CHEMICAL HAZARDS

The Board is committed to providing a safe environment for students and employees.  It is the policy of the School District to follow safe practices in regard to the storage and handling of hazardous chemicals in its schools.  The school unit will comply with all applicable Maine and federal laws and regulations concerning hazardous chemicals.

The Superintendent has responsibility for the safe handling and storage of hazardous chemicals in schools, the development of required written plans, the designation of a Chemical Hygiene Officer, and ensuring that staff is trained with respect to chemical hazards found in the workplace.  Written plans shall include information regarding proper purchasing, labelling, storage, training, handling, and disposal of hazardous chemicals.

HAZCOM (HAZARD COMMUNICATION) STANDARDS

The school unit will comply with OSHA’s Hazard Communication standard 29 CFR 1910.1200, as adopted and enforced by the Maine Department of Labor, which requires a written hazard communication (HazCom) plan, including a listing of chemicals being used in the schools; training of employees that handle these chemicals; and, for all employees, where safety data sheets (SDS) are located, and how to read them.  This standard applies to hazard communications for hazardous chemicals such as those used in cleaning and disinfection, which may be found in custodial and food service areas, among other locations.

LABORATORY SCIENCE CHEMICALS

The school unit will comply with OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.1450, as adopted and enforced by the Maine Department of Labor, which addresses science laboratory chemicals.   This standard applies to science laboratory chemicals commonly found in chemistry and biology laboratories in schools. 

The Superintendent will appoint an employee of the school unit as Chemical Hygiene Officer for the School District.  The Chemical Hygiene Officer will be responsible for developing and implementing a Chemical Hygiene Plan, to be reviewed annually, that includes procedures relevant to the identification, purchase, storage, inventory, handling, and disposal of hazardous chemicals used in science laboratories; maintenance of safety data sheets (SDS) for laboratory chemicals; and ensuring that employees with science/laboratory responsibilities are provided appropriate training on the specific hazards associated with the chemicals being used in school laboratories and how to read the SDS for these chemicals

The person appointed Chemical Hygiene Officer must be an employee of School District preferably a science teacher or another staff member who is knowledgeable about the chemicals being used in school laboratories and stored in the schools.

Legal Reference:  29 C.F.R. §§ 1910.1200, 1910.1450

                                 26 M.R.S.A. § 565

                                 Me. Dept. of Prof. Regulation Rule Ch. 2 § 179 

                                 Me. Dept. of Ed. Rule Ch. 161

                                 Commissioner’s Administrative Letter No. 33, June 9, 2005

                                             (Chemicals in Schools)

Cross Reference:

EBCA - Crisis Response Plan

• This is a required policy

Adopted: 8-17-1994

Revised: 6-2-2010, 10-9-2019

Revised 1-7-2025