***This could be you . . .***

*Hydrofluoric acid overflowed from a container. A worker tried to clean
it up with paper towels and only caused more vapors. The worker
experienced delayed symptoms and received severe chemical burns to his
hands and lungs.*

*A glass separator funnel ruptured from being shaken and sprayed a
chemical on a chemist. The chemist was wearing safety glasses, lab coat,
and gloves. After washing off the chemical, the chemist was okay.*

*A laboratory worker broke a glass laboratory device he was working on
and cut his finger.*

# 1. Applicability of this chapter

You are required to follow this chapter if you work in a laboratory, as
described in paragraph 2 below, or supervise those who work in a
laboratory.

# 2. What is a laboratory?

In this chapter the term "laboratory" will be used as it is defined in
the OSHA Standard 29 CFR 1910.1450, "Occupational Exposure to Hazardous
Chemicals in Laboratories." Therefore, laboratory means "a workplace
where relatively small quantities of hazardous chemicals are used on a
non-production basis for analysis or research." It involves "work with
substances in which the containers used for reactions, transfers, and
other handling of substances . . . are designed to be easily and safety
manipulated by one person."

# 3. Requirements for working in a laboratory

You shall follow the requirements in this chapter, 29 CFR 1910.1450,
"Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories," and:

a.  Use engineering and administrative hazard controls as much as
    possible.

b.  Follow your laboratory's chemical hygiene plan and standard
    operating procedures.

# 4. Chemical hygiene plans

If your laboratory uses hazardous chemicals, your supervisor shall make
sure that the laboratory has a written chemical hygiene plans (CHPs).
Your laboratory may have its own CHP, or it may use a CHP that covers
several laboratories in your organization. Review your CHP and evaluate
its effectiveness at least yearly and update it as necessary. Send your
written CHP to the Occupational Health Department (SD33) for review. A
CHP shall include:

a.  Methods to protect workers from chemical hazards in the laboratory
    and keep exposure levels below any OSHA or NASA permissible exposure
    limits (PELs) or below any ACGIH threshold limit values (TLVs).

b.  Methods to provide extra protection from carcinogens, reproductive
    toxins, and acute toxins. Extra protection shall include:

    1.  An area set aside for these chemicals.

    2.  Devices to contain or control these chemicals.

    3.  Procedures for safely removing wastes contaminated by these
        chemicals.

    4.  Decontamination procedures.

c.  Operating procedures for safely using hazardous chemicals in the
    laboratory.

d.  Criteria to decide what control measures to use to reduce the chance
    of a dangerous chemical exposure. Control measures may include
    engineering controls, PPE, or safe work practices.

e.  Requirements to make sure that laboratory safety equipment such as
    fume hoods, emergency showers, and eyewashes work properly.

f.  Provisions for worker information and training, as described in
    paragraph 12 of this chapter.

g.  Criteria to decide when a particular laboratory activity requires
    prior approval from the laboratory supervisor.

h.  Provisions for workers to get medical help, as described in
    paragraph 13 of this chapter.

i.  A list of personnel responsible for implementing the plan that
    includes chemical hygiene officers.

# 5. Safe practices for working in a laboratory

When you work in a laboratory, you shall:

a.  Follow your laboratory's CHP and operating procedures. See paragraph
    4 of this chapter for more details.

b.  Follow these requirements for exhaust hoods:

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1.  Use hazardous chemicals under exhaust hood.

2.  Keep sashes at the 100 lfpm \[linear feet per minute\] mark when
    working at the hood face (150 lfpm mark for carcinogens).

3.  Always wear required PPE; even when working under a hood.

4.  Make sure your exhaust hoods are evaluated by the Occupational
    Health Department annually and twice per year if carcinogens are
    used in the hoods.

5.  Get approval from the Safety and Test Operations Division and the
    Occupational Health Department before using other exhaust methods.

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c.  Keep exposure to hazardous chemicals in the laboratory to the lowest
    level practical. Never exceed the OSHA- or NASA-permissible exposure
    level for any chemical.

d.  Keep aisles and areas around safety equipment (e.g., eyewash
    stations and emergency showers) clear.

e.  Keep MSDSs for each chemical in your laboratory. Develop MSDSs for
    each chemical developed in your laboratory for use outside the
    laboratory as described in Chapter 9.2, "Hazard communication," of
    this handbook.

f.  Review any experiment that involves storing energy (e.g.,
    mechanical, electrical, or chemical) for hazards before conducting
    it.

g.  Take precautions to prevent injuries from broken glass. Use the
    guide for safety in the chemical laboratory, Manufacturing Chemists
    Association Inc., "Handling Glassware."

h.  The laboratory safety representative or chemical hygiene officer
    should review changes in laboratory operations and chemicals before
    a procedure is conducted for the first time.

i.  Recipes for mixed chemical reagents should be scaled down whenever
    possible to the minimum quantity for the task.

# 6. Storing chemicals in a laboratory

When you store chemicals in your laboratory, you shall:

a.  Label all containers of laboratory chemicals, samples, and other
    materials. Don't remove or tear labels on incoming chemical
    containers. If a label on a chemical container becomes unreadable,
    put your own label on the container that identifies the chemical and
    its hazards. If you move a chemical to another container, properly
    label the new container.

b.  Keep MSDSs for hazardous chemicals where laboratory workers can
    easily find them during all duty hours.

c.  Keep an up-to-date inventory of the names and amounts of all
    hazardous chemicals in your laboratory at a given time.

d.  Keep only the smallest amount of chemicals possible in your
    laboratory. If your laboratory uses a large amount of chemicals in a
    short time, designate an internal chemical storage area. This area
    shall:

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1.  Have enough ventilation.

2.  Be physically separated from workrooms.

3.  Provide separate storage for potentially reactive chemicals and
    incompatible materials.

4.  Have readily available a listing of all chemicals in the storage
    area.

5.  Include fire protection.

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e.  Never use an exhaust hood for permanent chemical storage.

# 7. Monitoring chemical exposures in a laboratory

The Clinic Services Branch is responsible for monitoring chemical
exposures during yearly inspections or because of complaints or
requests. This office may write you and your coworker a report or post
the results of a report on a bulletin board in your area. The Clinic
Services Branch will:

a.  Sample chemical exposures to workers if it believes that chemical
    exposures could exceed PELs.

b.  Monitor chemical exposure periodically if earlier samples or
    monitoring shows exposures over PELs.

c.  Keep accurate records on any monitoring results. You have access to
    these records as described in 29 CFR 1910.20, "Access to Employee
    Exposure and Medical Records."

**Note:** Your supervisor must tell you the results within 15 days after
he or she receives them.

# 8. Design requirements for laboratories

Laboratory designs shall meet these requirements:

a.  Follow National Fire Protection Association Standard 45, "Standard
    on Fire Protection for Laboratories Using Chemicals," and all
    federal and state requirements that apply.

b.  For new installations, laboratory hoods shall not be located
    adjacent to a single means of access to an exit or high-traffic
    areas.

c.  You shall provide a second means of access to an exit from a
    laboratory work area if any of the following situations exist (refer
    to Chapter 5.1 for exit widths between aisles):

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1.  A laboratory work area contains an explosion hazard located so that
    an incident would block escape from or access to the laboratory work
    area.

2.  A laboratory work area within a Class A laboratory unit exceeds 46.5
    m^2^ (500 ft^2^).

3.  A laboratory work area within a Class B, Class C, or Class D
    laboratory unit exceeds 93 m^2^ (1000 ft^2^).

4.  A hood in a laboratory work area is located adjacent to the primary
    means of exit access.

5.  A compressed gas cylinder larger than lecture bottle size \[\~5 cm
    33 cm (2 in. 13 in.)\] located such that it could prevent safe
    egress in the event of accidental release of cylinder contents.

6.  A cryogenic container located such that it could prevent safe egress
    in the event of accidental release of container contents.

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d.  Install permanent pipes as much as possible to reduce the use of
    flex hoses and temporary tubing. Label all pipes.

e.  Provide permanent gas-venting where venting of gases is needed.

f.  Provide blast and fragment protection for operations that may cause
    explosions, implosions, or flying fragments such as high-pressure
    equipment, high-vacuum equipment, or explosive reactions.

g.  Provide emergency eyewashes if hazardous chemicals are used. Provide
    emergency showers when hazard assessments, conducted by the
    Occupational Health Department, indicate the need. Locate emergency
    eyewashes and shower for quick drenching or flushing in accessible
    locations that require no more than 10 seconds to reach.

h.  Include other design requirements and engineering controls; e.g.,
    appropriate laboratory ventilation systems, from 29 CFR 1910.1450.

i.  Meet the requirements in paragraph 3.9.2 and 3.9.5 of NPR 8715.3,
    "NASA General Safety Program Requirements."

# 9. Emergency planning for laboratories

As a supervisor, you shall make sure that your laboratory has written
emergency action plans that cover any possible emergencies in the
laboratory and also make sure that all workers know what to do in an
emergency. This includes making sure the laboratory has enough emergency
equipment and supplies to deal with any emergency.

# 10. Protective equipment to use when working in a laboratory

You shall use:

a.  Any protective equipment such as gloves, aprons, or protective
    clothing required by a MSDS or OSHA standard for the chemicals you
    are working with.

b.  Respiratory protection if engineering or administrative controls
    don't keep chemical levels below PELs. See Chapter 7.2, "Respiratory
    protection," of this handbook.

See Chapter 5.6, "Personal protective equipment," of this handbook for
more requirements on protective equipment.

# 11. Training to have to work in a laboratory

You need to have briefings or training when you first come to work in
the laboratory and whenever you change your work assignment in the
laboratory. See Chapter 4.1, "Program Description" (for safety and
health training), of this handbook for more information. You shall:

a.  Know:

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1.  The contents of 29 CFR 1910.1450.

2.  Where you can find the CHP and needed reference material.

3.  Exposure limits for hazardous chemicals in the laboratory.

4.  Signs and symptoms of exposures to the chemicals in the laboratory.

5.  Where you can find MSDSs for laboratory chemicals.

6.  How to get medical help if you think you are exposed to chemical
    levels above PELs (see Chapter 3.6, "Occupational Healthcare
    Program," of this handbook).

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b.  Have initial and refresher training in:

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1.  The physical and health hazards of chemicals in the laboratory.

2.  Hazard controls such as exhaust hoods, respirators, or special
    procedures to use to protect yourself and your coworkers.

3.  How to detect the presence of a hazardous chemical.

4.  How to enter and leave contaminated areas, and how to decontaminate
    yourself and others.

5.  Details of the CHP that applies to your work.

6.  Yearly emergency response training.

7.  Employee hazard reporting systems.

# 12. When you need to get medical help

JSC has a "Clinic First" policy for any injury for illness occurring at
JSC, Sonny Carter Training Facility, or Ellington Field. We encourage
all NASA civil servant and contractor employees to use the JSC
Occupational Medicine Clinic as this clinic is tasked to provide
occupational medicine evaluations to all employees. You or your
supervisor should ensure you get to the JSC Occupational Medicine Clinic
for medical evaluation and treatment. Using the JSC Occupational
Medicine Clinic will ensure that you are seen by a licensed health care
professional. If the exposure could be life-threatening, call your
emergency number for an ambulance. The emergency numbers are:

NASA/JSC: extension 33333

Ellington Field: extension 44444

Sonny Carter Training Facility or off-site facility: 911

White Sands Test Facility: extension 5911

Follow these rules for medical help:

a.  You need medical help if:

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1.  You notice signs or symptoms associated with a hazardous chemical to
    which you may have been exposed.

2.  Repeated exposure monitoring indicates exposure levels above PELs.

3.  You have a spill, leak, explosion, or other event in your laboratory
    that may have exposed you to a chemical above its PEL.

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b.  Your supervisor shall give the doctor the following information:

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1.  What chemicals you may have been exposed to

2.  How the possible exposure happened, and any quantitative data on the
    exposure

3.  What signs and symptoms you have, if any

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c.  Your doctor will provide an opinion as described in 29 CFR
    1910.1450(g)(4). The opinion will only cover job-related exposures
    and will include the examination results and recommendations for
    further medical action.

d.  JSC will keep accurate records on any medical help you receive as a
    result of a possible chemical exposure. You may see your records as
    described in 29 CFR 1910.20.

# 13. For more information on laboratory safety and health

You can find more information on laboratory safety and health in these
documents:

a.  *Patty's Industrial Hygiene, Volumes 1--4*, 5^th^ Ed., John Wiley &
    Sons, Inc., New York, NY, 2000

b.  *The Occupational Environment: Its Evaluation, Control, and
    Management*; Second Edition, American Industrial Hygiene
    Association, 2003

c.  *Accident Prevention Manual for Business and Industry,
    Administration and Programs*, 12^th^ Edition; National Safety
    Council, 2001

d.  *Prudent Practices for Handling Hazardous Chemicals in
    Laboratories*, National Research Council, National Academy Press,
    Washington, DC, 1981

e.  ANSI/AIHA Z9.5-2003, "American National Standard for Laboratory
    Ventilation," 2003

f.  *Industrial Ventilation, a Manual of recommended Practice*, 25^th^
    Ed., The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists,
    Cincinnati, Ohio, 2004

#