SciTech SAFETY INDUCTION

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SciTech SAFETY INDUCTION

• Malcolm Strong

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Health Safety at Work Act

• This act of parliament makes it a criminal
  offence not to comply with the duties it imposes.
  
• Failure to comply could lead to prosecution in
  the courts with heavy fines and/or imprisonment.
• Ignorance is no excuse.

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Health Safety at Work Act

• Duties of Employees (Staff and Students).
• To take reasonable care of the Health Safety of
  themselves others affected by their acts or
  omissions.

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Health Safety at Work Act

• To take reasonable care of the Health Safety of
  themselves others affected by their acts or
  omissions.
• To co-operate with the requirements and duties
  imposed on the employer to enable those
  requirements and duties to be complied with.

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Health Safety at Work Act

• To take reasonable care of the Health Safety of
  themselves others affected by their acts or
  omissions.
• To co-operate with the requirements and duties
  imposed on the employer to enable those
  requirements and duties to be complied with.
• Duty not to interfere with or misuse.

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School Safety Handbook

• Contains
• General procedures for
• Emergencies, First aid
• Fire.
• Information on particular
• hazards that have been
• identified in the school.

• UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX
• School of Science and Technology
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• SciTech
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• SAFETY HANDBOOK
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Safety Signs

• Blue signs are compulsory.
• Failure to comply not only puts you at risk,
• but means you have broken the law.

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Safety Signs

• Yellow signs are warnings.
• Failure to take notice not only puts you at
• risk, but means you could be breaking the
• law if you fail to take precautions.

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Safety Signs

• Green signs are safety guidance.
• First aid , emergency exits

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Safety Signs

• Red signs are prohibitive and Fire.
• NO
• and Fire call points, etc.

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Fire

• If you discover a fire.
• In all cases, set off the fire alarms via break
  glass panel.
• This will summon the rescue team and the fire
  service, and alert others to evacuate the
  building.
• Go to the control point and inform them where the
  fire is. Or, if you think it is safe to tackle
  the fire, at no personal risk, inform someone
  you intend to do so and send someone to the
  control point.
• Test the fire extinguisher at a safe distance and
  approach the fire aiming at the base of the fire.
• Use one extinguisher and leave.

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Fire Extinguisher Types
13
Protective Clothing

• Safety Glasses.

• Must be worn in all chemistry laboratories.

Must be worn in mechanical workshops
Must be worn when transferring cryogenic liquids.
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Protective Clothing

• Lab coats.
• Cotton laboratory coats must be worn when
• doing chemical work.
• If you spill or splash corrosive chemicals on
• Yourself, it is easier to take off a lab coat
  than
• taking off your clothes.
• (And are cheaper to replace.)
• Also protects you from flash burns.
• It is also recommended in Mechanical
• workshops to protect your clothes and
• you from oil.

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Protective Clothing

• Shoes.
• Sandals and open shoes are not allowed in
  chemical laboratories, Mechanical workshops or
  when transferring cryogenic liquids.
• If you spill corrosive chemicals they are most
  likely to get on your feet.
• Nylon socks make an awful mess with acids.
• Metal swarf can be very sharp.
• Frost bitten toes are hard to fix.

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Protective Clothing

• Gloves.
• When handling hazardous chemicals wear rubber
  disposable gloves. Remove and dispose of them
  before you leave the lab or answer the telephone.
• When handling cryogenic liquids wear loose
  fitting insulating gloves.
• When handling sharps wear appropriate gloves.

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Risk Assessments

• Risk assessments are the most important and
  effective recent safety legislation.
• Before undertaking any task, always identify the
  hazards and assess the risks. Then implement the
  measures required to remove or minimise the risk
  before starting work.
• All practical work must have a risk assessment,
  check your lab safety folder and ask your
  supervisor.

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Lasers

• Lasers in teaching laboratories are safe low
  power, but the research labs have high powered
  lasers.
• These labs are restricted areas for access by
  authorised persons only.
• Staff and students in these areas must see the
  laser Safety Video before commencing work.
• Research lasers are not always in the visible
  wavelengths so the beam is not obvious.

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Fume Cupboards

• Always fully close the sash when access is not
  required.
• Always keep the sash to the lowest height needed
  to work.
• Not all fume cupboards are in operation 24hours,
  check before leaving reactions overnight.
• When contractors are working on the roof, by the
  stacks, the cupboards are locked closed, do not
  tamper with the locks.

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Chemicals

• Keep quantities you are working with to the
  minimum required.
• Transport with care, in proper containers.
• Always label containers
• Always wash your hands after handling chemicals.
  Do not eat, drink or smoke in the labs.
• Always dispose waste of correctly.

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Cryogenic Liquids

• Cryogenic liquids are used in Chemistry and
  Physics, teaching and research laboratories.
• Liquid Nitrogen is very cold, 196o C.
• Liquid Helium is even colder 268o C.
• If you touch any un-insulated container you will
  stick to it. Always wear loose fitting insulated
  gloves.
• Never travel in a lift with dewars of any
  cryogenic liquid. If it spills or the lift gets
  stuck it will boil off and suffocate you.
• Never wear sandals or open shoes when handling
  cryogenic liquid, if you spill it on your socks
  it will give you deep frost bite.

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Electrical Safety

• There is always a risk when working with
  electricity, particularly supplies over 120volts.
• Before using any electrical apparatus check that
  has been tested for safety.
• Special care should be taken when using portable
  tools, inspect the cables and plugs before use.
• When working on live circuits or equipment where
  authorised to do so, use supplies that are
  protected by RCCBs.

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Radiation

• Some labs have radioactive materials or
  radiation generating equipment.
• Before you work in these areas you must obtain a
  University licence before you start work. Contact
  the Safety office to attend the course.

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Manual Handling

• Most accidents on campus are caused by manual
  handling incidents.
• Assess the weight before you move anything.
• Break it into smaller loads if possible.
• Get help if needed.
• Use lifting equipment provided.

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Gas cylinders

• Always use the correct, three wheeled trolleys,
  for transporting cylinders and never move a
  cylinder with the regulator fitted.
• Never use PTFE tape, grease or oil when fitting
  regulators. Any oil based product in an oxygen
  regulator can cause an explosion.
• Always use the correct gas regulator on the
  cylinder. Never mix gas types the regulators are
  designed to work with the gas they are made for.
• Always support the cylinder with chains or
  clamps, never leave it free standing.

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Keep areas tidy.

• Many accidents are caused by untidy labs and
  offices.
• Trailing leads, spills not cleaned up, cluttered
  benches.
• Always keep your work area tidy.

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Hours of work.

• Because the rescue team and first aiders are
  volunteers from members of staff, they are not on
  campus out of normal working hours.
• No hazardous work should be undertaken outside
  of building opening hours.
• If you need to run equipment or experiments
  overnight you must have a permit to do so.
• If you need to run a chemical reaction overnight
  there is a special room for this ask your
  supervisor.

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Emergency number. 3333

• For any Emergency call 3333 on any internal or
  emergency telephone.
• This number is staffed 24hours a day.
• Tell them which building, which room, your name
  and what kind of emergency, (e.g. fire, first aid
  or chemical spill).
• They will call for the required service you need
  via radio.
• Stay in the area until help arrives.

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Incident and accident reporting

• Report all accidents and incidents to the School
  Safety Advisor even if no injury was caused.
• They will make inquiries and take action to
  prevent it happening to someone else.

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Where to Get More Information

• The University web site gives access to copies
  of
• Safety Policy documents.
• Local Rules.
• Safety Guidance Notes.
• Before you do any work check these for relevant
  rules and policies, ignorance is no excuse
• Lab scripts and lab safety folders contain
  information for the area of activity.