Chemical Hygiene Plan - Queensborough Community College ...

• Always remove lab coats, scrubs, gloves, and other PPE before leaving the lab. Do not
wear lab coats, scrubs, or other PPE (especially gloves) in areas outside the lab,
particularly not in areas where food and drink are served, or other public areas.
• Always wash hands with soap and water after removing gloves and before leaving the lab
or touching items such as the phone, doorknobs, or elevator buttons.
• Always wash lab coats separately from personal clothing. Be sure to identify
contaminated lab coats to commercial laundry facilities to help protect their workers.
Place the contaminated lab coat in a separate plastic bag and clearly identify the bag with
a note or label indicating the lab coat is contaminated.
• Smoking is prohibited in indoor areas on all QCC campuses.
10.2.3 Eating, Drinking, and Applying Cosmetics in the Lab
Chemical exposure can occur through ingestion of food or drink contaminated with chemicals.
This type of contamination can occur when food or drinks are brought into a lab or when food or
drinks are stored in refrigerators, freezers, or cabinets with chemicals. When this occurs, it is
possible for the food or drink to absorb chemical vapors and thus lead to a chemical exposure
when the food or drink is consumed. Eating or drinking in areas exposed to toxic materials is
prohibited by the OSHA Sanitation Standard, 29 CFR 1910.141(g)(2).
A similar principle of potential chemical exposure holds true with regard to the application of
cosmetics (make-up, hand lotion, etc.) in a laboratory setting. Cosmetics have the ability of
absorbing chemical vapors, dusts, and mists from the air and when applied to the skin and result
in skin exposure to chemicals.
To prevent exposure to hazardous chemicals through ingestion, do not eat, drink, chew gum, or
apply cosmetics in areas where hazardous chemicals are used. Wash your hands thoroughly after
using any chemicals or other laboratory materials, even if you were wearing gloves, and
especially before eating or drinking.
To help promote awareness, refrigerators, freezers, microwave ovens, and food processors
should be properly labeled. For example, refrigerators for the storage of food should be labeled,
“Food Only, No Chemicals” or “No Chemicals or Samples.” Refrigerators used for the storage
of chemicals should be labeled “Chemicals Only, No Food.”
Keep in mind that some chemical exposure can result in immediate effects (acute exposure)
while other effects may not be evident for some time despite repeated exposure (chronic
exposure). Consuming food or drink or applying cosmetics in the lab can result in both types of
exposure.
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