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Access to Employee Exposure Records
The Office of Environmental Health & Radiation Safety (EHRS) monitors employee exposure to toxic substances and harmful physical agents and maintains employee exposure records. The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) standard, “Access to Employee Exposure and Medical Records” (29CFR1910.1020) permits access to employer-maintained exposure and medical records by employees or their designated representative and by OSHA.
University employees may obtain a copy of their exposure record by calling EHRS at (215) 898-4453 or by email: ehrs@ehrs.upenn.edu
Hazard Communication Program
The University of Pennsylvania’s Hazard Communication Program consists of information regarding access to Safety Data Sheets, proper labeling of hazardous chemicals and hazard communication training programs required for all employees who handle hazardous chemicals as part of their work.
Penn’s written Hazard Communication Program is available from the Office of Environmental Health & Radiation Safety, 3160 Chestnut Street Suite 400/6287. It is also available on the EHRS website, www.ehrs.upenn.edu/programs/occupat/hazcomm.html Recently the US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) revised its Hazard Communication Standard 29CFR1910.1200. The Hazard Communication Standard is now aligned with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling Chemicals. The new standard is expected to increase quality and consistency of hazard information, making it easier to safely use and handle hazardous chemicals in the workplace.
One of the changes in the standard is a revised name for Material Safety Data Sheets. They are now referred to as Safety Data Sheets (SDS). A library of Safety Data Sheets for hazardous chemicals used at the University is on file at EHRS. An SDS describes the physical and chemical properties of a product, health hazards, routes of exposure, precautions for safe handling and use, emergency procedures, reactivity data, and control measures. Many SDS’s are also available through EHRS’s website and through standard search engines such as Google. University employees may also obtain an SDS by calling EHRS at (215) 898-4453 or by email: ehrs@ehrs.upenn.edu
Laboratory workers should refer to Penn’s Chemical Hygiene Plan www.ehrs.upenn.edu/programs/labsafety/chp/ for additional information concerning the safe handling of chemicals in laboratories.
OSHA requires training for all employees who work with hazardous chemicals. Due to recent changes in OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard, some employees may be required to retake Hazard Communication Training in Knowledge Link. Also a specialized hazard communication training program was recently developed for the School of Design. To determine which training program applies to your work, complete the Penn Profiler.
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