Responsibilities

The Medical Director is responsible for ensuring policies and procedure are sufficient to ensure the safety of facility staff while working with chemicals in the laboratory.

The Chemical Hygiene Officer (CHO), assigned by the NIH Department of Occupational Health, is responsible for assisting with obtaining Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) for hazardous chemicals, working with laboratories to determine exposure possibilities, arranging for exposure monitoring, and implementing the CHP. For LP, the CHP is the Clinical Center's Safety Officer.

The DOHS Safety and Occupational Health Specialist is assigned to each Institute/Center (IC Safety Specialist) to assist laboratory workers in matters relating to chemical safety and exposure monitoring. Upon request, they review safety protocols for work involving hazardous chemicals to ensure that the proposed activities are conducted by trained personnel using the proper safety equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE). They conduct surveys of select laboratories to identify practices or procedures that may pose potential hazards to the health and safety of personnel.

Occupational Medical Services (OMS) is available to provide consultation and appropriate prophylactic or medical treatment in the case of exposure to hazardous substances. The OMS provides medical surveillance when chemical exposure monitoring data reveal an exposure at or above the action level for an OSHA regulated substance. They are also responsible for overseeing the medical monitoring of employees and retention of employee medical records.

The Laboratory section's Safety Officers and Clinical Manager are responsible for training new staff on the elements of the CHP, and for including chemical safety in the orientation training.

Employees are responsible for:

  • planning and conducting each operation in accordance with chemical hygiene procedures including the use of PPE, administrative and engineering controls as appropriate;
  • developing and using good personal chemical hygiene habits;
  • reporting incidents and possible chemical exposures promptly to their supervisor; and
  • disposing of hazardous waste according to proper procedures listed in the NIH Waste Disposal Guide; and 
  • completing the DOHS annual mandatory laboratory safety training. A web-based training course, “Introduction to Laboratory Safety,” covers basic laboratory safety in NIH research laboratories. This course introduces laboratory personnel to common hazards and exposure risks; including chemical, biological, radiological, and physical hazards that are found in NIH research laboratories. All laboratory personnel must complete this course upon arrival at the NIH. The web-based training program is available at (https://www.safetytraining.nih.gov/).

Chemical Hygiene Plan

The use of hazardous chemicals in the laboratory is a necessary part of modern biomedical research. In an effort to ensure the protection of laboratory personnel from the risks associated with the use of hazardous chemicals, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has promulgated a standard entitled Occupational Exposures to Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories (29 CFR 1910.1450), referred to as the Laboratory Standard. Traditionally, OSHA health standards have been established to help protect industrial and manufacturing workers who may be exposed to significant quantities of hazardous chemicals over a working lifetime. In laboratories, the use of hazardous chemicals is generally limited to small quantities used on a short-term basis and in operations where the chemicals and procedures change frequently. The Laboratory Standard demonstrates that OSHA has recognized the need for a standard that focuses on the unique nature of laboratory work. The Laboratory Standard complements the provisions of the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200). In accordance with the Hazard Communication Standard, the NIH has established a written program, the NIH Hazard Communication Program for the use of hazardous chemicals outside of the laboratory. The NIH CHP is written specifically for the laboratory environment. Additionally, this laboratory standard supersedes the provisions of all other OSHA health standards found in 1910 Subpart Z, except for the permissible exposure limits (PELs) and substance-specific limits found within the OSHA Air Contaminants Standard (29 CFR 1910.1000) in Subpart Z, Toxic and Hazardous Substances.

The Laboratory of Pathology (LP) adheres to the policies and procedures established in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Chemical Hygiene Plan. This plan outlines the information and services provided by the Division of Occupational Health and Safety (DOHS), Office of Research Services (ORS) and the Division of Environmental Protection (DEP), Office of Research Facilities Development and Operations (ORF) on the safe use, storage, and disposal of hazardous chemicals in the laboratory. This program is written to meet the specific safety and health requirements outlined in 29 CFR 1910.1450, Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories. The NIH CHP addresses:

  • Policies for all operation that involve chemicals
  • Criteria for the use of personal protective equipment and control devices
  • Criteria for exposure monitoring (e.g. formalin and xylene) and actions when permissible levels are exceeded
  • OMS medical consultations and examinations for employees
  • Initial and Annual DOHS safety training requirements for staff working with chemicals
  • Precautionary labeling requirements for hazardous chemicals, indicating the type of hazard and what to do in the event of a spill
  • Use of personal protective equipment
  • Handling chemical hazard emergencies
  • Hazardous chemical waste disposal
  • Storage of flammables, solvent, acids/bases
  • Evacuation and cleanup in the event of spills

Each laboratory section has a listing of chemical Inventory and Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for all chemical in the laboratory, which are accessible to all employees, either in printed or online version. 

The LP Chemical Hygiene Plan is reviewed periodically and updated by the LP Quality Improvement Committee. The NIH Chemical Hygiene Plan is reviewed periodically and updated as needed by the Division of Safety and the NIH Occupational Safety and Health Committee. Comments and suggestions on the improvement of the NIH plan should be directed to the Chief, OSHB at 301-496-2960.

Additional Resources
Last updated by Lumelski, Victoria (NIH/NCI) [E] on Jun 28, 2024