Environmental Health & Safety

Hazard Communication Program for Strong Memorial Hospital

Prepared by: Environmental Health & Safety
(Revised 2022)

Printable file is available with Adobe Acrobat Reader: PDF Version of Hazard Communication Program for SMH

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SECTION 3: CHEMICALS - HAZARDS AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE

1. EXPOSURE LEVELS
   Minimizing exposures to chemicals is important to worker safety. Consulting the SDS can provide valuable information on preventing exposures to chemicals. Adverse effects from chemical exposures can lead to long-term health effects. Exposures to chemicals are described in many ways. Acute or short term, exposures are exposures that occur over a very short period of time, usually less than 15 minutes. Chronic, or long-term, exposures occur over a long period of time, usually weeks or years.
   
   OSHA regulates the amount of a chemical an employee can be exposed to via the inhalation route. OSHA's Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for a chemical is a legal regulatory limit of airborne exposure, averaged over an 8-hour work period which cannot be exceeded. Short Term Exposure Limits (STEL's) are 15-minute time-weighted average (TWA) airborne limits. STELs are typically defined for chemicals that have fast-acting acute effects.
   
   The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienist (ACGIH) publishes a list of Threshold Limit Values (TLV's) for chemicals. The TLVs are widely recognized guidelines to assist in the control of health hazards intended to be used in the practice of industrial hygiene. The TLV for a chemical is the 8-hr TWA airborne concentration of a chemical that is thought most people can be exposed to, day after day, over a working lifetime, without adverse health effects.
   
   Methods of detecting chemicals can include:
   • Monitoring by the employer
   • Continuous monitoring devices
   • Observation of the chemical's appearance, odor, or other physical characteristics.
2. MEDICAL CONSULTATIONS AND EXAMINATIONS
   Medical consultations and examinations are available for chemical or drug exposures from University Health Service (UHS) or Employee Health Services. In the event of a serious injury or an after hours emergency, care is available from Strong Memorial Hospital's Emergency Department. All required medical examinations and consultations are performed by, and under the direct supervision of, a licensed physician and are provided without cost to the employee.
   1. Consultations
      Consultations and medical examinations for work-related illnesses, injuries, and exposures are made available under the following circumstances:
      1. When an employee develops signs or symptoms associated with a hazardous chemical to which he/she may have been exposed
      2. Where exposure monitoring reveals any exposure levels routinely above the OSHA Action Level (AL) or Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for which there are exposure monitoring and medical surveillance requirements
      3. Whenever an unusual event takes place in the work area such as a spill, leak, explosion, or other occurrence resulting in the likelihood of an exposure above the PEL.
   2. Chemical Exposures
      • When an employee believes they might have a potential chemical, hazardous/infectious exposure they are to immediately report their findings/ incident to their supervisor.
      • The employee will seek immediate medical attention if required, Between 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM, phone UHS (x51164). The employee should bring the full name of the chemical exposed to and, if possible, a copy of the Safety Data Sheet (SDS), to the medical provider.
      • Between 4:30 PM and 8:00 AM, or for and serious situation at anytime, call x13 (Public Safety Dispatch) and request a MERT Response.
      • Depending on the severity, the supervisor will notify their department head.
      • The department head will notify EH&S and/or Infection Prevention (IP) to complete a risk assessment. The risk assessment will be reviewed with the department head and employee. If there is a potential for a high risk exposure or multiple employee concerns identified the department head will notify senior management and the Exposure Control Team.
      • Regardless if the risk is high or low, the employee needs to complete an University of Rochester Employee Incident Report through the on-line system - https://www.safety.rochester.edu/SMH115.html.
   3. Pre-placement Assessments
      Specific groups of employees receive pre-placement health assessments and annual reassessments through Employee Health Services.
   4. Special Programs
      Special medical surveillance programs are provided when indicated by a department's or division's unique needs and are available through Employee Health Services. The department can call Employee Health at 585-487-1000 for department charges and other information.

3. SPILL CONTROL
   Preplanning for a spill response saves time and minimizes hazards. Small spills are those spills, which by their small volume or low toxicity, are not deemed to present a health hazard to trained chemical users. Small chemical spills are to be cleaned up immediately by the chemical user. Some spills can create slippery conditions that can lead to additional hazards. The appropriate PPE must be worn when cleaning these spills to help prevent exposures.
   
   Some hazardous substances necessitate special clean-up procedures to minimize hazards to clean-up personnel. Major spills are those spills, which by their large volume or high toxicity present a health hazard under normal conditions. Clean up of these spills should not be attempted by employees.
   1. Spill Emergency Plan
      1. Emergency preplanning to be followed before working with hazardous chemicals:
         1. Determine the potential location of releases.
         2. Determine the quantities of material that may be released.
         3. Know the chemical and physical properties of the material (physical state, vapor pressure, air or water reactivity).
         4. Know the material’s hazardous properties toxicity, corrosivity, flammability).
         5. Have the required PPE and spill kits available.
      2. In the event of a small spill, the following general procedures are to be followed:
         1. Attend to any persons who may have been contaminated. If personal exposure may have occurred, have the person use the emergency eye wash station or safety shower. Direct the person to UHS or Employee Health Services if medical assistance is needed.
         2. Notify persons in the immediate area of the spill.
         3. Close the door.
         4. Avoid breathing vapors of the spilled material.
         5. Leave any local exhaust ventilation on.
         6. Secure supplies to affect clean-up.
         7. During clean-up, wear the appropriate PPE.
         8. Place the collected waste in an appropriate container for disposal.
      3. In the event of a major spill, the following procedures are to be followed:
         1. Attend to any persons who may have been contaminated. If a personal exposure may have occurred, have the person use the eye wash station or safety shower.
         2. Alert others in the immediate area of the spill. Evacuate personnel from the area.
         3. Confine the fumes/vapors from the spill by closing the door to the room where the spill occurred.
         4. Contact Public Safety (x13) from a safe location and provide information on the spilled material (what spilled, quantity, location of the spill, etc.)
         5. Be available for the emergency spill response personnel to provide information concerning the spill and other hazards that may be present in the spill area.

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   QUESTIONS?
   Contact the EH&S Occupational Safety Unit at 275-3241 or e-mail EH&S Questions.

   This page last updated 10/6/2023. Disclaimer.