Because of a lapse in government funding, the information on this website may not be up to date, transactions submitted via the website may not be processed, and the agency may not be able to respond to inquiries until appropriations are enacted. The NIH Clinical Center (the research hospital of NIH) is open. For more details about its operating status, please visit cc.nih.gov. Updates regarding government operating status and resumption of normal operations can be found at opm.gov.

Division Title
Safety

Chemical Safety

About Chemical Safety

As an NIH employee, you should be familiar with thepdf documentNIH Chemical Safety Guide and thepdf documentNIH Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP). The CHP provides basic information regarding how employees must work with, store, and dispose of chemicals at the NIH. You should also be able to read Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and have access to the SDS for any chemical that you work with. OSHA also provides guidance on many chemicals at the following website:external linkOSHA Occupational Chemical Database


​Select one of the links below for more information:

Chemical Hygiene Plan (Full Document)

What's New - Chemical Hygiene Plan

Chemical Safety Guide 

NIH Hazard Communication Plan

Safety Data Sheets

Safety Tips for Avoiding Chemical Related Incidents in the Laboratories

Spill in Laboratory

 

The following list are general classes of chemicals and some helpful information: 


Chemical Fume Hood

Chemical Inventory

Chemical Storage 

Cryogenics

Compressed Gases​

Flammables

OSHA Guide on Flammable Liquids

OSHA Guide to Storing Flammable and Combustible Liquids

Particularly Hazardous Substances (PHS)

Peroxide Forming Compounds

Pyrophorics

back to the top

Chemical Monitoring

  • Specific chemicals have monitoring programs for their use at NIH. These include Dichloromethane/methylene chloride, Formaldehyde, Nitric Oxide, Xylene, Ethylene Oxide, and Waste Anesthetic Gas. For information on these chemicals and the monitoring available please visit NIH Chemical Monitoring

back to the top