Chemical Safety

The Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP) establishes Penn State minimum safety standards for the use of chemicals in laboratories and assures compliance with OSHA laboratory Standard. This plan defines procedures for safely handling known chemical hazards, integrates applicable regulations and best practices, and outlines how Penn State meets these standards. All research and instructional activities involving chemicals must comply with the CHP.

Chemical Hygiene Plan Document

OSHA Laboratory Standard Document

The Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200), commonly known as HazCom, ensures that employees are informed about the chemical hazards they may encounter in the workplace. At Penn State, HazCom applies to non-laboratory environments such as maintenance shops, farms, housing and food services, construction sites, and other operational areas where hazardous chemicals are stored, used or disposed of. Compliance requires proper labeling, access to safety data sheets (SDS), chemical inventory management through LionSafe, and annual reviews. Supervisors must ensure training is provided and employees must understand the risks and safe handling procedures for all hazardous substances. HazCom complements the Laboratory standard by extending chemical safety protections beyond research laboratories, reinforcing a university-wide commitment to health and safety.

• OSHA Laws and Regulations: 29 CFR 1910.1200

Laboratories must follow general principles for chemical storage to ensure safety and compliance. These principles define where and how to store chemicals properly, including:

Cabinet Use

• Use ventilated and non-ventilated cabinets appropriately.
• Distinguish between cabinet types (e.g., corrosive, flammable).

Cold Storage

• Follow rules for lab-specific refrigerators and freezers.
• Ensure explosion-proofing where required.

Volume Control

• Limit stored chemical quantities to safe volumes.

Location Restrictions

• Avoid storage near heat sources or in public areas.

Chemical Segregation

• Segregate chemicals based on compatibility and reactivity.
• Refer to the Chemical Segregation Chart in SharePoint.

Security

• Address security concerns for hazardous materials.

Waste Coordination

• Align chemical storage with waste handling procedures.

Proper labeling is essential for chemical safety and compliance. Labels must include the following elements:

Signal Words:

• “Danger” or “Warning” are used to emphasize hazards and indicate the relative level of severity of the hazard.
• Assigned to a GHS hazard class and category.

Hazard Statements:

• Standard phrases assigned to a hazard class and category that describe the nature of the hazard.
• All applicable hazard statements must appear on a label.

Precautionary Statements:

• Phrases recommending measures to minimize or prevent adverse effects from exposure, improper storage, or handling.

Symbols (hazard class pictograms):

• Visual icons that convey health, physical, and environmental hazard information.
• Assigned to a GHS hazard class and category.

Download the Laboratory and Research Safety SOPs template.

Standard Operating Procedures:

• Download the High Risk Experiment or Process (High Hazard) SOP from SharePoint.
• Download the Isoflurane SOP from SharePoint.
• Download the Hydrofluoric Acid SOP from SharePoint. 

Coming Soon.

Gas Monitoring Program

GHS, the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals, was developed by the United Nations as a way to bring into agreement the chemical regulations and standards of different countries. GHS includes criteria for the classification of health, physical and environmental hazards, as well as specifying what information should be included on labels of hazardous chemicals as well as safety data sheets.  

• OSHA website GHS Hazard Sign, Symbol & Pictogram Meanings.
• GHS H-codes or Hazard Statements, for a full list refer to the official UNECE GHS documentation.  
• Download the Chemical Segregation Chart Poster from SharePoint.
• United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) Document. 

The Chemical Owner must maintain Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for every hazardous chemical and ensure they are readily accessible to all employees in their work areas during each shift.

Note: Electronic access or other alternatives to maintaining paper copies are acceptable, provided that no barriers to immediate employee access in each workplace are created by such options.

SDS Resources: 

• Chemical Safety's Online SDS Database—Chemical Safety is a private corporation providing cloud-based Environmental Management Systems (EMS) and holds an extensive free SDS database. 
• Pathogen Safety Data Sheets—provided by Public Health Agency Canada.
• Sigma Aldrich—manufacturer's SDS Search.
• Thermo-Fisher Scientific—safety data sheet resources.

Additional information:

• OSHA Brief on SDSs (PDF)