Chemical Safety Training for Universities

Universities have to provide information about the hazards of chemical exposure.

Those who work with chemicals may be exposed to certain hazards. That's why the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has safety requirements for laboratories that expose workers to certain chemicals. Universities also provide chemical safety training for their workers, as well as others who may be exposed to certain chemicals on their premises.

University of Illinois

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign provides online chemical safety training that gives participants an understanding of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and university requirements for storing and getting rid of chemical waste. The university requires everyone on campus who is involved in the generation of chemical waste, its storage or pickup to participate in the training. The training program provides input on OSHA standards and also talks about how to manage exposure to chemicals.

University of Mississippi

At the University of Mississippi, the school's Department of Health and Safety expects all faculty, staff and graduate students at its Oxford campus who work with chemicals to take a chemical safety training program. The training rule also applies to visiting investigators who work under the supervision of trained university personnel. The university also requires those who take the program to pass a written test dealing with chemical safety. There is also a special training program for the university's physical plant personnel.

University of Virginia

Another university that provides chemical safety training is the University of Virginia. The university requires that all faculty, staff and students who work in a laboratory undergo such training. Any person at the university who works with or around chemicals to fulfill his job duties, or generates any kind of hazardous waste, also has to undergo the training. The university also requires such training for those who work with radioactive material.

Hazardous Waste

Chemical waste could constitute a hazard to humans. It could be in the form of expired chemicals or waste from laboratory processes. Waste from maintenance and construction processes could also be hazardous, as could used batteries and fluorescent light bulbs. Universities have to communicate information about hazards for non-laboratory personnel who are working with chemicals, under OSHA's hazard communication standards. The chemical safety training provides information on how chemicals enter the body and how participants could protect themselves from the chemicals they use.

References

• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Division of Research Safety: Chemical safety
• The University of Mississippi: Department of Health & Safety: Safety Training
• University of Virginia: Environmental Health & Safety: Chemical Safety & Hazardous Waste