Chemical Safety and Hazardous Waste
The chemical safety and hazardous waste program partners with researchers to ensure that chemicals are used and disposed of in ways that that reduce risk and exposure as well as in compliance with the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA/TOSHA), the Department of Transportation (DOT/TDOT), the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) and the Environmental Protection Agency.
The chemical safety and hazardous waste team:
- Assists with initial laboratory design, set-ups, moves and closings
- Assists with chemical inventory management
- Provides chemical and physical lab safety and hazardous waste training online and in-person
- Provides safety guidance or policies such as the Chemical Hygiene Plan
- Assists with development of lab standard operating procedures
- Conducts safety and compliance inspections/audits
- Conducts injury, exposure, industrial hygiene, and indoor air quality evaluations in research areas
- Collects and disposes of chemical and pharmaceutical waste from research areas
- Responds to emergencies or spills involving chemicals in research areas
- Coordinates and supports the activities of the Chemical Safety Committee (CSC)
Dichloromethane (DCM)/Methylene Chloride (MC) Use in VU Labs
Please visit the following page for information on the Environmental Protection Agency’s new rule regulating the use of dichloromethane/methylene chloride (DCM/MC).
Trichloroethylene (TCE) and Perchloroethylene/Tetrachloroethylene (PCE) Use in VU Labs
On 12/9/24, EPA released new rules on the use of trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PCE). Implementation of the TCE rule was delayed to March 21, 2025. EPA posted a further delay for the implementation of the rule to June 20, 2025, pending judicial review. The chemical safety team will work directly with small number of VU researchers who have TCE or PCE in their inventories or waste disposal records to meet the compliance requirements of both new rules.