Posted: 09/10/2009

Chemical Purchase ESH Reviews: To Reduce Exposure, Protect the Environmental and Increase Safety

SLAC is implementing a new ESH screening process for the purchase of chemicals through Haas tcmIS. The updated procedure points to screening criteria and steps that chemical purchasers can take to select safer, less toxic chemical products. ESH screening will not affect most additions, but selections of highly toxic or hazardous material will trigger additional requirements, such as finding a suitable substitute or obtaining approval of mission-critical items by the requester's associate laboratory director.

The purchasing procedure (Hazardous Materials: Purchasing Procedure (SLAC-I-730-0A09C-001-R002) has been updated and two new exhibits in the ESH Manual Chapter 40, Hazardous Materials have been added describing the process:

Hazardous Materials: Chemical Screening Criteria (SLAC-I-730-0A09S-033). Describes chemical categories (banned, of concern, material restricted, and use restricted) and includes a description of preferred materials. This is a resource that can be used to determine if the chemical product you are considering will trigger any additional requirements before requesting a catalog add.

Hazardous Materials: Toxic and Hazardous Chemical Justification Form (SLAC-I-730-0A09J-006). This form documents the approval process of mission-critical toxic and hazardous chemical products for use. The hazardous material program manager issues this form to the user/requester if ESH review found that the chemical 1) falls into one of the chemical categories (banned, of concern, material restricted, use restricted) based on hazard or regulatory status , and 2) there is a less toxic substitute, or 3) this chemical exceeds screening criteria and is mission-critical.

The full policy appears in Chapter 40: Hazardous Materials. Contact Judy Fulton if you have questions or have feedback regarding this new control.