Responsibility for chemical health and safety rests at all levels including:
The Department Chairperson has ultimate responsibility for chemical hygiene within the facility and must, along with other officials, provide continuing support for chemical safety.
The Chemical Hygiene Committee reviews and recommends policies that provide for the safe conduct of work involving hazardous chemicals and develops guidelines for reviewing and approving the use of high-risk substances in research operations.
The Principal Investigator has the primary responsibility for chemical hygiene in his/her research laboratory. They are responsible for:
- Acquiring the knowledge and information needed to recognize and control chemical hazards in the laboratory.
- Selecting and employing laboratory practices and engineering controls that reduce the potential for exposure to hazardous chemicals to the appropriate level.
- Informing employees working in his/her laboratory of the potential hazards associated with the use of chemicals in the laboratory and instructing them in the safe laboratory practices, adequate controls, and procedures for dealing with accidents involving hazardous chemicals.
- Supervising the performance of his/her staff to ensure the required chemical hygiene rules are adhered to in the laboratory.
- Ensuring appropriate controls (engineering and personal protective equipment) are used and in good working order.
- Obtaining approval, when required, prior to using particularly hazardous substances.
- Developing an understanding of the current legal requirements regulating hazardous substances used in his/her laboratory.
A laboratory researcher, technician or worker is responsible for:
- Being aware of the hazards of the materials she/he is around or workingwith, and handling those chemicals in a safe manner;
- Planning and conducting each operation in accordance with established chemical hygiene procedures;
- Developing good chemical hygiene habits (chemical safety practices and procedures);
- Reporting unsafe conditions to his/her laboratory supervisor, or the Chemical Hygiene Officer/Committee.
(The laboratory supervisor and laboratory workers share responsibility for collecting, labeling and storing chemical hazardous waste properly, as well as informing visitors entering their laboratory of the potential hazards and safety rules/precautions.)
The Director of Environmental Services (EHS) is responsible for chemical hygiene at the University and who must:
- Develop and update the Chemical Hygiene Plan
- Work with the facility administrators and other employees to develop andimplement appropriate chemical hygiene policies and practices
- Provide technical assistance for complying with the Chemical Hygiene Plan, and answer chemical safety questions for employees and students
- Monitor procurement, use, and disposal of chemicals used in the laboratories
- Develop and implement chemical safety inspection and training programs
- Assist laboratory supervisors in the selection of appropriate laboratory safety practices and engineering controls for new and existing projects and procedures
- Determine when an exposure assessment is appropriate and conduct or make arrangements for exposure assessments
- Know the current legal requirements concerning regulated substances
- Investigate all reported accidents, which result in the exposure of personnel or the environment to hazardous chemicals
- Supervise decontamination operations where accidents have resulted in significant contamination of laboratory areas