Hazardous materials management and control program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory--health protection

Maintaining reasonable control of all hazardous materials used in a large research laboratory can be a formidable task. At Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a Hazardous Material Coordinator for Health Protection (HMC-Hlth) and a Hazardous Material Coordinator for Environmental Protection (HMC-Env) control hazardous materials from acquisition to disposal. The HMC-Hlth, a member of the Industrial Hygiene Department, is responsible for control of the purchase and use of hazardous materials. If the material has not had a hazard evaluation, the user is required to contact the HMC-Hlth to find out if the material is hazardous before ordering it. If the material is hazardous, the user must get permission from his divisional representative to purchase it. The user is required to fill out Part 2 of a Hazardous Material Control Card (HMCC), describing the proposed use and location of the material and to return HMCC to the HMC-Hlth. This allows the Industrial Hygiene Department to evaluate the use of the materials and to take air samples as needed. Part 1 of the HMCC also contains computer printed information on the hazards.