INTRODUCTION
Policy
It is the policy of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) to perform all work safely with full regard to the well-being of workers, guests, the public, and the environment. To this end, all operations must be performed in a safe and responsible manner. This includes maintaining personnel exposure to chemical agents within established exposure limits by using hazard elimination, engineering controls, personal protective equipment, and administrative controls. It is a requirement of employment and a precondition for using Laboratory facilities that every employee, contractor, and casual and participating visitorbe familiar with and comply with LBNL safety standards.
Purpose
The purpose of this Chemical Hygiene and Safety Plan (CHSP) is to provide requirements and guidance to LBNL Division Directors, supervisors, Work Leads, employees, contractors, casual and participating visitors, and support personnel for the safe handling use and storage of hazardous materials in laboratory, shop and office settings. This plan identifies responsibilities for these personnel and establishes procedures for identifying, evaluating, and controlling hazardous materials.
Scope
The scope of the CHSP includes the requirements of the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) “Hazard Communication Standard” (29 CFR 1910.1200) for employees in shop and office settings and the OSHA “Occupational Exposures to Hazardous Materials in Laboratories” (29 CFR 1910.1450) for laboratory employees.
The Hazard Communication Standard was developed to inform employees who work with hazardous chemicals of the risks associated with those chemicals. A separate standard (the “Laboratory Standard”) was specifically developed for laboratory operations because these environments often differ from industrial and office settings in the use and handling of hazardous chemicals.
LBNL is required to comply with these federal standards. These requirements have been combined into this Chemical Hygiene and Safety Plan in order to establish a single standardized framework for chemical hygiene practices, information dissemination, and training at LBNL, regardless of the occupational setting.
Questions or comments may be addressed to Larry McLouth via e-mail or at ext. 5286.
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