This Chemical Hygiene Plan is intended to limit laboratory workers' exposure to OSHA-regulated substances.
PELs refer to airborne concentrations of substances and are averaged over an eight-hour day.
Action levels are air concentrations below the PEL which nevertheless require that certain actions such as medical surveillance and workplace monitoring take place. If you, as a lab supervisor or Chemical Hygiene Officer, suspect exposure concentrations exceed allowable levels, please contact the Department of Risk Management for technical assistance. If exposures to any regulated substance routinely exceed an action level or permissible exposure level, control measures must be implemented. The lab supervisor can use professional judgement to assess the nature of chemical exposure resulting from a lab procedure and prescribe engineering controls and personal protective equipment to be used during the procedure. This judgement will be documented through use of Standard Operating Procedures and Laboratory Chemical Safety Summaries written for the chemicals in use.