Washington State University
Environmental Health & Safety Facility Services

Facility Services

Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 296-901 addresses Chemical Hazard Communication in multi-employer workplaces. Service department employees who perform services in laboratories at WSU must be informed of the hazards they may encounter in laboratory work spaces. Similarly, laboratory employees must be informed of hazards which may be caused by service employees performing operations in the laboratory. (Policy Reference – WAC 296-901).

Service departments at Washington State University must comply with provisions of the Employee Chemical Hazard Communication Standard (WAC 296-901). Prior to the time a service employee performs service duties in a laboratory, the service employee’s supervisor must obtain information about the laboratory’s labeling system and the accessibility of hazard information (e.g. SDSs) for hazardous chemical substances which may present a danger to the service employee working in the laboratory. The supervisor must inform his/her employee of hazards present, and how they can be avoided.

Prior to the time a service department employee uses chemicals (e.g. cleaning chemicals) in the laboratory which may present a health risk to laboratory employees, the laboratory supervisor or Principal Investigator (PI) must obtain information from the service department regarding the service department’s labeling system and the accessibility of hazard information (e.g. SDSs), for hazardous chemicals which may present a danger to the laboratory employee. The laboratory supervisor or PI must inform the laboratory employee of hazards present, and how they can be avoided.