Control of Chemical Hazards cont'd - hdbk11392002vol20047

DOE-HDBK-1139/2-2002

The CCMC administers the SRS HazCom Program, in compliance with the OSHA Hazard

Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200) and the S/RID. All employees have access, via the SRS

Intranet, to the site MSDS database, which contains electronic images of MSDSs for products used on

site. This open access is important for worker health and safety and satisfies OSHA requirements.

The site HazCom Coordinator is on the CCMC staff and is responsible for all aspects of the HazCom

program, including training of chemical coordinators, chemical workers, and general employees. The

Industrial Hygiene Department is responsible for supporting work activities involving chemicals by

recommending the necessary Personal Protective Equipment, work controls to minimize chemical

exposures, and participating in job hazard analyses, as required. The Fire Protection Engineering group is

available to provide guidance on the suitability of facilities for storage of chemicals to assure NFPA code

compliance and safe segregation between incompatible chemical categories. The Savannah River

Technology Center (SRTC) has sections regulated under the OSHA Laboratory Standard, 29

CFR1910.1450. SRTC has a Chemical Hygiene Plan and a Chemical Hygiene Officer, who is matrixed

to the CCMC to provide consistent guidance across the site.

Annually, a Special Hazards Report is sent out to all WSRC Divisions to alert them about any self-

reactive and time-sensitive chemicals present in their inventories that can become storage hazards (i.e.,

have the potential to violently degrade, decompose, polymerize or convert to products that may be shock-

sensitive, explosive, or toxic). A courtesy reminder is sent after 6 months to all laboratories that have

such chemicals. Improper storage can result in serious injuries to workers, property loss, and costly

remediation efforts. The Divisions have the responsibility to take necessary actions such as ascertaining

the continued viability of these chemicals for future use or making decisions on disposal.

Safety basis documentation identifies bulk chemical storage areas and the potential impact of unmitigated

releases from these storage areas with respect to worker safety (onsite release), environment, and the

public (offsite release). Conduct of operations, including facility procedures and job hazards analysis,

ensures safe use of the bulk chemicals. As an independent check, the facility self-assessment program

reviews chemical storage areas for proper storage, chemicals for unlabeled/mislabeled containers, and

containers for signs of damage, degradation or leakage. A checklist for self-assessment of chemical

storage areas is available sitewide via the Chemical Life Cycle Management homepage on the site

Intranet.

With emphasis on continuous improvement, WSRC organizations conduct self-assessments at the facility

level. Included in the areas of review are chemical safety and adherence to all elements of the CMP.

These periodic reviews result in identification of any facility-specific problems and the implementation of

corrective actions. In addition, the WSRC Facility Evaluation Board conducts independent, unannounced

performance assessments of facilities and programs at SRS and reports its findings directly to the

President of WSRC. Such a site-level management review helps to identify any needed programmatic

changes in the CMP. The CCMC manager, being the program owner, coordinates the sitewide review on

CMP with the Board.

When chemical releases (e.g., spills) occur in a quantity equal to or exceeding the CERCLA RQs, a

hazardous substance release notification in accordance with 40 CFR 302.4 is required. The facility

organization reports the incident to the Environmental Protection Department, which communicates the

information to appropriate regulatory agencies.