that apply to his/her laboratories.

The Laboratory Safety Specialist of the Occupational Health and Safety Department is designated as the "Institutional Chemical Hygiene Officer" for the University of Kentucky. The Institutional Chemical Hygiene Officer is responsible for coordinating an annual review of the Model Chemical Hygiene Plan and serving as a resource to the individual laboratory Chemical Hygiene Officers.

• Quantities of these chemicals used and stored in the laboratory must be minimized, as should their concentrations in solution or mixtures.
• Work with genotoxins, reproductive toxins and acutely toxic chemicals must be performed within a certified functioning fume hood, biological safety cabinet, ventilated glove box, sealed system, or other system designed to minimize exposure to these substances. (The exhaust air from the ventilation systems may require scrubbing, or other treatment, before being released into the atmosphere.) In all cases, work with these types of chemicals must be done in such a manner that the OSHA permissible exposure limits or similar standards are not exceeded.
• Compressed gas cylinders, which contain acutely toxic chemicals such as arsine, chlorine, and nitrogen dioxide, must be kept in well-ventilated areas.
• The ventilation efficiency of the designated fume hood, glove box or gas cabinet, and the operational effectiveness of mechanical and electrical equipment used to contain or manipulate these special substances should be evaluated periodically by the laboratory personnel at intervals determined by the Laboratory Supervisor. The interval of evaluating systems may vary from weekly to annually depending upon the frequency of usage, quantities employed and level of hazard.
• Each laboratory utilizing these substances must designate an area for this purpose and must sign or mark this area with an appropriate hazard warning. The designated area may be an entire laboratory like BSL-3 and 4 labs. The designated area can be an area of the laboratory or a device such as a fume hood or glove box. The designated area should be marked with a DANGER, specific agent, AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY or comparable warning sign.
  
  
  
  
  
• All laboratory workers who work in a laboratory, which has an area, designated for use with genotoxins, reproductive toxins and acutely toxic chemicals must be trained about the deleterious effects of these substances as well as signs and symptoms regarding exposure to these substances, whether or not they actually work with the substance themselves. Training to ensure the safe handling and storage of these substances is required for those who use these materials. This training is the responsibility of the Laboratory supervisor and must be done prior to the use of any of these materials.
• Laboratory workers working with these chemicals must have access to appropriate protective equipment and clothing (available at no expense to the workers) and must be trained on how to properly utilize the safety equipment.
• Detection equipment may be required in laboratories where chemicals, especially poisonous gases, with a high degree of acute toxicity are utilized.
• For special disposal information, call Hazardous Materials Management (323-6280).
• The designated working area must be thoroughly and appropriately decontaminated and cleaned at regular intervals determined by the Laboratory Supervisor. The interval may be as short as one day or as long as six months depending upon the frequency of usage and level of hazard.
• Special precautions to avoid release and exposure to highly toxic chemicals, genotoxins and reproductive toxins must be utilized. For instance, volatile substances should be kept cool and contained; gases should have properly functioning valves, check valves, regulators, containment which can withstand pressure buildup, and appropriate piping; and dispersive solids should be kept in closed containers, used in places with minimum air currents, and appropriate contact materials should be used to avoid static charging.