Hazardous Drugs
Potentially harmful exposure can occur when you handle or work around hazardous drugs. These drugs include antineoplastic cytotoxic medications, anesthetics, anti-viral drugs, hormones, and others.
Hazardous drugs can cause serious acute and chronic health effects such as skin rashes, fertility problems, genetic damage, birth defects, organ toxicity, and possibly leukemia and other cancers.
Exposure occurs during manufacturing and packaging, receiving, preparation and administration, and cleaning and disposal activities.
Clinical and non-clinical workers with potential exposure include:
- Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.
- Nurses.
- Physician assistants.
- Physicians.
- Nursing home, home health care, and assistive care staff.
- Housekeeping and environmental services staff (custodial, laundry, and waste handling workers).
- Shipping and receiving personnel.
- Veterinarians and veterinary technicians and assistants.
Draft Model Program Templates
L&I has been working on three draft model program templates – one for small veterinary clinics, one for small pharmacies and one for small health care clinics – that are designed to help employers create the hazardous drug control plan that is required by the Hazardous Drug rule, WAC 296-62-500 (leg.wa.gov).
L&I is asking for comments on these drafts in an effort to make them easy to understand and use. Any and all comments are welcome from all interested stakeholders. At the June 12th Hazardous Drug Advisory Committee meeting, committee members requested that the department give stakeholders additional time to review these three draft templates and provide comments. After considering their comments the department has decided to extend the deadline for comments until 5:00 PM on Wednesday, July 10th, 2013.
A meeting is scheduled from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM on July 10th at the L&I headquarters building in Tumwater to discuss the drafts and comments that have been received. We will send out additional information in advance of that meeting to the Hazardous Drugs Listserv.
Comments can be directed to:
Veda McCall
Department of Labor and Industries
360-902-5436
Veda.mccall@lni.wa.gov
Pam Edwards
Department of Labor and Industries
360-902-6457
Edwp235@lni.wa.gov
Department of Labor and Industries
DOSH Technical Services
Veda McCall
PO Box 44610
Olympia, WA 98504-4610
Important Dates
L&I's hazardous drugs rule was adopted on January 3, 2012. The rule will be implemented in 3 stages beginning January 1, 2015. L&I has issued a directive to agency enforcement staff that delays all enforcement dates by one year (366 KB PDF). During the delay in enforcement, L&I will continue to cite hazards identified during compliance inspections or consultation visits under existing safety and health rules, such as Hazard Communication, Accident Prevention Program or PPE:
By: |
Employers must have: |
January 1, 2015 |
Stage 1: Developed and implemented a written hazardous drugs control program. |
July 1, 2015 |
Stage 2: Provided employee training. |
January 1, 2016 |
Stage 3: Installed appropriate ventilated cabinets. |
Hazardous Drugs Advisory Committee
The Hazardous Drugs Advisory Committee is working to create sample programs, training materials, and other resources to help employers comply with rule requirements. See details about what this group is doing and when it meets.
Related topics:
- Accident Prevention Program (APP)
- Bloodborne Pathogens
- Emergency Washing
- Chemical Hazard Communication and the Globally Harmonized System (GHS)
- Hazardous Drugs Advisory Committee
- Latex Allergies
- Nursing and Residential Care Facilities
- Personal Protective Equipment
- Respiratory Protection
- Veterinary Services, Hazards in
How can I get help from L&I?
- To request a confidential workplace safety or health consultation, call or visit http://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/Basics/Assistance/Consultation/about.asp for no charge technical assistance.
- For help with controlling your claims costs, call or visit http://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/Basics/Assistance/Consultation/riskmanagement.asp for a no charge risk management consultation.
- Find information about filing a workplace safety & health complaint you may call or visit a local L&I office to file a complaint.
- Follow guidance in Steps To a Safe Workplace to create your safety program from scratch.
- For general information, call 1-800-423-7233.
