All employees and students of the University of Tennessee must be protected from exposures to hazardous chemicals through a combination of safety training and safe practices in the work place. A hazardous chemical is defined as any chemical that poses a physical hazard (fire, explosion, corrosion, reaction, etc.) or health hazard (toxin, irritant, carcinogen, mutagen, etc.) as defined in the OSHA Right- to-Know Law. Three laws govern the use of hazardous chemicals in University work places: The Right-to-Know Law applies to all uses of hazardous chemicals that are not on a laboratory scale. Areas covered by the Right-to-Know Law include shops and manufacturing facilities. All persons in the work place must be trained regarding all hazardous chemicals in the work place prior to assignment, and at least annually thereafter. A safety data sheet (SDS) must be on file for each hazardous chemical and all containers must be labeled. All necessary safety equipment must be provided and used.
The Laboratory Safety Standard applies to chemical manipulations carried out on a “laboratory scale” as defined in the OSHA regulations, which includes most University laboratories. A Chemical Hygiene Plan must be developed for each procedure, safety data sheets (SDS) must be on file for all hazardous chemicals, all persons conducting the procedure must be trained to do the job properly and safely prior to performing the procedure, and all necessary safety equipment must be provided and used. Refer to Sections 3 and 9 of the Institute of Agriculture Health and Safety Manual.
The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) regulates the use of all pesticides. The Institute of Agriculture Pesticide Management Policy specifies the training and pesticide use requirements that apply to all employees and students of the Institute of Agriculture. All pesticide use must be conducted by, or under the direct supervision of, a certified applicator. All necessary safety equipment must be provided and used. Refer to Section 40 of the Institute of Agriculture Health and Safety Manual. For more information, contact the work supervisor, department head, or the Institute of Agriculture safety officer (865-974-1153). Students may also visit the Safety Office website: https://ag.tennessee.edu/safety/Pages/default.aspx