The OSHA Lab Safety Standard OSHA Lab Standards in Prac:ce Miriam Weil, ScD, MPH Boston Children s Hospital

Transcription

1 The OSHA Lab Safety Standard 2015 OSHA Lab Standards in Prac:ce Miriam Weil, ScD, MPH Boston Children s Hospital

2 GOAL OF PROJECT To understand how elements of the OSHA Lab Standard are being carried out in various ins:tu:ons.

3 INTRODUCTION How is the laboratory standard applied in the field? Two surveys about aspects of the OSHA Lab Standard Boston Children s Hospital EH&S approach to implemen:ng aspects of the standard

4 SURVEY PROJECTS DESCRIPTION Two Surveys: Both about AWtudes, Usefulness, Adherence to Rules OSHA Lab Standard Compliance and Usefulness PPE Survey Different Audiences 1 st Mostly Safety Professionals 2 nd Lab Personnel at Boston Children s Hospital and associated research laboratories

5 WHO RESPONDED TO THE LAB STANDARD SURVEY? 62% Central Environmental Health and Safety staff 18% Departmental or College level Environmental Health and Safety staff 19% Laboratory safety representa:ves 1% Laboratory worker with no designated safety responsibili:es

6 SINGLE CHO OR MULTIPLE 60% Single campus- wide CHO 14% 27% Chemical Hygiene Officers are assigned to specific colleges or departments Each lab is expected to have their own Chemical Hygiene Officer.

7 RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CHO 32% Primarily technical, focused on risk assessment and hazard management 23% Primarily administra:ve, focused on program development and management 48% Split between these responsibili:es

8 WITH WHICH PARTS OF THE LABORATORY COMMUNITY DOES THE CHO WORK? 82% Lab staff and/or students 51% 66% 66% 49% Safety representa:ves for specific laboratories Lab supervisors in their area of responsibility Laboratory administra:on and facility managers Ins:tu:on wide lab safety issues (e.g. haz waste management, emergency planning

9 FORMAT OF THE CHP 68% Single complete Chemical Hygiene Plan 20% 12% Expected to be wrigen at the department or college level, using ins:tu:onal plans as a basis En:rely wrigen at the lab level

10 USE RANKING OF THE CHP 35% 8% A reference work for ins:tu:on specific informa:on and procedures An opera:ng document for daily laboratory work 22% 34% A basis for laboratory safety training A "roles and responsibili:es" document that forms the basis for safety oversight at the ins:tu:on

11 HOW OFTEN IS THE CHP REVIEWED? 52% 25% At least annually Occasionally Specific laboratory safety programs that support the CHP are rou:nely updated, but the CHP itself is seldom updated Not updated Don t know

12 HAZCOMM - GHS 41. 5% said somewhat 25 % said yes 19% said no 15% said unclear

13 DO LAB WORKERS GET CLEAR GUIDANCE ABOUT PPE? 80% Yes 10% No 10% Don't know

14 PPE Survey Conducted between November 8 and December 8, 2014 Approximately 100 responses The denominator in the responses varies due to: open ended ques:ons where more than one item was listed not every ques:on was answered by every respondent

15 HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU USE AT LEAST ONE KIND OF PPE? 80% 70% 68% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Almost all the :me (>90%) 16% 70% to 90% 5% 4% 10% to 30% 50% to 70% 2% 2% less than 10% 30% to 50% Percentage of :me

16 WHAT PPE DO YOU TYPICALLY WEAR AT WORK? 100% 90% 80% 70% 95% 91% 60% 50% 49% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 23% 19% 7% 4% 4% Percent of total responses Types of PPE N=98 (open ended quespon, more than one response).

17 WHAT CAN BE DONE TO INCREASE/ IMPROVE PPE USE? Percent of total answers 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 58% 37% 35% 35% 32% 26% 19% 5% Ideas for Improvement (more than one answer, n=144)

18 WHAT FACTORS DO CURRENT AVAILABLE EYE WEAR LACK? Durability 1% Construction 8% Other Choice 10% 11% Style None 15% 15% Comfort 41% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%

19 What factors do current gloves lack? Style 1% Choice 3% Construction 7% Other 8% Comfort 16% Durability 23% None 41% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%

20 WHAT FACTORS DO CURRENT LAB COATS LACK? Durability 3% Construction 8% Choice 13% Comfort 13% Other 16% Style 16% None 30% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%

21 Are the following activities performed in the lab? Chemical Hazards Yes No Activity Activity Description Activity Location Activity Length Additional Details Working with small volumes (< 1 liters) of corrosive liquids. Working with large volumes (> 1 liters) of corrosive liquids, small to large volumes of acutely toxic corrosives, or work which creates a splash hazard. Working with small volumes (< 1 liters) of organic solvents or flammable organic compounds. Working with large volumes (> 1 liters) of organic solvents, small to large volumes of very dangerous solvents, or work which creates a splash hazard. Working with irritants, sensitizers, mutagens, teratogens or other toxic hazardous chemicals (solid, liquid, or gas). Working with acutely toxic or hazardous chemicals (solid, liquid, or gas). Working with an apparatus with contents under pressure or vacuum. Working with air or water reactive chemicals. Working with potentially explosive chemicals.

22 LIQUID NITROGEN HANDLING Laboratory Hazard Assessment Training Tool for Personal ProtecPve Equipment Use Hazard Type AcPvity DescripPon PotenPal Hazard Safety Controls Applicable PPE Physical Dispensing liquid nitrogen from primary to secondary containers designed for cryogenic materials Removing and inserting racks from Dewar's and other vessels -Major skin, tissue or eye damage -Frostbite Use in a well ventilated area Physical Removing vials from liquid nitrogen -Vials may explode upon rapid warming -Cuts to face and neck Use vials approved for cryogenic material Face Shield Physical Recovering vials and/or specimen boxes lost in Dewar s -Major skin, tissue or eye damage -Frostbite Use Cryo Grabbers to extract lost science Temperature Resistant Gloves Physical Connecting tanks to Dewar and/ or manifold systems -Major skin, tissue or eye damage -Frostbite N/A Research Version 1

23 Northern Blot (Gel PreparaPon) Laboratory Hazard Assessment Training Tool for Personal ProtecPve Equipment Use Hazard Type AcPvity DescripPon PotenPal Hazard Safety Controls Applicable PPE Physical Hea:ng agar with formaldehyde on a hotplate - Burns resul:ng in skin or eye damage - Inhala:on hazard (carcinogen) Chemical fume hood required - Heat Resistant Gloves Chemical Use of DEPC (diethyl - Skin or eye damage pyrocarbonate), formaldehyde (irritant) and ethidium bromide - Inhala:on hazard (carcinogen) Chemical fume hood or down dran table required - Hot Hands Version 1

24 WHAT CAN BE DONE TO IMPROVE USABILITY OF ONE- PAGERS? Our lab does not have PPE onepagers More pictures Other Improve format Embedded in SOPs Improve wording 11% 16% 14% 32% 28% 23% Ideas for Improvement 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% Percent of total answers (more than one answer), n=98

25 CONCLUSIONS Safety professionals have chosen ways to comply with the Lab standards that suit their individual ins:tu:ons. Chemical Hygiene Officer, Chemical Hygiene Plan CHO responsibili:es are technical and administra:ve. Benefit these elements of the Lab Safety Plan have on the laboratory personnel. Boston Children s Hospital Approach provides a unique way to bring chemical safety to the lab workers as one pagers. Thank you to Ralph Stuart, DCHAS, Chad Pires, Nick Kielbania, Lou Diberardinis, Pete Reinhart