Laboratory Safety

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital is responsible for mitigating health hazards posed by physical and chemical agents found within laboratories and clinics of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. To protect patients, visitors and staff from these hazards, we have established programs designed to implement policies and procedures, as well as meet regulatory requirement established by OSHA, EPA, State and Local authorities. The programs include the following:

Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP). The plan describes how to maintain an accurate chemical inventory and how to properly store chemicals in accordance with Federal, State and Local regulations; how to protect patients, visitors and staff from chemical hazards by understanding the location and contents of a chemical Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS); and how to respond to and contain spilled chemical materials.

Chemical Spill Response. The cleanup of a chemical spill should be conducted by knowledgeable and experienced personnel. Spill kits, absorbents, reactants and protective equipment should be available to clean up minor spills.

Hazardous Waste Training and Disposal. The purpose of training is to ensure that employees understand how to properly handle and dispose of clinical waste.

Personal Protective Equipment. The Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Program is in place for the protection of NYP employees from exposure to health and physical hazards.

Industrial Hygiene Program. The purpose of this program is to recognize, evaluate, and control environmental & occupational health hazards. The evaluation of those recognized hazards are conducted through job hazard assessments and exposure monitoring.