Occupational Exposure To Hazardous Chemicals In Laboratories

INFORMATION DATE 19901212

DESCRIPTION USDOL Program Highlights, Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals

SUBJECT Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories

ABSTRACT The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, recognizing the unique characteristics of the laboratory workplace, tailored a standard for occupational exposure to hazardous chemicals in laboratories to include approximately 934,000 employees in 34,214 industrial, clinical, and academic laboratories.

U.S. Department of Labor

Program Highlights Fact

Sheet No. OSHA 90-33

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, recognizing the unique characteristics of the laboratory workplace, tailored a standard for occupational exposure to hazardous chemicals in laboratories to include approximately 934,000 employees in 34,214 industrial, clinical, and academic laboratories.

SCOPE AND APPLICATION

• Covers all laboratories engaged in the laboratory use of chemicals defined as hazardous by this standard, generally, superseding provisions of all other health standards except in specific instances. The obligation to maintain employee exposures at or below the permissible exposure limits (PELs) specified in the air contaminants standard and in substance specific standards is retained.
• Does not apply for laboratory use of hazardous chemicals which provide no potential for employee exposure such as procedures using chemically-impregnated test media and commercially prepared test kits.

The employer must measure the employee's exposure periodically to any substance regulated by a standard which requires monitoring if there is reason to believe that exposure levels for that substance routinely exceed the action level (or in the absence of an action level, the PEL). The employer must notify the employee of the results within 15 working days after receipt of the monitoring results.

Where hazardous chemicals are used in the workplace the employer must develop and carry out the provisions of a written Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP). The CHP must include the necessary work practices, procedures and policies to ensure that employees are protected from all potentially hazardous chemicals in use in their work area. The plan must be available to employees, to employee representatives, and to the Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health.

The employer must provide employees with information and training to ensure that they are aware of the hazards of the chemicals present in their work area. This information must be provided at the time of an employee's initial assignment to a work area where hazardous chemicals are present and prior to assignments involving new exposure situations.

Employees must be informed of:

• The contents of this standard and its appendixes must be made available to them.
• The location and availability of the employer's Chemical Hygiene Plan.
• The permissible exposure limits for OSHA regulated substances or recommended exposure limits for other hazardous chemicals where there is no applicable OSHA standard.
• Signs and symptoms associated with exposures to hazardous chemicals used in the laboratory.
• And the location and availability of known reference material on the hazards, safe handling, storage and disposal of hazardous chemicals found in the laboratory including, but not limited to Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) received from chemical suppliers.

Employee training must include:

• Methods and observations that may be used to detect the presence or release of a hazardous chemical;
• The physical and health hazards of chemicals in the work area; and
• The measures they can take to protect themselves from these hazards, including specific procedures the employer has implemented to protect employees from exposure to hazardous chemicals, such as appropriate work practices, emergency procedures, and personal protective equipment to be used.

The employee must be trained on the applicable details of the employer's written Chemical Hygiene Plan.

All employees who work with hazardous chemicals must be given the opportunity to receive medical attention, including any follow-up examinations which the examining licensed physician determines to be necessary under certain circumstances. Medical examinations and consultants must be provided without cost to the employee, without loss of pay, and at a reasonable time and place.

The employer must provide certain information to the physician, including the identity of thee hazardous chemicals, a description of the conditions under which the exposure occurred, and a description of the signs and symptoms of exposure that the employee employee is experiencing.

Labels on incoming containers of hazardous chemicals must not be removed or defaced. MSDSs on incoming hazardous chemicals must be retained and made available to lab employees.

Where the use of respirators is necessary to maintain exposure below permissible exposure limits, the employer must provide, at no cost to the employee, the proper respirator equipment.

The employer must establish and maintain for each employee an accurate record of any measurements taken to monitor employee exposure and any medical consultation and examination including tests or written opinions.

This is one of a series of fact sheets highlighting U.S. Department of Labor programs. It is intended as a general description only and does not carry the force of legal opinion.