Section A: Responsibilities
1. Chair of Department
- Has ultimate responsibility
for chemical hygiene in the Chemistry Department. The chair must ensure
that an effective hygiene program is in place and supported by everyone in
the department.
2. Department Chemical Hygiene Officer
- Coordinates and implements
the Chemical Hygiene Plan.
- Maintains all records
required by the Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP).
- Conducts a formal CHP
inspection of all laboratories and chemical storage areas each semester.
Documents results of each semester's inspection; follows up to ensure
appropriate corrections have been made by the responsible faculty or staff
member.
- Advises course directors,
researchers, instructors, and workers of how the CHP applies to them.
- Works to continually improve
chemical hygiene practices, procedures and equipment.
- Maintains an up-to-date
safety library that is available to all which includes a current copy of
the CHP.
- Reports all accidents and
other potential exposure conditions to the Chair. Keeps a central file of
all incident and hazard reports
3. Laboratory Chemist
- Conducts weekly visits to
all chemical areas for compliance with the CHP to identify and to correct
CHP items, which require immediate attention.
- Conducts annual inventory of
all chemicals in all storerooms and labs; updates the chemical data base
with the inventory results
- Logs the receipt of each new
chemical in the department by:
- Entering them into
data base
- Adding inventory bar
code to container
- Adding label with
receipt date and disposal date
- Obtaining MSDS sheet,
placing copy in central MSDS inventory and in appropriate MSDS notebook
in lab where it will be stored and used.
- Monitors procurement, use,
and disposal of all chemicals used in the department.
- Identifies and prepares
chemical waste and excess chemicals for disposal.
- Works to ensure that
chemicals are properly labeled and stored.
- Tests all eyewashes and
safety showers throughout the department and keeps a written record of
these.
- Monitors and ensures that
protective equipment is available and maintained according to the chemical
hygiene plan (i.e. lab aprons are clean and available, testing of eyewash
stations and safety showers, ensures that spill kits are properly stocked,
fire extinguishers are inspected, etc.)
- Coordinates with other
campus organizations and faculty on chemical hygiene issues.
- Ensures that copies of
MSDS's are available for chemicals in each lab and in a central location.
4. Faculty and Lab Instructors
- Faculty
must attempt to ensure their own safety as well as the safety of all
students under their supervision by:
o
Complying with the CHP in teaching and research
laboratories.
o
Developing good personal chemical hygiene
habits.
o
Ensuring that housekeeping and maintenance of
all lab areas are up to standard.
o
Reporting all accident and unsafe conditions to
the chair or chemical hygiene officer.
o
Participating in chemical hygiene training.
o
Informing all students of safety precautions and
supervising students to ensure they work safely in the laboratory.
- The
following is a short list of some of the issues that should be addressed
before the start and during each lab period. The faculty member or
instructor should ensure that:
o
Students are briefed on safety/emergency
considerations and procedures for the laboratory work being conducted.
o
Students are advised of any MSDS considerations
for the substances being used that day.
o
Students are properly informed of the proper
waste disposal produces for each lab, ensuring that all waste containers are
properly labeled and that students adhere to the proper waste disposal
procedures.
o
Students are actively supervised during lab work
to ensure safe procedures are being followed.
o
Chemicals are properly labeled.
o
Chemicals are properly stored during and at the
end of each lab period.
o
The proper laboratory protective equipment is
used by everyone in the lab, including visitors.
o
The laboratory area is maintained in a state of
cleanliness, safety equipment and exit routes are free of obstructions
o
At the end of each lab, ensure that all waste
containers are properly closed; equipment is turned off or unplugged if
appropriate and all utility valves are turned off.
5. Student Employees
- Participating in chemical
hygiene training
- Planning and conducting each
operation in accordance with the Chemical Hygiene Plan.
- Developing good laboratory
hygiene habits.
- Reporting unsafe acts or
conditions to the instructor or the safety coordinator.
- Being familiar with
procedures for dealing with accidents and emergencies
6. Students
- All students are required to
ensure the safety of themselves and others by following all safety
precautions as outlined in the Chemical Hygiene Plan.
7. Safety Committee
- Members:
- Chemical Hygiene
Officer
- Laboratory Chemist
- Chair of the
Department
- A chemistry
faculty member
- A physics faculty
member
- A geology faculty
member
- Duties
- Ensure that
independent inspections of all laboratory areas are conducted and
documented each academic year.
- Conduct annual review
of the Chemical Hygiene Plan and update as necessary.
- Monitors the use of
particularly hazardous chemicals, particularly in research areas.
8. The University Chemical Hygiene Officer
- Ensure that all hoods,
safety showers and fire extinguishers are properly maintained and tested.
- Annually inspect
laboratories and chemical storage areas for compliance with CHP plan;
provide the chemical hygiene officer and department chair with
documentation of all such inspections and testing.
- Ensure that all University
employees, outside of the chemistry department, that have access to any
laboratory in the chemistry building are properly trained as to the safety
procedures that must be followed when entering a laboratory.
- Coordinate and schedule
chemical waste disposal at least twice each year so that no waste is
stored on site in excess of 270 days.