On January 31, 1990, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) circulated a final rule entitled Occupational Exposures to Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories (commonly known as "The Laboratory Standard" - see 1910.1450, Appendix A). It states that laboratories are different from industrial operations in their use and handling of hazardous chemicals and that a different approach than that found in OSHA's substance specific health standards is warranted to protect workers. This standard does not establish new exposure limits, but sets other performance provisions designed to protect laboratory workers from potential hazards in their work environment.
The development and implementation of a Chemical Hygiene Plan is a central requirement of the “Laboratory Standard” (1910.1450, Appendix A). The Laboratory Standard defines a laboratory as a “workplace where relatively small quantities of hazardous chemicals are used on a non-production basis.”
For a copy of Lesley's Chemical Hygiene Plan, please email Cara Szeghy at cszeghy@lesley.edu.