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Chemical Hygiene

Program Description

The University of Pittsburgh Chemical Hygiene Program has been designed to help University faculty, staff, and students to use hazardous chemicals safely and in a manner that complies with prevailing state and federal regulations and protocols.

The purpose of the University Chemical Hygiene Program, and specifically the Chemical Hygiene Plan (PDF), is to describe proper practices, procedures, equipment, and facilities that function together to help ensure that all affected individuals are protected from the effects of hazardous chemicals in their work area. Each affected department or unit will appoint a chemical-hygiene officer who is responsible for developing and updating department or unit -specific aspects of the Chemical Hygiene Plan, and for the general implementation and monitoring of the total University plan within their area of responsibility.

The requirement for a Chemical Hygiene Plan results from a rulemaking and review process, through which the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) determined that laboratories typically differ from industrial operations in their use and handling of hazardous chemicals. OSHA's response to this determination was the promulgation of an operation-specific Standard, Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories (29 CFR 1910.1450), commonly referred to as the Lab Standard. The Standard applies to laboratories handling hazardous chemicals when the following conditions are met:

  • chemical operations are carried out on a laboratory scale (easily by one person) and no commercial quantities of material are produced;
  • multiple chemicals are/or procedures are used;
  • procedures are not part of, or do not simulate, a production process; and
  • protective laboratory practices and equipment are available and in common use to minimize the potential for employee exposure to hazardous chemicals.

Student Compliance

Although the federal chemical hygiene regulations on which this plan is based apply only to employees, staff and faculty must make every effort to ensure that students are also provided with the information and training needed to work with hazardous chemicals in a safe and healthful way.

Suggestions for Revisions

Suggestions for future revision of the Chemical Hygiene Plan, as well as any concerns that you may have about chemical-safety policy or practice at the University of Pittsburgh, may be directed to the Department of Environmental Health and Safety, the Chemical Hygiene Committee or the University Environmental Health and Safety Committee.

Chemical Hygiene Links