Laboratory Safety CL
Content
BLR
Audit
Checklists
Lab Safety
Overview
Safety Issue:
Laboratories present many potential safety and health hazards that can
cause serious injury or illness if adequate precautions are not taken.
Although lab personnel are usually trained professionals, they may not be fully aware of the many
health and safety hazards that abound in laboratories. Lab employees must practice good hygiene,
use personal protective equipment, and follow many
precautions to avoid accidents and dangerous exposures to hazardous chemicals or infectious materials.
When all employees are aware of lab hazards
and follow established safety procedures the risk
of injury or illness is greatly decreased. The
purpose of this checklist is to help you review
your rules, controls, and procedures to make sure
that your employees are well-protected from laboratory hazards.
Legal Issues
OSHA regulation: 29 CFR 1910.1450 and 29
CFR 1910.1030.
Comments: OSHA’s lab safety standard
(1910.1450) sets parameters for protection of
employees from chemical hazards. OSHA’s
bloodborne pathogen standard (1910.1030)
establishes the regulations governing work
with blood, body fluids, and other potentially
infectious materials.
10007700
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Other OSHA applicable standards to keep in
mind when considering lab safety and health
include the Hazard Communication Standard
(1910.1200), Fire Protection (Subpart L), and
Electrical Safety (Subpart S).
Management Issues
Effective management of laboratory safety and health
means considering a variety of important issues:
✔ Chemical Hygiene Plan. OSHA requires you
to have a written chemical hygiene plan if you
have a laboratory in your facility where employees
routinely work with hazardous chemicals. Your
plan must be made accessible to employees for
review, and it must provide specific measures for
protecting employees against chemical hazards.
✔ Hazard identification. You are required to
make sure that all incoming chemical containers
have legible labels and that these labels remain on
the containers at all times. You must also ensure
that there is an MSDS available at all times to
employees for each chemical used in the lab.
✔ Monitoring. The lab safety and health regulations require you to monitor the lab to measure
310-1
BLR
Audit
Checklists
Lab Safety
Overview
employee exposure to hazardous chemicals regulated by OSHA standards if you have reason to
believe that exposure levels for any substance routinely exceed the action level (or in the absence of
an action level, the PEL).
✔ Decontamination procedures. Employees
must be provided with specific procedures
for decontamination after working in the lab.
This includes not only personal hygiene, but
also safe removal and disposal of PPE and other
protective clothing.
✔ Disposal of hazardous waste. You must used
OSHA-approved methods for disposing of hazardous waste, including infectious wastes.
✔ Medical consultation and examinations. The
standard requires you to provide medical attention
to any employees who are exposed to hazardous
chemicals. You must provide this service at no
charge to the employee, and without loss of pay, at
a reasonable time and place.
✔ Recordkeeping. OSHA requires you to keep
records of any monitoring that occurs in the lab. In
addition, you must keep records of medical consultations and examinations of employees and of any
accidents or illnesses that occur in the lab.
Training Issues
Your lab safety training program should include the
following elements required by the OSHA standard:
✔ Chemical Hygiene Plan. All lab employees
must be trained in the applicable details of your
310-2
written plan. They should also know where to find
a copy of the plan any time they wish to review it.
✔ Hazard awareness. You must make employees
aware of all physical and health hazards in the lab.
Employees should know where to find information
about hazards on container labels and in MSDSs.
✔ Protective measures. You must teach lab
employees how to protect themselves against hazards, including the use of appropriate work practices, emergency procedures, and PPE.
✔ Signs and symptoms of exposure.
Employees should be trained to recognize the signs
and symptoms of dangerous exposure to the chemicals they work with.
✔ Location and availability of reference material on hazards. Employees should be thoroughly
trained in the effective use of chemical container
labels and MSDSs. They should know where
MSDSs are located and how to access other applicable information in a hurry.
✔ Detection of and response to a release of
hazardous chemicals. Employees should be able
to recognize the visual appearance and odor of
chemicals used in the lab. They should be taught
to detect a release of hazardous chemicals. They
should also know how to respond in the event of a
leak or spill.
✔ Monitoring methods and permissible exposure limits. Employees should be familiar with
monitoring methods and permissible exposure limits
(PELs). Although they may not have to administer
10007700
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Lab Safety
BLR
Audit
Checklists
Overview
these procedures, they should understand the basic
concepts and methods.
You should also be aware of when training
is required:
✔ Initial training. Employees must be fully
trained when they are initially assigned to work
in the lab.
✔ Assignments involving new exposure situations. They must receive additional training
any time a new job assignment involves new
exposure situations.
For Further Help
See the related checklists on hazardous substances,
accident prevention and response, safe work practices and PPE, and health and hygiene. BLR also
publishes several employee booklets that can be
helpful in your training: “What You Need to Know
about Lab Safety” (A200-013), “OSHA’s
Bloodborne Pathogens Standard” (A200-194),
“Protecting Yourself with Universal Precautions”
(A200-103), “What You Should Know about
Handling Spills and Leaks” (A200-048), “Using
Chemical Labels for Safety” (A200-007), and “The
MSDS: Your Partner in Safety” (A200-188).
✔ Refresher training. Employees should be
given refresher training at reasonable intervals.
Although OSHA does not specify a time period,
annual retraining is generally considered acceptable
practice. If lab hazards are extreme, more frequent
refresher training may be required.
Take Action
Use the information contained in the OSHA compliance checklist to review your policies and procedures in light of the requirements of the
Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals
in Laboratories standard. The information in the
two safety checklists that follow the compliance
checklist can be used to review management
issues and employee safety and health issues concerning this topic. You can use the quiz to check
your employees’ knowledge of lab safety and
health issues.
10007700
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
310-3
Audit
Checklists
Lab Safety
Overview
Safety Issue:
Laboratories present many potential safety and health hazards that can
cause serious injury or illness if adequate precautions are not taken.
Although lab personnel are usually trained professionals, they may not be fully aware of the many
health and safety hazards that abound in laboratories. Lab employees must practice good hygiene,
use personal protective equipment, and follow many
precautions to avoid accidents and dangerous exposures to hazardous chemicals or infectious materials.
When all employees are aware of lab hazards
and follow established safety procedures the risk
of injury or illness is greatly decreased. The
purpose of this checklist is to help you review
your rules, controls, and procedures to make sure
that your employees are well-protected from laboratory hazards.
Legal Issues
OSHA regulation: 29 CFR 1910.1450 and 29
CFR 1910.1030.
Comments: OSHA’s lab safety standard
(1910.1450) sets parameters for protection of
employees from chemical hazards. OSHA’s
bloodborne pathogen standard (1910.1030)
establishes the regulations governing work
with blood, body fluids, and other potentially
infectious materials.
10007700
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Other OSHA applicable standards to keep in
mind when considering lab safety and health
include the Hazard Communication Standard
(1910.1200), Fire Protection (Subpart L), and
Electrical Safety (Subpart S).
Management Issues
Effective management of laboratory safety and health
means considering a variety of important issues:
✔ Chemical Hygiene Plan. OSHA requires you
to have a written chemical hygiene plan if you
have a laboratory in your facility where employees
routinely work with hazardous chemicals. Your
plan must be made accessible to employees for
review, and it must provide specific measures for
protecting employees against chemical hazards.
✔ Hazard identification. You are required to
make sure that all incoming chemical containers
have legible labels and that these labels remain on
the containers at all times. You must also ensure
that there is an MSDS available at all times to
employees for each chemical used in the lab.
✔ Monitoring. The lab safety and health regulations require you to monitor the lab to measure
310-1
BLR
Audit
Checklists
Lab Safety
Overview
employee exposure to hazardous chemicals regulated by OSHA standards if you have reason to
believe that exposure levels for any substance routinely exceed the action level (or in the absence of
an action level, the PEL).
✔ Decontamination procedures. Employees
must be provided with specific procedures
for decontamination after working in the lab.
This includes not only personal hygiene, but
also safe removal and disposal of PPE and other
protective clothing.
✔ Disposal of hazardous waste. You must used
OSHA-approved methods for disposing of hazardous waste, including infectious wastes.
✔ Medical consultation and examinations. The
standard requires you to provide medical attention
to any employees who are exposed to hazardous
chemicals. You must provide this service at no
charge to the employee, and without loss of pay, at
a reasonable time and place.
✔ Recordkeeping. OSHA requires you to keep
records of any monitoring that occurs in the lab. In
addition, you must keep records of medical consultations and examinations of employees and of any
accidents or illnesses that occur in the lab.
Training Issues
Your lab safety training program should include the
following elements required by the OSHA standard:
✔ Chemical Hygiene Plan. All lab employees
must be trained in the applicable details of your
310-2
written plan. They should also know where to find
a copy of the plan any time they wish to review it.
✔ Hazard awareness. You must make employees
aware of all physical and health hazards in the lab.
Employees should know where to find information
about hazards on container labels and in MSDSs.
✔ Protective measures. You must teach lab
employees how to protect themselves against hazards, including the use of appropriate work practices, emergency procedures, and PPE.
✔ Signs and symptoms of exposure.
Employees should be trained to recognize the signs
and symptoms of dangerous exposure to the chemicals they work with.
✔ Location and availability of reference material on hazards. Employees should be thoroughly
trained in the effective use of chemical container
labels and MSDSs. They should know where
MSDSs are located and how to access other applicable information in a hurry.
✔ Detection of and response to a release of
hazardous chemicals. Employees should be able
to recognize the visual appearance and odor of
chemicals used in the lab. They should be taught
to detect a release of hazardous chemicals. They
should also know how to respond in the event of a
leak or spill.
✔ Monitoring methods and permissible exposure limits. Employees should be familiar with
monitoring methods and permissible exposure limits
(PELs). Although they may not have to administer
10007700
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Lab Safety
BLR
Audit
Checklists
Overview
these procedures, they should understand the basic
concepts and methods.
You should also be aware of when training
is required:
✔ Initial training. Employees must be fully
trained when they are initially assigned to work
in the lab.
✔ Assignments involving new exposure situations. They must receive additional training
any time a new job assignment involves new
exposure situations.
For Further Help
See the related checklists on hazardous substances,
accident prevention and response, safe work practices and PPE, and health and hygiene. BLR also
publishes several employee booklets that can be
helpful in your training: “What You Need to Know
about Lab Safety” (A200-013), “OSHA’s
Bloodborne Pathogens Standard” (A200-194),
“Protecting Yourself with Universal Precautions”
(A200-103), “What You Should Know about
Handling Spills and Leaks” (A200-048), “Using
Chemical Labels for Safety” (A200-007), and “The
MSDS: Your Partner in Safety” (A200-188).
✔ Refresher training. Employees should be
given refresher training at reasonable intervals.
Although OSHA does not specify a time period,
annual retraining is generally considered acceptable
practice. If lab hazards are extreme, more frequent
refresher training may be required.
Take Action
Use the information contained in the OSHA compliance checklist to review your policies and procedures in light of the requirements of the
Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals
in Laboratories standard. The information in the
two safety checklists that follow the compliance
checklist can be used to review management
issues and employee safety and health issues concerning this topic. You can use the quiz to check
your employees’ knowledge of lab safety and
health issues.
10007700
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
310-3
