Cabrillo College Community College District is committed to providing a safe and healthful workplace and learning environment. This Chemical Hygiene Plan has been written with the goal of minimizing the exposure of staff, faculty, volunteers, students and student assistants to chemical hazards in campus laboratories and is part of the overall Injury and Illness Prevention Program at Cabrillo College. It has been designed to meet the criteria of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Laboratory Standard (29 CFR 1910.1450) and Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations, Section 5191, both titled, “Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories.”

While the federal Hazard Communication Standard applies to all operations using hazardous substances and has been designed to ensure that employees are provided with Safety Data Sheets (SDS), along with training and information regarding protecting oneself when handling hazardous materials, the Laboratory Standard was developed to provide protection more specific to laboratory settings, in which a wide variety of chemicals are used in relatively small quantities. These two standards will work in conjunction with each other.

Based on the definitions of laboratory, laboratory use, and laboratory scale, and as identified by Cal OSHA, Cabrillo College Community College District has identified the following as areas that will be included under the Chemical Hygiene Plan:

• Chemistry Department

• Biology Department
  

Cabrillo College Community College District, its Board, and its Management pledge to support this Chemical Hygiene Plan to assure that it remains a viable method of protecting all laboratory occupants. All District administrators, staff, faculty, employees, volunteers and students will be required to adhere to the policies and procedures set forth under this Plan. The District encourages all personnel affected by this Plan to provide constructive criticism to ensure that the Plan remains viable and effective, while meeting its intended goals.

The full text of the Cabrillo College Chemical Hygiene Plan can be read here (once the document has been finalized).