The Chemical Hygiene Plan will address general and specific hazards that exist within the laboratory and the controls to manage and/or avoid them.  OSHA has promulgated non-mandatory standards that will assist with the creation of an appropriate Chemical Hygiene Plan.  Be aware that some states have an OSHA-approved state plan that may differ from the federal OSHA regulations. The OSHA references for creating or updating a Chemical Hygiene Plan are:

• 29 CFR 1910.1450 National Research Council Recommendations Concerning Chemical Hygiene in Laboratories (non-mandatory) and its Appendix A and Appendix B.

The laboratory's Chemical Hygiene Plan should encompass a number of topics including, but not limited to:^11-13

• Standard operating procedures for laboratory chemicals
  • Procedures for chemical procurement, receipt, and handling
  • Identification of personnel responsible for laboratory chemicals
  • Chemical inventory
  • Chemical storage
  • Chemical handling
  • Definitions of chemical hazards
    • Toxins, corrosives, allergens, asphyxiants, carcinogens, reproductive/embryo toxins
• Compressed gases
• Radiation protection program
  • Monitoring, exposure, training
• Personal protective equipment
• Methods/routes of contamination
  • Inhalation, absorption, ingestion, injection
• General laboratory work practices
  • Grooming, appropriate attire, working alone, handling of chemicals
• Criteria for the implementation of control measures
• Engineering controls employed in the laboratory
• Employee information and training
• Medical information
  • Specific information covering the "Who, what, when, why, and how"
• Chemical Hygiene Plan responsibilities
  • Safety officer
  • Safety committee
  • Lab director
  • Supervisors
  • Employees
  • Employer
• Record keeping
• Annual audit
• References and recommended reading 

The plan should address safety needs in specific testing areas, as required.  For example, if the laboratory has a firearms section, it will have protocols for lead testing and general (physical) safety.

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