How to Create a Chemical Hygiene Safety Plan

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), requires laboratories that use hazardous chemicals to have a chemical hygiene safety plan (CHP). A chemical hygiene safety plan is a written manual that lists the rules that laboratory staff must follow to ensure workplace safety. OSHA regulates chemicals known to be a health hazard when humans are exposed to them. The safety requirements that must be included in a chemical hygiene safety plan are contained in OSHA regulations. Your CHP manual should be clearly written and easy to follow.

Instructions

• 1

  Determine which hazardous chemicals are found in your laboratory and list the "permissible exposure limits" of each chemical. The CHP must protect employees from health hazards that could result from coming into contact with these chemicals. It should ensure that the exposure is limited to an amount that is safe and permissible. Create any designated areas that must be used for certain laboratory procedures to limit employee exposures. Describe procedures employees should follow if an accident or injury occurs in the laboratory.

• 2

  Create standard operating procedures for employees to follow when using hazardous chemicals. The CHP should explain what personal protective gear is required, when it must be used and where it is located. Create a procedure to ensure the protective gear is working properly. Describe what hygiene practices must be followed. Determine procedures for ensuring that any protective equipment, such as fume hoods and ventilation fans, is functioning properly. Create procedures for decontamination and safe removal of contaminated waste. Waste containers should be clearly labeled.

• 3

  Create methods to be followed when employees are working with extremely hazardous chemicals. These methods must given special attention in the CHP manual. Use bold type or "extremely hazardous" warnings and symbols to emphasize the importance of these procedures.

• 4

  Name a person who will be the Chemical Hygiene Officer. This person is responsible for implementing the plan. You can name more than one person, if necessary. Write a training plan for employees. They must understand the CHP and be familiar with the manual's location. Your employees must be educated about the signs and symptoms that result from exposure to hazardous chemicals. Make sure you give special attention to the training of new employees.