RECORDS AND RECORDKEEPING

• Employee Information and Training
• Monitoring and Employee Assessment
• The laboratory standard requires that records of air concentration monitoring results, exposure assessments, medical consultation and examinations be maintained for at least 30 years and that they be accessible to employees or their representatives.
  
•  It is desirable to develop a system that retains documents related to distribution and maintenance of MSDSs to the safety training of employees, and to significant employee suggestions for many years, perhaps for the lifetime of the College.
  
• Specific records may be required in the event of lost work time resulting from exposure of accident on the job. Employees should file an accident report with the Human Resources Office. Students should file a report at Simpson Infirmary.
  
•  In addition to required records, it is necessary to document employee exposure complaints and suspected exposures, regardless of the outcome of an exposure assessment.
  
• All exposure records are filed by the Chemical Hygiene Officer in the Science Center Office.

EMPLOYEE INFORMATION AND TRAINING

The Wellesley College chemical hygiene plan is an OSHA mandated program to ensure that all faculty, students and staff in the Science Center will be trained regarding working with and around hazardous chemicals in the workplace and laboratories. This program and training are mandatory for both Wellesley College and its employees. It is the responsibility of Wellesley College to provide a safe working environment; and it is the responsibility of students and employees to adhere to the rules and regulations of the college so that the laboratories are as safe as possible.

The components of the training program are as follows:

• All students should read and understand the Laboratory Safety Manual.
   
• Laboratory supervisors give initial general safety information to each class and for every experiment specific precautions that need to be followed.
   
• All faculty and laboratory staff should read and understand the Chemical Hygiene Plan.
   
• General awareness training is conducted at least annually.
   
• All new faculty and staff are given a safety orientation by their supervisor before work in any laboratory can be started.
  
• All students, faculty and laboratory staff must take the web based Chemical Hygiene Plan course and successfully pass the exam. It can be found at Chemical Hygiene Training Program.
  

MONITORING AND EMPLOYEE ASSESSMENT  

• The Chemical Hygiene Officer will perform exposure monitoring in accordance with paragraph (d) of 29CFR1910.1450. Other qualified consulting service providers may be employed to perform exposure monitoring. Results must be sent to the Chemical Hygiene Officer who will file them in the Science Center Office.
• Employee exposure determination shall be done in accordance with paragraph (d) of the 29CFR1910.1450.
  •  Initial monitoring will be performed if there is reason to believe that exposure levels for a substance routinely exceed the action level (or in the absence of an action level, the PEL).
     
  • If the initial monitoring discloses employee exposure over the action level (or in the absence of an action level, the PEL), the employer shall immediately comply with the exposure monitoring provisions of the relevant standard.
     
  • Monitoring may be terminated in accordance with the relevant standard.
    
  • Within 15 working days after the receipt of any monitoring results, the employee will be notified of these results in writing either individually or by posting results in an appropriate location that is accessible to employees.
    
• Anyone with a reason to believe that exposure levels for a substance routinely exceed the action level, or in the absence of an action level, the PEL may initiate the monitoring process.
  •  Requests for monitoring can be made to the Chemical Hygiene Officer, a laboratory supervisor or instructor.
    
  • The Chemical Hygiene Officer must be notified of monitoring requests.
     
  • Monitoring may be requested at any time.
    
• The Chemical Hygiene Officer is responsible that periodic monitoring requirements are satisfied when necessary.
  
• The Chemical Hygiene Officer will file records in the Science Center Office.
  
  • The employer shall establish and maintain for each employee an accurate record of any measurements taken to monitor employee exposures and any medical consultation and examinations including tests or written opinions required by this standard.
     
  • The employer shall assure that such records are kept, transferred, and made available in accordance with 29CFR1910.1020.

Back to Chemical Hygiene Plan Index