The UW is committed to providing a safe and healthy work environment for all employees, students and visitors. Individuals who work with or near hazardous substances need to be aware of the identity, potential physical and health hazards, and the safe work practices that can minimize exposure.
Supervisors (including PIs) are required to train personnel on the hazards of the chemicals used in University workplaces, regardless of location.
Chemical hazard information for all workplaces is covered under the Chemical Hazard Communication Program written guide.
Program components
The major components of the UW Chemical Hazard Communication (HazCom) Program are the following.
Assign responsibilities
Assign program responsibilities.
Identify chemicals
Identify hazardous chemicals on work areas.
Label chemical containers
Read about labeling requirements and download secondary chemical container labels.
Provide training
Train employees in work task hazards and safe work practices.
Keep documentation
Document chemical hazard assessments, safe use procedures and training.
Maintain chemical inventory
Maintain a chemical inventory in the UW MyChem database for each work area.
Access safety data sheets
Ensure employees have ready access to safety data sheets (SDSs) for each chemical in the inventory.
Applicability
The HazCom Program applies to all University employees, students and visitors at all University locations including the Seattle campus, UW Bothell and UW Tacoma, UW Medical Center, Harborview Medical Center, and all other University-owned property, University-leased space, and field locations under the control of University operations and staff where chemicals are used, transported, stored or manufactured.
UW personnel who work in laboratories should refer to the Laboratory Safety Manual for hazard communication and additional requirements specific to chemical use in laboratories.
Specific hazard communication regulations apply to chemical manufacturers, distributors and importers. The University must comply with these regulations when its researchers or others develop a new chemical or chemical product, including the development of safety data sheets (SDSs) and chemical labeling.
Some examples of non-laboratory work areas where hazardous chemicals may be used, transported or stored include:
- Facilities/maintenance shops and supply rooms
- Art, ceramics, metal and glass studios
- Paint spray booths
- Teaching areas
- Vehicle maintenance and garages
- Welding areas
- Custodial operations
- Clinics for patient care
- Pesticide use areas indoors or outdoors
- Research areas that are not laboratories (field work, animal care areas, chemical prep rooms)
About
The UW developed the Chemical Hazard Communication (HazCom) Program to address
- How to classify chemical hazards;
- Communicate the hazards and safeguards required to protect individuals from exposure to those hazards;
- Ensure individual health and safety; and
- Meet regulatory requirements.
The HazCom program describes the responsibilities of department managers, supervisors, principal investigators (PIs), employees, students, contractors, visitors and EH&S. Protection from hazards provided by the program is meant to be consistent, whether in a chemical laboratory or in non-laboratory workplaces such as shops, custodial and maintenance services and transportation facilities.
Responsibilities
- Classify and assessing department chemicals and use.
- Ensure a chemical inventory is entered into the online MyChem chemical inventory system and that SDSs are attached for each chemical in the inventory.
- Ensure personnel have ready access to safety data sheets (SDSs) in the work area, either through the online MyChem system or printed copies.
- Review the inventory and hazards of each chemical with employees.
- Determine proper engineering and administrative controls, work practices, and personal protective equipment (PPE) to implement when personnel work with specific chemicals.
- Ensure proper labeling of all chemical containers, storage cabinets and work areas as needed.
- Ensure development of SDS and labels for any chemical manufactured and distributed by UW personnel.
- Provide training to employees and affected individuals on chemicals used in the area and their potential hazards and how to access the SDS.
- Conduct a job hazard analysis (JHA) and/or develop standard operating procedures (SOP) for processes and chemical use in the area that describes the hazards and safeguards.
- Provide personal protective equipment PPE for employees and other individuals, where applicable.
- Retrain employees and other individuals when new chemicals or procedures are introduced to the work area.
- Inform contractors of chemicals and potential hazards they may encounter in their work; ensuring proper procedures are followed.
- Inform contractors that they must provide UW with chemical information and SDS about chemicals they are bringing onsite to complete their work.
- Report any accidents or injuries using the Online Accident Reporting System (OARS).
- Ask Environmental Health & Safety for help if needed.
- Know what chemicals you are working with and the potential hazards; reading safety data sheets (SDSs).
- Complete Hazard Communication training and obtaining chemical-specific training from your supervisor.
- Know how to use the online MyChem chemical database system and how to access the chemical inventories and safety data sheets for chemical-specific hazard information.
- Follow a standard operating procedure (SOP) and/or a job hazard analysis (JHA) developed for operations in your work area that describe hazards and safeguards.
- Follow safe use practices when working with chemicals, including engineering controls, administrative controls, good work practices and use of proper personal protective equipment (PPE) as required.
- Help you supervisor ensure all chemical containers are labeled.
- Know what to do if a chemical spills.
- Ask questions if you are unsure about any procedures or chemical hazards.
- Report any accidents or injuries immediately to your supervisor; reporting to EH&S using the Online Accident Reporting System (OARS).
- Maintain the HazCom program by auditing it annually and updating it as needed.
- Maintain the online MyChem chemical inventory system and centralized library of safety data sheets.
- Provide advice on chemical assessments, developing standard operating procedures and/or job hazard analyses that describe hazards and safeguards, safe use practices when working with chemicals, and personal protective equipment selection and use.
- Provide training on the principles of HazCom; advise on area-specific HazCom training.
- Conduct air and other monitoring for workplace chemicals to determine potential for exposures; if chemical concentrations exceed regulated limits, work with areas to make corrective actions and maintain exposure records.
- Provide the UW with chemical information and safety data sheets about chemicals they are bringing onsite to complete their work.
- Ask about chemicals and potential hazards they may encounter in the work area where they will work or visit.
- Follow proper procedures of the work area and wearing personal protective equipment as needed.
- Refer to the Contractors and Hazard Communication Focus Sheet for more information.
Safe work practices
- Always follow proper procedures when working with chemicals.
- Always use designated controls, safe work practices and proper personal protective equipment when working with chemicals.
- Ask if unsure about a chemical’s identity, hazard or procedure.
- Report spills or accidents immediately to supervisor.
- Know accident and spill procedures and when to call for help.
- Suggest corrective actions if you see potentially hazardous conditions or procedures.
Services available
EH&S provides the following services:
- Advice on communicating chemical hazard information
- Consultations on engineering and administrative controls, and safe work practices
- Recommendations on PPE when working with chemicals
- Advice on specific HazCom training for specific areas
- Help with updating chemical inventories in MyChem system so all employees and students have ready access to current SDSs
Frequently asked questions
The GHS pictograms are part of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) established in 2015 in hazard communication regulations. They show specific chemical hazards and apply to the labeling of chemical containers and for workplace hazard warnings.
SDSs may arrive in a chemical delivery, or EH&S may receive them directly. Employees need immediate access to the updated SDSs as soon as they are received. The easiest method to ensure people have access to the current SDS is to use MyChem. Attach an electronic copy of the updated SDS to your chemical inventory entry. EH&S is notified when this occurs and pulls the document into our system library. In the meantime, employees still have access to the attached SDS via your MyChem inventory.
You may not need to print SDSs and maintain SDS binders. It’s hard to keep binders updated. If you keep the MyChem inventory updated and attach updated SDSs when you receive them, this will simplify compliance. If you are concerned with staff finding an SDS quickly in MyChem, consider printing the inventory, and then train staff to use it in SDS searches. Each chemical in inventory has a chemical ID. Anyone with a UW NetID has immediate access to search MyChem for SDSs. Inventory access is not necessary for an SDS search.
There is no need for you to keep old SDSs. EH&S keeps chemical inventory records on microfiche to meet the records retention requirement.
A hazardous chemical is any chemical that is classified as a physical hazard, or a health hazard, a simple asphyxiant, combustible dust, pyrophoric gas or a hazard not otherwise classified. For example, compressed gas is considered a physical hazard; wood dust is considered a health hazard.
Hazardous chemicals include, but are not limited to, chemicals, paints, adhesives, cleaning products, disinfecting agents, compressed gases, art supplies and pesticides.
Definitions
Any element, chemical compound, or mixture of elements and/or compounds; exposure to chemicals can be in a variety of forms such as: solids, liquids, gases, vapors, dusts, mists or fumes.
Any chemical that is classified as a physical hazard, or a health hazard, a simple asphyxiant, combustible dust, pyrophoric gas or HNOC; for example, compressed gas is considered a physical hazard and wood dust is considered a health hazard.
A chemical for which there is statistically significant evidence that acute or chronic health effects may occur
"Hazards Not Otherwise Classified" or HNOC is an adverse physical or health effect that does not fit in any defined hazard class in the Hazard Communication Standard
A workplace where relatively small amounts of hazardous substances are used on a nonproduction basis
A chemical that is classified as posing one of the following hazardous effects: explosive; flammable (gases, aerosols, liquids, or solids); oxidizer (liquid, solid or gas); self-reactive; pyrophoric (liquid or solid); self-heating; organic peroxide; corrosive to metal; gas under pressure; or in contact with water emits flammable gas
A document developed by a chemical manufacturer, distributor or importer that contains hazard information for the chemical user, formerly known as MSDS, or material safety data sheet; the information includes: product identification, use restrictions, hazards identification, chemical ingredients, first-aid measures, fire-fighting measures, accidental release measures, handling & storage information, physical & chemical properties, stability and reactivity information, and toxicological information. SDSs are in a standardized, 16-section format and found online in the UW MyChem inventory system, and can also be obtained on the internet from chemical suppliers.