Chemical Hygiene Plan - Queensborough Community College ...

property damage. Colleges and units should verify that all users of the lab have the required
safety and health training prior to allowing access to the lab and/or specialized equipment. It is
the visitor’s responsibility to have or obtain the appropriate training.
It is the responsibility of the Department Chairperson, P.I.s, and laboratory supervisors to
restrict access of visitors and children to areas under their supervision when potential health
and physical hazards exist.
10.2.8 Pets in Labs
In general, P.I.s and laboratory supervisors are strongly encouraged to restrict access of pets in
the laboratory. Please refer to your College’s specific policy regarding building and lab access
for pets.
10.3 Chemical Purchasing
Before ordering new chemicals, search your existing inventories and use those chemicals
currently in stock. An accurate and up-to-date chemical inventory can help to minimize
purchase of chemicals already on hand and can facilitate acquisition of Material Safety Data
Sheets (MSDS). QCC has an institutional subscription to the Chemtracker chemical inventory
system that can help facilitate maintaining a chemical inventory. If you are interested in learning
more about the Chemtracker system, contact your EHS office.
If it is necessary to purchase new chemicals, laboratory personnel should order only the
minimum required to carry out the experiment. Avoid ordering larger quantities simply because
the chemical “might be needed in the future.” Try to take advantage of chemical vendor’s “Just-
In-Time” delivery rather than stockpiling chemicals in your lab. Before ordering chemicals, be
sure to check QCC purchasing guidelines.
Some chemical purchases may require special approval or permits, such as those chemicals that
are Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) or Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) listed
substances or particularly hazardous substances. There are also building and fire codes that
restrict the amount of flammable materials that can be stored in any one room, floors, and
buildings at a time. For more information, contact your EHS Office.
10.4 Ordering New Equipment
Whenever new equipment is planned for purchase and installation in laboratories, especially
equipment that must be connected to the building utility services such as electric, water, or gas,
laboratory personnel must first consult with Facilities Management and their EHS Office to
ensure that the building can support the new piece of equipment. Lab personnel should not
assume they can purchase equipment first and then expect the building to accommodate them.
By preplanning and communicating well in advance with appropriate campus groups (such as
Facilities Management and your EHSO), potential issues may be identified ahead of time, which
in turn may help make the transition smoother.
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