Chemical Hygiene Plan

Requirements for Research Laboratories

All UK research laboratories* using, storing, or handling hazardous chemicals and all personnel working within these laboratories, are required to comply with the OSHA Laboratory Standard (29 CFR 1910.1450)

Compliance with these regulations includes having a written laboratory-specific Chemical Hygiene Plan.

A CHP is the laboratory’s program that addresses the aspects of the OSHA Laboratory Standard. The laboratory-specific CHP must, at a minimum, meet the elements outlined below.  For any laboratory or site-specific CHP to be valid, it must contain information specific to the materials and procedures conducted at that location and must include: 

Standard operating procedures relevant to safety and health considerations for each activity involving the use of hazardous chemicals.

Criteria that the employer will use to determine and implement control measures to reduce exposure to hazardous materials [i.e., engineering controls, the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and hygiene practices] with particular attention given to selecting control measures for extremely hazardous materials.

A requirement to ensure that fume hoods and other protective equipment are functioning properly and identify the specific measures the employer will take to ensure proper and adequate performance of such equipment.

Information to be provided to lab personnel working with hazardous substances include:
1. The contents of the Laboratory standard and its appendices.
2. The location and availability of the employer’s CHP.
3. The permissible exposure limits (PELs) for OSHA regulated substances or recommended exposure limits for other hazardous chemicals where there is no applicable OSHA standard.
4. The signs and symptoms associated with exposures to hazardous chemicals used in the laboratory.
5. The location and availability of known reference materials on the hazards, safe handling, storage, and disposal of hazardous chemicals found in the laboratory including, but not limited to, the Material Safety Data Sheets received from the chemical supplier.

The circumstances under which a particular laboratory operation, procedure or activity requires prior approval from the employer or the employer’s designee before being implemented.

Designation of personnel responsible for implementing the CHP, including the assignment of a Chemical Hygiene Officer and, if appropriate, establishment of a Chemical Hygiene Committee.

Provisions for additional worker protection for work with particularly hazardous substances. These include “select carcinogens,” reproductive toxins and substances that have a high degree of acute toxicity. Specific consideration must be given to the following provisions and shall be included where appropriate:
1. Establishment of a designated area.
2. Use of containment devices such as fume hoods or glove boxes.
3. Procedures for safe removal of contaminated waste.
4. Decontamination procedures.

The employer must review and evaluate the effectiveness of the CHP at least annually and update it as necessary.

*Laboratory use of chemicals is defined by the OSHA Laboratory Standard as:

"handling or use of such chemicals in which all of the following conditions are met:
(i) Chemical manipulations are carried out on a "laboratory scale;"**
(ii) Multiple chemical procedures or chemicals are used;
(iii) The procedures involved are not part of a production process, nor in any way simulate a production process; and
(iv) "Protective laboratory practices and equipment" are available and in common use to minimize the potential for employee exposure to hazardous chemicals."

Laboratory scale is defined by the OSHA Laboratory Standard as:

"work with substances in which the containers used for reactions, transfers, and other handling of substances are designed to be easily and safely manipulated by one person. "Laboratory scale" excludes those workplaces whose function is to produce commercial quantities of materials."

Laboratory Specific Chemical Hygiene Plan

A template was developed for UK research laboratories to create their OSHA-compliant Laboratory Specific Chemical Hygiene Plan. This Lab Specific CHP (fillable) Template can be accessed with UK Linkblue credentials HERE.

The laboratory-specific CHP applies to all personnel performing procedures in the specific laboratory ultimately described in the document. OSHA defines an employee as "an individual employed in a laboratory workplace who may be exposed to hazardous chemicals during their assignments." OSHA does not consider students in an academic laboratory as employees. However, as a matter of university policy, the principles outlined in this Chemical Hygiene Plan apply to students in University of Kentucky laboratories. Visiting professors and volunteers working in the lab are also included. Thus, designated laboratory CHO’s must ensure that these groups in their laboratories are adequately instructed about safe laboratory procedures and that training has been documented.

All personnel working in a UK research laboratory must read this CHP before the commencement of lab duties and the plan be always made accessible. In addition to the CHP, lab personnel must be familiar with and adhere to prudent laboratory safety guidelines developed by their Laboratory Supervisor in conjunction with University of Kentucky Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) guidance and requirements, and those of federal, state, and local regulatory agencies. A written record must be maintained in the CHP for each laboratory worker that documents they have been informed of the hazards in their workplace, have reviewed the laboratory-specific Chemical Hygiene Plan, laboratory-specific policies, and written standard operating procedures (SOP) for performing work procedures safely. These records shall be maintained by the laboratory-designated Chemical Hygiene Officer (i.e., Principal Investigator or Laboratory Supervisor) and made available for review upon inspection.

Institutional Chemical Hygiene Plan (UK CHP)

The Institutional Chemical Hygiene Plan (UK CHP) applies to all research laboratories utilizing hazardous chemicals at the University of Kentucky and university-owned research facilities and properties and is reviewed annually by the institutional Chemical Hygiene Officer (UK CHO) and the University of Kentucky Chemical Safety Committee (UK CSC).  

The UK CHP may be used by principal investigators and lab supervisors to develop their Lab-Specific CHP. Each laboratory under the direction of the Principal Investigator and/or the Laboratory Supervisor/ lab-designated Chemical Hygiene Officer, shall develop a laboratory specific CHP which will be made available to all laboratory personnel and reviewed annually. 

2024 UK Institutional Chemical Hygiene Plan (accessed with UK Linkblue credentials)