CHEMICAL SAFETY

Chemicals used in both campus offices and research operations pose a wide range of health hazards (such as irritation, sensitization and carcinogenicity) and physical hazards (such as flammability, corrosion and reactivity). OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) is designed to ensure that information about these hazards and associated protective measures is disseminated.

At the U, it is the responsibility of each supervisor to ensure that chemicals in their areas are properly labeled and Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) are available.  Additionally, supervisors must have documented that the employees in their organization know what chemicals are present, what the chemicals’ hazards are and how to respond to a spill or release.

Laboratories on campus have an additional responsibility to maintain a current written chemical hygiene plan and chemical inventory for each lab.  Template documents and supervisor training are available from Environmental Health and Safety.