Training

Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control
Hazard Communication/Right-to-Know
Generic Hazard Communication/Right-to-Know Training
Specific-Substance Hazard Communication/Right-to-Know Training
Hazardous Waste Management
Regulated Medical Waste Management
Universal Waste Management

Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control

All employees who have or are reasonably anticipated to have occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens (BBP) will receive training coordinated by the Environmental Health & Safety Office with assistance from the Unit Director, Manager, Supervisor or designee.

Employees will be informed of the epidemiology, symptoms, and transmission of bloodborne diseases. In addition, the training program will cover, at a minimum, the following elements:

• a copy and explanation of OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard
• epidemiology and  symptoms of bloodborne pathogens diseases
• modes of transmission
• the College's Exposure Control Plan and how to obtain a copy
• methods to recognize exposure tasks and other activities that may involve exposure to blood
• use and limitations of engineering controls, work practices, and PPE types, basis for selection, use, location, removal, handling, decontamination, and disposal of  PPE
• Hepatitis B vaccine safety, effectiveness, benefits, and method of administration
• emergency procedures for blood and other potentially infectious materials
• exposure incident procedures
• post-exposure evaluation and follow-up
• signs and labels

Wherever/whenever 'live' BBP training is unavailable or not feasible, employees may complete the training independently by viewing digital course content (PowerPoint or PDF), and taking and passing (80% or higher) the associated quiz. If you have any issue accessing the digital course content, or the quiz, please email Jeffrey Carter.

Hazard Communication/Right-to-Know

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) revised its Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) to align with the United Nations' Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS), requiring employees be trained by December 1, 2013. In addition, the Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200) requires employers to provide employees with information regarding the hazards and identities of the chemicals they could potentially be exposed to in the workplace. Similarly, New York State (NYS) Right-to-Know Law (12 NYCRR Part 820) guarantees employees in NYS access to information regarding hazardous and toxic substances. To comply with these different training requirements, Farmingdale State College (FSC) began by offering seven (7) training sessions throughout the Fall 2013 semester whereby almost 700 employees were trained (View a copy of the Fall 2013 training flyer that included the course schedule). Since then, all new hires are provided training as part of New Hire Orientation (NHO), or as otherwise scheduled.

The New York State's Governor's Office of Employee Relations (GOER) offers a training program for GHS implementation.  The GOER program does not provide complete Hazard Communication or Right-to-Know training, but focuses on the GHS labels and Safety Data Sheets only.

Employees who are unable to attend NHO or who otherwise have not received 'live' training, you can still fulfill your training obligation for at least one of the components, GHS, by viewing the short video [EXTERNAL] (<18 minutes) provided to us by the GOER. Once you've viewed the video, please sign the Training Attestation Form and forward to Jeff Carter, Environmental Health & Safety Officer (forwarding instructions on form). Because this is just one component of the training required by law, you may still need to receive Haz Com and Right-to-Know training; contact Jeff Carter, Environmental Health & Safety Officer, for assistance.

The handouts made available during the live sessions are included below:

• FSC Right to Know Poster - English | Spanish
• OSHA Job Safety & Health Poster
• NYSDOL RTK Poster
• OSHA Label Quickcard - English | Spanish
• OSHA SDS Quickcard - English | Spanish
• OSHA Pictogram Quickcard - English | Spanish
• Cleaning Chemicals - English | Spanish

Additionally, the OSHA website [EXTERNAL] is a good source of information.  On that page you can find fact sheets and training briefs.

Generic Hazard Communication/ Right-to-Know Training

Due to the varied nature of activities at the College, it is presumed that all employees could possibly use or be exposed to a chemical or product that meets the regulatory definition of “hazardous” and/or “toxic.” Therefore, generic training sessions addressing the federal OSHA Hazard Communication Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1200, and the NYS “Right to Know” laws, 12 NYCRR Part 820 and Article 28 of the NYS Labor Law, will be offered prior to or at the time of initial assignment as part of new hire orientation, and at least annually thereafter, to ensure that all new employees receive the generic training. Generic sessions will be conducted by the Environmental Health and Safety Officer.

Access a pdf version of the course.

Specific-Substance Hazard Communication/Right-to-Know Training

After the "Subpart Z" substances are identified for each employee as part of the College's chemical inventory program, then, in conjunction/collaboration with the department head or designee, the Environmental Health and Safety Officer will determine if the employee is routinely exposed to other toxic substances in the workplace. Since "toxic substances," as defined by NYS "Right to Know" laws include more substances than Subpart Z substances, Hazard Communication and “Right to Know” training will not be complete until employees have received additional information related to the toxic substances at their specific worksite.

The Office of Environmental Health and Safety will offer training on specific hazards/hazard classes throughout the course of each year. Please note though, it is incumbent upon each Department Chair, Supervisor or designee that every employee who is to work with or use a new chemical, chemical product or hazard class (i.e. flammable, corrosive, reactive, toxic, etc.) where there is a potential for routine exposure, and is one that they have not been trained on before, is trained prior to working with it; therefore, employee(s) can either wait to be trained by the EH&S Officer before working with a new hazardous chemical or hazard class where there is routine exposure, or, can be trained at the departmental level and attend a class offered by EH&S to supplement that training at a later date. Alternatively, employees can be asked to not work with such chemicals until they receive proper training by the EH&S Officer or designee when training is made available.

If a trainee is routinely exposed to a very large number of toxic substances so that training on each specific substance is highly impractical and would undercut the effectiveness of the training as a whole, then the toxic substances may be grouped for training purposes, provided the substances are sufficiently similar.

Hazardous Waste Management

Serious injury to human health and the environment can result from failing to properly manage hazardous waste on-site.  Penalties for non-compliance are now as high as $81,540 per day, per violation.  In addition, training is mandatory; the U.S. EPA and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) requires training for all small quantity generator (SQG) personnel involved in the safe storage and accumulation of hazardous waste.

This training program is designed to help meet the U.S. EPA's and NYSDEC's training mandates for small quantity generators (facilities that generate less than 1000 kg of hazardous waste in a given month).  

What is Hazardous Waste? Chemical waste is considered hazardous if it appears on one of the lists of hazardous wastes found in Federal (40 CFR Part 261 [EXTERNAL]) or State (6 NYCRR Part 371 [EXTERNAL]) regulations or exhibits one or more of the following hazardous characteristics:

• Ignitable - Liquids with a flash point below 140 degrees F; or non-liquids which cause fire, and burn vigorously and persistently
• Corrosive - Aqueous solutions with a pH less than or equal to 2 or greater than or equal to 12.5
• Reactive - Normally unstable and undergoes violent change without detonating; reacts violently with water; forms potentially explosive mixtures with water; produces toxic gases when mixed with water; capable of detonation or explosion
• Toxic – When subjected to a leaching procedure, this waste produces one or more of 39 constituents that pose an environmental hazard (Federal EPA Waste Codes D004-D043)

If you work with* hazardous chemical waste you are required to take this course.

* The term "to work with" or manage hazardous waste means you:

• decide if a material is a hazardous waste or not
• add hazardous waste into accumulation containers
• transport hazardous waste from the accumulation point (lab) to another location
• inspect hazardous waste storage areas
• respond to spills involving hazardous waste

Duration:1 Hour

Who Should Attend: Required prior to or at the time of initial assignment for all hazardous waste generators (i.e. if you generate hazardous chemical waste as a result of a process, such as a research experiment or classroom exercise). Required prior to or at the time of initial assignment for all Farmingdale State College employees who are responsible for the management, storage and/or disposal of hazardous chemical waste. Follow-up training is required anytime the hazardous waste generating process changes.

Access a pdf version of the course.

Regulated Medical Waste Management

Regulated Medical Waste (RMW) is material generated in research, production and testing of biologicals or health care such as:

• Infectious animal waste
• Human pathological waste
• Human blood and blood products
• Needles and syringes (sharps)
• Cultures and stocks (microbiological materials)
• Other biohazard waste

If you work with* regulated medical waste you are required to take this course.

* The term "to work with" or manage regulated medical waste means you:

• decide if a material is a regulated medical waste or not
• add regulated medical waste into accumulation containers
• transport regulated medical waste from the accumulation point (lab) to another location
• inspect regulated medical waste storage areas
• respond to spills involving regulated medical waste

Duration:1 Hour

Who Should Attend: Required prior to or at the time of initial assignment for all regulated medical waste generators (i.e. if you generate regulated medical waste as a result of a process, such as a research experiment or classroom exercise). Required prior to or at the time of initial assignment for all Farmingdale State College employees who are responsible for the management, storage and/or disposal of regulated medical waste. Follow-up training is required anytime the regulated medical waste generating process changes.

Download the Sharps and Regulated Medical Waste Segregation Guide.

Access a pdf version of the course.

Universal Waste Management

A small quantity handler of universal waste (a universal waste handler who does not accumulate 5,000 kilograms or more total of universal waste [batteries, pesticides, thermostats, or lamps calculated collectively] at any time) must inform all employees who handle or have responsibility for managing universal waste. The information must describe proper handling and emergency procedures appropriate to the type(s) of universal waste handled at the facility.

What is Universal Waste? Universal wastes include such items as hazardous batteries, hazardous mercury-containing thermostats, certain pesticides, and hazardous lamps. Many waste fluorescent lamps are hazardous due to their mercury content. Other examples of lamps that, when spent, are commonly classified as universal waste include: high-intensity discharge (HID), neon, mercury vapor, high pressure sodium, and metal halide lamps.

If you generate, package, prepare for shipment, manage collection and storage activities and/or transport universal waste, you are required to take this course.

Duration:1 Hour

Who Should Attend: Required one-time within 6 months of starting work with activities involving Universal Waste. Required for all Farmingdale State College employees who work with or manage the storage of universal waste.

Access a pdf version of the course.