Safety Tip of the Week – Laboratory Safety – Labeling and Transfer of Chemicals

Employers must ensure that no worker uses, stores, or allows any other person to use or store any hazardous substance in a laboratory if the container (including bags, barrels, bottles, boxes, cans, cylinders, drums, and reaction vessels) does not meet the following labeling requirements in OSHA’s Hazard Communication standard.

Permanent Container Labels:

• The identity of the chemical and appropriate hazard warnings must be shown on the label.

• The hazard warning must provide users with an immediate understanding of the primary health and/or physical hazard(s) of the hazardous chemical through the use of words, pictures, symbols, or any combination of these elements.

• The name and address of the manufacturer, importer, or other responsible party must be included on the label.

• The hazard label message must be legible, permanently displayed, and written in English

Portable (Secondary) Container Labels are Necessary When: 

• The material is not used within the work shift of the individual who makes the transfer.

• The worker who made the transfer leaves the work area.

• The container is moved to another work area and is no longer in the possession of the worker who filled the container.

  – Labels on portable containers are not required if the worker who made the transfer uses all of the contents during the work shift.

Successful lab analysts will put safety as the first priority!!