Laboratories (Hazardous chemicals)

Scope

The Laboratory standard applies to all individuals engaged in laboratory use of hazardous chemicals. Work with hazardous chemicals outside of laboratories is covered by the Hazard Communication standard (29 CFR 1910.1200). Laboratory uses of chemicals which provide no potential for exposure (e.g., chemically impregnated test media or prepared kits for pregnancy testing) are not covered by the Laboratory standard.

Regulatory citations

• 29 CFR 1910.1450 — Occupational exposure to hazardous chemicals in laboratories,
• Appendix A — National research council recommendations concerning chemical hygiene in laboratories (Non-mandatory), and
• Appendix B —References

Note: There are many other regulations that laboratory employers may need to comply with, including state and local. Additional OSHA regulations can also apply, such as:

• Hazard communication
• Bloodborne pathogens
• PPE
• Lockout/tagout
• Air contaminants
• Individual chemical/substance standards, such as those for formaldehyde

Key definitions

• Action level: A concentration designated in 29 CFR Part 1910 for a specific substance, calculated as an eight (8)-hour time-weighted average, which initiates certain required activities such as exposure monitoring and medical surveillance.
• Carcinogen / Select carcinogen: Any substance which meets one of the following criteria: (i) It is regulated by OSHA as a carcinogen; or (ii) It is listed under the category, “known to be carcinogens,” in the Annual Report on Carcinogens published by the National Toxicology Program (NTP) (latest edition); or (iii) It is listed under Group 1 (“carcinogenic to humans”) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer Monographs (IARC) (latest editions); or (iv) It is listed in either Group 2A or 2B by IARC or under the category, “reasonably anticipated to be carcinogens” by NTP, and causes statistically significant tumor incidence in experimental animals in accordance with any of the following criteria: (A) After inhalation exposure of 6–7 hours per day, 5 days per week, for a significant portion of a lifetime to dosages of less than 10 mg/m3; (B) After repeated skin application of less than 300 (mg/kg of body weight) per week; or (C) After oral dosages of less than 50 mg/kg of body weight per day.
• Chemical Hygiene Officer: An employee who is designated by the employer, and who is qualified by training or experience, to provide technical guidance in the development and implementation of the provisions of the Chemical Hygiene Plan. This definition is not intended to place limitations on the position description or job classification that the designated individual shall hold within the employer’s organizational structure.
• Chemical Hygiene Plan: A written program developed and implemented by the employer which sets forth procedures, equipment, personal protective equipment and work practices that (i) are capable of protecting employees from the health hazards presented by hazardous chemicals used in that particular workplace and (ii) meets the requirements of paragraph (e) of this section.
• Emergency: Any occurrence such as, but not limited to, equipment failure, rupture of containers or failure of control equipment which results in an uncontrolled release of a hazardous chemical into the workplace.
• Employee: An individual employed in a laboratory workplace who may be exposed to hazardous chemicals in the course of his or her assignments.
• Hazardous chemical: Any chemical which is classified as health hazard or simple asphyxiant in accordance with the Hazard Communication Standard (1910.1200).
• Health hazard: A chemical that is classified as posing one of the following hazardous effects: Acute toxicity (any route of exposure); skin corrosion or irritation; serious eye damage or eye irritation; respiratory or skin sensitization; germ cell mutagenicity; carcinogenity; reproductive toxicity; specific target organ toxicity (single or repeated exposure); aspiration hazard. The criteria for determining whether a chemical is classified as a health hazard are detailed in appendix A of the Hazard Communication Standard (1910.1200) and 1910.1200(c) (definition of “simple asphyxiant”).
• Laboratory: A facility where the “laboratory use of hazardous chemicals” occurs. It is a workplace where relatively small quantities of hazardous chemicals are used on a non-production basis.
• Laboratory scale: Work with substances in which the containers used for reactions, transfers, and other handling of substances are designed to be easily and safely manipulated by one person. “Laboratory scale” excludes those workplaces whose function is to produce commercial quantities of materials.
• Laboratory-type hood: A device located in a laboratory, enclosure on five sides with a moveable sash or fixed partial enclosed on the remaining side; constructed and maintained to draw air from the laboratory and to prevent or minimize the escape of air contaminants into the laboratory; and allows chemical manipulations to be conducted in the enclosure without insertion of any portion of the employee’s body other than hands and arms.
• Laboratory use of hazardous chemicals: Handling or use of such chemicals in which all of the following conditions are met: (i) Chemical manipulations are carried out on a “laboratory scale;” (ii) Multiple chemical procedures or chemicals are used; (iii) The procedures involved are not part of a production process, nor in any way simulate a production process; and (iv) “Protective laboratory practices and equipment” are available and in common use to minimize the potential for employee exposure to hazardous chemicals.
• Medical consultation: A consultation which takes place between an employee and a licensed physician for the purpose of determining what medical examinations or procedures, if any, are appropriate in cases where a significant exposure to a hazardous chemical may have taken place.
• Mutagen: Chemicals that cause permanent changes in the amount or structure of the genetic material in a cell. Chemicals classified as mutagens in accordance with the Hazard Communication Standard (1910.1200) shall be considered mutagens for purposes of this section.
• Physical hazard: A chemical that is classified as posing one of the following hazardous effects: Explosive; flammable (gases, aerosols, liquids, or solids); oxidizer (liquid, solid, or gas); self reactive; pyrophoric (gas, liquid or solid); self-heating; organic peroxide; corrosive to metal; gas under pressure; in contact with water emits flammable gas; or combustible dust. The criteria for determining whether a chemical is classified as a physical hazard are in appendix B of the Hazard Communication Standard (1910.1200) and 1910.1200(c) (definitions of “combustible dust” and “pyrophoric gas”).
• Protective laboratory practices and equipment: Those laboratory procedures, practices and equipment accepted by laboratory health and safety experts as effective, or that the employer can show to be effective, in minimizing the potential for employee exposure to hazardous chemicals.
• Reproductive toxins: Chemicals that affect the reproductive capabilities including adverse effects on sexual function and fertility in adult males and females, as well as adverse effects on the development of the offspring. Chemicals classified as reproductive toxins in accordance with the Hazard Communication Standard (1910.1200) shall be considered reproductive toxins for purposes of this section.
• Walk-in hoods: Adjustable sashes meet the above definition provided that the sashes are adjusted during use so that the airflow and the exhaust of air contaminants are not compromised and employees do not work inside the enclosure during the release of airborne hazardous chemicals.

Summary of requirements

Laboratory employers must:

• Identify hazardous chemicals. Each laboratory must identify which hazardous chemicals will be encountered by its workers. All containers for chemicals must be clearly labeled. An employer must ensure that workers do not use, store, or allow any other person to use or store, any hazardous substance in his or her laboratory if the container does not meet the labeling requirements outlined in the Hazard Communication standard.
• Designate a Chemical Hygiene Officer.
• Implement a written Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP). The CHP must include provisions for worker training, chemical exposure monitoring where appropriate, medical consultation when exposure occurs, criteria for the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and engineering controls, special precautions for particularly hazardous substances, and a requirement for a Chemical Hygiene Officer responsible for implementation of the CHP.
• Train workers on the CHP.
• Ensure medical examination and consultation. Employers must provide all exposed workers with an opportunity to receive medical attention by a licensed physician, including any follow-up examinations which the examining physician determines to be necessary. Employers must also provide an opportunity for a medical consultation by a licensed physician whenever a spill, leak, explosion or other occurrence results in the likelihood that a laboratory worker experienced a hazardous exposure in order to determine whether a medical examination is needed. In addition, medical surveillance must be provided for a worker as required by the particular standard when exposure monitoring reveals exposure levels routinely exceeding the OSHA action level or, in the absence of an action level, the PEL.
• Keep adequate records. Employers must also maintain an accurate record of exposure monitoring activities and exposure measurements as well as medical consultations and examinations, including medical tests and written opinions. Employers generally must maintain worker exposure records for 30 years and medical records for the duration of the worker’s employment plus 30 years, unless one of the exemptions listed in 29 CFR 1910.1020(d)(1)(i)(A)-(C) applies. Such records must be maintained, transferred, and made available, in accord with 29 CFR 1910.1020, to an individual’s physician or made available to the worker or his/her designated representative upon request.