Surviving an OSHA/EPA/DEP Inspection

The Principal Investigator must ensure that all personnel working in his/her laboratory adhere to the following:

• Know what to do in an emergency: dial 911 and evacuate the room/building (for major spills);

• Know how to prevent spills of, and minimize personal exposure to, hazardous chemical reagents and wastes;

• Know the location, and proper use of, safety and personal protective equipment, including safety glasses/goggles, eyewash, drench shower and fire extinguisher;

• Know the name and phone no. of the University's Chemical Hygiene Officer: Stefan Wawzyniecki, 486-1110;

• Know the location, and general content of, the University's written Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP), and follow the "Minimum Guidelines for Laboratory Safety" found in Appendix D and "Chemical Waste Disposal Manual" in Appendix F of the Chemical Hygiene Plan;

• Health and safety training requirements:
  • attend an orientation meeting within each lab (for new students and staff) on lab-specific safety practices;
  • attend required annual health and safety training sessions conducted by EH&S;
  • maintain a list of names of laboratory personnel and dates of safety training;

• Recognize the term, "MSDS", and know:
  • what an MSDS (material safety data sheet) is;
  • where they are located for the laboratory;
  • how to access an MSDS thorough:
  • the EH&S Dept.'s Home Page - http://www.ehs.uconn.edu

• Chemical reagents must be:
  • inventoried annually on a written or computerized log;
  • managed properly, e.g., containers intact and dusted, and labels affixed and legible;
  • stored by hazard category or chemical family , and not alphabetically;
  • handled and used to prevent unnecessary exposures to personnel;
  • properly labeled with the chemical name and hazards when transferred to secondary containers;

• Containers of hazardous chemical waste must:
  • be labeled, "Hazardous Waste ", with the respective hazard warning word, if it is ignitable, corrosive, reactive or toxic;
  • have the contents itemized by % composition; use COMPLETE CHEMICAL NAMES, not formulae, structures or abbreviations;
  • have tightly fitting caps which are only removed to make additions;
  • hold compatible chemicals;
  • be stored by hazard category, and segregated from incompatible chemicals;
  • be stored off the floor and in a secure location;

   

• Follow a closure policy initiated whenever a student or staff permanently leaves the lab. This should include an inspection of the assigned laboratory space to ensure that all chemicals are properly identified and labeled

Issued 9/96 Department of Environmental Health and Safety, UConn, Storrs, CT