APPROVED BY THE PRESIDENT SEPTEMBER 19, 1994
 
  I.   Purpose
 
       This is a statement of official University policy to
       establish the process for compliance with the Occupational
       Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulation
       "Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals in
       Laboratories."
 
  II.  Policy
 
       The University is dedicated to providing safe and healthy
       laboratory facilities for students and employees, and
       complying with federal and state occupational health and
       safety standards.  Laboratory administrators, managers,
       faculty, staff and students all share responsibility for
       minimizing their exposure to hazardous chemical substances
       which, for purposes of this policy, shall be defined as
       chemicals which are carcinogens, toxic or highly toxic
       agents, reproductive toxins, irritants, corrosives,
       sensitizers, hepatotoxins, nephrotoxins, neurotoxins, agents
       which act on the hematopoietic systems, and agents which
       damage the lungs, skin, eyes or mucous membranes.
 
       The Chemical Hygiene Plan shall be implemented for all
       facilities at the University of Maryland at College Park
       where the referenced hazardous chemicals are handled or used
       under all of the following conditions: (i) chemical
       manipulations are performed in containers designed to be
       easily and safely manipulated by one person; (ii) multiple
       chemical procedures or chemicals are used; and (iii)
       demonstrably effective laboratory practices and equipment
       are available and in common use to minimize the potential
       for employee exposure to hazardous chemicals.
 
       The Chemical Hygiene Plan shall be reviewed and evaluated
       for its effectiveness at least annually, and updated as
       necessary.
 
  III. Responsibilities
 
       A.   Department of Environmental Safety shall:
 
            (1)  Provide a Chemical Hygiene Officer to develop and
                 coordinate administration of the UMCP Chemical
                 Hygiene Plan (CHP);
            (2)  Prepare the CHP with annual review and revisions
                 as needed;
            (3)  Distribute CHP to each affected department for
                 each Laboratory Supervisor or Principal
                 Investigator (LS/PI);
            (4)  Provide consultation, worksite monitoring
                 (sampling), advisory assistance and information
                 concerning use of hazardous materials;
            (5)  Investigate, document and report to the BACH
                 Committee, significant chemical exposure or
                 contamination incidents;
            (6)  Collect and dispose of hazardous, radioactive and
                 other regulated wastes;
            (7)  Direct periodic laboratory safety audits to
                 determine regulatory compliance, and recommend
                 action to correct conditions generating release of
                 toxic chemicals;
            (8)  Provide training to all laboratory workers
                 concerning:
                 (a)  Provisions of the Chemical Hygiene Plan;
                 (b)  Physical and health hazards of chemicals in
                      the work area;
                 (c)  Measures to protect employees from chemical
                      hazards;
                 (d)  Signs and symptoms associated with hazardous
                      chemical exposure;
                 (e)  Location of reference materials on the
                      hazards, safe handling, storage and disposal
                      of laboratory chemicals;
                 (f)  The contents of the OSHA standard and its
                      appendices;
                 (g)  The permissible exposure limits (PELs) for
                      OSHA regulated substances or recommended
                      exposure limits if no PEL is listed; and
                 (h)  The methods and observations used to detect
                      the presence or release of a hazardous
                      chemical.
 
       B.   Laboratory Supervisors/Principal Investigators (LS/PI)
  shall:
 
            (1)  Implement all provisions of the Chemical Hygiene
                 Plan for laboratory facilities under their
                 control;
            (2)  Prepare an alphabetized inventory of all hazardous
                 chemical substances in laboratory facilities under
                 their control;
            (3)  Prepare laboratory-specific Standard Operating
                 Procedures (SOPs) to include work practices,
                 protective equipment, engineering controls,
                 emergency procedures and waste disposal
                 procedures;
            (4)  Demarcate and indicate on SOP all areas designated
                 for the use of select carcinogens, reproductive
                 toxins and acute toxins;
            (5)  Train laboratory workers regarding the specific
                 practices and provisions contained in the
                 laboratory SOP; and
            (6)  Comply with necessary documentation requirements.
 
       C.   Biological and Chemical Hygiene (BACH) Committee shall:
 
            Review and approve all aspects of the Chemical Hygiene
            Plan and provide technical guidance for implementation
            of campus policy concerning chemical and biological
            safety.
 
       D.   University Health Center shall:
 
            (a)  Coordinate and direct all required or recommended
                 medical surveillance programs;
            (b)  Provide medical consultations and examinations for
                 laboratory workers who have been overexposed, or
                 suspect overexposure, to hazardous chemical
                 substances; and
            (c)  Maintain medical records relating to
                 consultations, examinations, and medical
                 surveillance as required by law.
 
       E.   Individual Researchers and Laboratory Users shall:
 
            (a)  Adhere to the requirements of the Chemical Hygiene
                 Plan and SOPs;
            (b)  Complete all safety training requirements and
                 comply with documentation procedures; and
            (c)  Report all workplace injuries; chemical exposure
                 incidents or unsafe conditions to their LS/PI as
                 soon as possible.
 
  IV.  Information
 
       Assistance will be provided by the Department of
       Environmental Safety to any Department requesting guidance
       or training to satisfy implementation of this policy.