What types of hazardous chemicals

are present in laboratories?

Hazardous chemicals present physical or health

threats to workers in clinical, industrial, and

academic laboratories. They include carcinogens,

toxins, irritants, corrosives, sensitizers, hepatotoxins,

nephrotoxins, neurotoxins as well as agents that act

on the hematopoietic systems or damage the lungs,

skin, eyes, or mucous membranes. OSHA currently

has rules that limit exposures to approximately

400 substances.

Are there OSHA standards that cover

workers exposed to hazardous

chemicals in laboratories?

Yes. Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations

(CFR) 1910.1450, Occupational Exposure to

Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories, covers all

workers using hazardous chemicals in laboratories.

“Laboratory use” means performing chemical

procedures using small quantities of hazardous

chemicals on a laboratory scale and not as part of a

production process in an environment where

protective laboratory practices and equipment are in

common use. This standard requires employers to

keep employee exposures at or below the

permissible exposure limits (PELS) specified in the

standard on air contaminants (see CFR 1910.1000,

Table Z) and in other substance-specific health

standards.

How must employers monitor

employee exposures?

You must periodically measure employee

exposures to harmful substances if you suspect

that these exposures are routinely above the action

level (i.e., the threshold for increased compliance

activities such as air monitoring and medical

examinations). If the exposures are routinely above

the action level, you must conduct periodic

monitoring of employees for that substance.

Monitoring may be terminated when employee

exposures are below the action level.

Are employers required to have a

chemical hygiene plan?

Yes. If your laboratory employees use hazardous

chemicals, you must develop and implement a

written chemical hygiene plan to protect them.

In addition to appropriate safety and health

procedures and hygiene practices for hazardous

chemicals in laboratories, the plan must include the

following:

■ Criteria for reducing employee exposure to

hazardous chemicals;

■ Use of personal protective equipment;

■ Requirements that ensure fume hoods and

other protective equipment are functioning

properly;

■ Provisions for employee training;

■ Circumstances requiring employer approval of

certain laboratory operations, procedures, or

activities before implementation;

■ Provisions for medical consultation;

■ Measures to protect employees from

particularly hazardous substances; and

■ Assignment of a Chemical Hygiene Officer—

a qualified employee who by training or

experience can provide technical guidance in

developing and implementing the chemical

hygiene plan.

What information and training must

employers provide to workers?

You must provide workers with information and

training that ensures their awareness of the

chemical hazards used in their work area. You also

must provide this information when an employee is

initially assigned to a work area where hazardous

chemicals are present and before assignments

involving new exposure situations.

In addition, you must inform your employees of

the following:

■ Contents of the occupational exposure standard

and its appendices;

■ Location and availability of the employer’s

chemical hygiene plan;

■ PELs for the hazardous substances to which

employees are exposed;

■ Signs and symptoms associated with

exposures to hazardous chemicals used in

the laboratory; and

■ Location and availability of known reference

material on the chemical hazards, and their

safe handling, storage, and disposal including,

but not limited to, Material Safety Data Sheets

(MSDSs) received from chemical suppliers.

You must also train your employees concerning

the following:

■ Methods of detecting the presence or release

of a hazardous chemical;

■ Hazards (both physical and health) of chemicals

in the work area;

■ Measures that workers and their employers can

take to protect employees from hazards, including

specific procedures the employer has implemented
U.S. Department of Labor

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

2002

This is one in a series of informational fact sheets highlighting OSHA programs, policies, or standards. It does not impose

any new compliance requirements. For a comprehensive list of compliance requirements of OSHA standards or regulations,

refer to Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations. This information will be made available to sensory-impaired individuals

upon request. The voice phone is (202) 693-1999. See also OSHA’s website at www.osha.gov.

to protect employees from exposure to hazardous

chemicals, such as appropriate work practices,

emergency procedures, and personal protective

equipment; and

■ Details of the employer’s written chemical

hygiene plan.

When must employers provide

medical consultation and

examinations for employees?

Employers must give all employees who work

with hazardous chemicals the opportunity to receive

medical attention, including any follow-up

examinations that the examining licensed physician

decides are necessary. Employees must receive any

medical examinations and consultations without cost

or loss of pay and at a reasonable time and place.

The employer must provide certain information

to the physician, including the identity of the

hazardous chemicals, a description of the

conditions under which the exposure occurred,

and a description of the signs and symptoms of

exposure that the employee is experiencing.

What means of hazard identification

must the employer use?

You must ensure that labels on incoming

containers of hazardous chemicals are not removed

or defaced. You must also retain MSDSs on

incoming hazardous chemicals and make them

available to laboratory employees. An MSDS

contains precautions for handling and using

harmful substances and includes information such

as health hazards, fire and explosion hazards,

physical characteristics, hazardous ingredients,

personal protective equipment, and spill

procedures. (See 29 CFR 1910.1450.)

What are the requirements for

respirator use?

If engineering, administrative, and work practice

controls fail to maintain exposures below PELs,

workers must use respirators to achieve that end.

Employers must provide appropriate respiratory

protection at no cost to workers, provide

appropriate training and education regarding its

use, and ensure that workers use it properly.

(See 29 CFR 1910.134.)

What records must the employer

keep?

You must establish and maintain for each

employee an accurate record of any measurements

taken to monitor employee exposure and any

medical consultation and examination including

tests or written opinions.

How can you get more information

on safety and health?

OSHA has various publications, standards,

technical assistance, and compliance tools to help

you, and offers extensive assistance through

workplace consultation, voluntary protection

programs, grants, strategic partnerships, state

plans, training, and education. OSHA’s Safety and

Health Program Management Guidelines (Federal

Register 54:3904-3916, January 26, 1989) detail

elements critical to the development of a successful

safety and health management system. In addition,

Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories

(OSHA 3119) explains this subject in greater

detail. You can order this publication online from

OSHA at http://www.osha.gov/pls/

publications/pubindex.list or by contacting the

OSHA publications office at the address below.

This and other information are available on OSHA’s

website.

■ For one free copy of OSHA publications, send a

self-addressed mailing label to OSHA Publications

Office, P.O. Box 37535, Washington, DC

20013-7535; or send a request to our fax at

(202) 693-2498, or call us at (202) 693-1888.

■ To order OSHA publications online at

www.osha.gov, go to Publications and follow

the instructions for ordering.

■ To file a complaint by phone, report an emergency,

or get OSHA advice, assistance, or products,

contact your nearest OSHA office under the “U.S.

Department of Labor” listing in your phone book,

or call toll-free at (800) 321-OSHA (6742). The

teletypewriter (TTY) number is (877) 889-5627.

■ To file a complaint online or obtain more

information on OSHA federal and state programs,

visit OSHA’s website.