TRAINING REQUIREMENTS            

Under Pennsylvania and OSHA laws, all employees have a right to know the potential hazards of the substances to which they are exposed.  Employees and students must receive education and training regarding hazardous materials prior to being assigned to work with them.

Laboratory Supervisors should assure that all laboratory workers are provided with information and training to ensure that they are apprised of the hazards of chemicals present in their work area.  This training is mandated by OSHA.  In fulfillment of part of this training requirement, the Laboratory Supervisor shall assure that all laboratory workers attend Chemical Hygiene training provided by the EHRS Department.

Additional training provided by the Laboratory Supervisor should be as specific to the activities conducted in the laboratory as possible.  It should include:

1. Emergency procedures to be followed in the event of an accidental exposure, spill, fire, accident, etc.
2. Health risks and hazards (both chemical and physical) posed by the experimental procedures, hazardous substances and equipment.
3. The location and availability of known reference material on the hazards, safe handling, storage and disposal of hazardous chemicals found in the laboratory.  This may include Material Safety Data Sheets and other reference sources.
4. The existence of Standard Operating Procedures and their applicability to the laboratory.
5. Signs and symptoms associated with exposures to hazardous chemicals used in the laboratory.
6. Determining the proper personal protective equipment necessary and requiring its use.
7. The permissible exposure limits for OSHA regulated substances or published exposure limits for other hazardous chemicals where there is no applicable OSHA standard.
8. The contents of the OSHA standard CFR 1910.1450 and its appendices that shall be available to employees (available from the Safety Department).
9. The location and availability of the Chemical Hygiene Plan.
University of the Sciences in Philadelphia • 600 South Forty-third Street • Philadelphia, PA 19104-4495 • phone: 215-596-8800 • email: safety@usp.edu