SAFETY DATA SHEETS (SDS)

Under federal and state law, Safety Data Sheets must be made available for all chemicals used or stored at Augusta University. The Chemical Safety Office (CSO) maintains a hard copy file for all chemicals on campus. In conjunction with this, several web sites are available on the Safety Data Sheets (SDS) information and resources page. If you are unable to locate a particular SDS, contact the Chemical Safety Office at (706)-721-2663.

Federal, state, and local rules and regulations govern the manner in which hazardous chemicals may be disposed. For this reason, many chemicals cannot to be poured down the drain or thrown in the general trash. The CSO provides a service for collecting hazardous chemicals and disposing of them in accordance with regulatory requirements. Do not pour chemicals down the drain or throw them in the general trash without prior written approval from the CSO. For more information about disposal of hazardous chemicals go to Hazardous Waste Management on the CSO Home page.

Federal, state, and local rules and regulations require that we track chemicals from "Cradle to Grave". This means we must track chemicals from the time they arrive at Augusta University until they are disposed. The CSO provides the Environmental Health & Safety Assistant software for managing this operation. The software provides a database for capturing and maintaining chemical inventories for all laboratories and chemical storage facilities on campus, Chemical Fact Sheets for every item in the user's inventory, a system for requesting chemical waste pickup and producing hazardous waste container labels, and a system for exchanging chemicals between laboratories. More information about the EH&S Assistant software can be found under Chemical Inventory on the Chemical Safety Office Web page.

This is the process of inspecting Augusta University Laboratories. It covers a room-to-room inspection on chemical handling, storage, personal protection equipment and other chemical safety issues. Every laboratory is inspected annually. The inspection criteria can be found under Chemical & Lab Safety on the Chemical Safety Office Web page.

Instructions on how to respond to a hazardous chemical spill are provided in the Chemical Spills and Emergency Response Procedures and on the Emergency Procedures flip chart that should be posted in all laboratories. Emergency spill procedures are also provided in the Chemical Safety Guide for Laboratories.    For spills outside the ability of a laboratory to handle, 24-hour emergency response support is provided. To activate the Emergency Response Procedures, call Public Safety at ext. 721-2911.

Under the Georgia Department of Labor's Hazard Communication and Right-to-Know, rules and regulations, Augusta University is required to have a written Hazard Communication/Right to Know Program and an Institutional Right to Know Coordinator. The administrative policy and procedure supporting this program is Hazardous Chemical Protection and Right-To-Know Plan. The Institutional Right to Know Coordinator is Kenneth Erondu. Part of the Right-to-Know program includes training requirements. Links to training resources are provided on the Hazard Communication & Right to Know Program web page and the Board of Regents Training Resources web page.

Representation on the Institutional Chemical Safety Committee is provided by the Chemical Safety Officer.

This is an on-going process. Upon request, the Chemical Safety Office provides consultation on all areas related to chemical safety including:

  • Laboratory Hazard/Risk Assessments
  • Chemical Storage Procedures
  • Personal Protection Equipment (PPE)
  • Collection, Treatment, and/or Disposal of Hazardous Waste
  • Chemical Spill Supplies
  • Chemical Spill Cleanup Procedures

This is an on-going process.

  • We are represented on the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) for Augusta/Richmond County.
  • We coordinate with the Augusta/Richmond County Fire Department for Emergency Response Operations involving a chemical related fire, or chemical spills that would require Level A support.
  • We coordinate with the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD), and/or the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as they inspect the institution and laboratories for regulatory compliance.

We produce and provide all of the reports and documentation as required under EPD/EPA, the Georgia Department of Transportation (DOT) Hazardous Materials Division, and the Board of Regent's of the University System of Georgia's Environmental Health & Safety Office.



Contact Us

   Health Science Campus (CI-1001)
   1405 Goss Lane, Augusta, GA 30912-7520
   706-721-2663       706-721-9844
  EMERGENCY: 706-721-2911

Note: In the case of a serious injury or life threatening emergency, seek immediate medical attention.