Induction Seminar for New Laboratory Technicians

1
Induction Seminar for New Laboratory Technicians

• Mr W C HO
• 30/9/06

2
Risk Assessment

• An analysis of a practical activity to identify
  hazards and to take precautions to minimise the
  risk
• Procedures
• Identifying hazards (Materials / Procedures /
  Equipment)
• Assessing how likely the hazard will actually
  cause harm (risk)
• Deciding what control measures to reduce risk to
  acceptable level
• Finding how to dispose of hazardous residues
• Review

3
Procurement and Management of Laboratory
Equipment/Chemicals
Acquisition
Record Keeping
Write-off / Disposal
Storing / Organising
4
Composite Furniture Equipment Grant

• Replace recurrent and non-recurrent FE grants
  for aided schools
• Greater flexibility in the use of resources
• Expenditure incurred should be reasonable and
  necessary for educational purposes
• Cover the costs and maintenance/repair fees for
  F/E items, insurance premium for non-standard FE
  items
• 13,690 per class for 2006/07
• EMBCM150/2006 EMB Circular 2/2001A
• http//www.emb.gov.hk/oebg-e

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Science Subject Grants
http//www.emb.gov.hk

• For purchase of consumables
• EMBCM150/2006
• Aided Schools
• Operating Expenses Block Grant(????????????)
• Adm. Cir. 27/2000
• S1-3 Science, AL Biology and ASL/AL Chemistry
• Govt. Schools
• Subject Curriculum Block Grant(?????????????)
• Finance Cir. 2/2000

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Reference Lists of F/E

• Consider whether item is safe before purchase
  (e.g. chemicals, electrical equipment, plants
  animals)
• Specifications of the EMB Reference List of FE
• http//www.emb.gov.hk

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Thermometer

• Digital thermometer
• No-roll thermometer sleeve
• Break-safe thermometer (encased in a PVC coating,
  10-100oC)
• Low toxicity non-mercury filled thermometer, max
  110 / 330oC

8
Thermometer Holder

• clips onto the rim of a beaker or other vessel to
  hold a thermometer vertically near the side of
  the container

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Hand Protector ?????
10
Heating Device

• Alternative to Bunsen burner or heating mantle
• Aluminium heating block (100)
• Commercial heating device

11
Plasticware

• Reduce breakage of glassware
• Plasticware (e.g. dropper, beaker, funnel,
  measuring cylinder)
• Polypropylene, polymethylpentene (TPX))

12
Microscale Chemistry Equipment
Pipette????
Well-plate????
Microspatular
Glass Combustion tube
Universal Indicator Chart
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Microscale Version
Pins
Shampoo Solution
0.4 M NaOH
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Reduction of CuO
Microburner
5M HCl
Galvanizediron coil
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Reactions of Chlorine
NaCl
Bleach HCl
KBr
KI
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Microscale Chemistry Equipment
Distillation cap
Set up for distillation
Set up for reflux
http//www.mcl.hk
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Asbestos

• Naturally occurring fibrous silicate minerals
• May cause lung cancer, mesothelioma (???)
  abestosis (?????)
• Asbestos-containing products should not be used
  in schools
• Beware of equipment with heat insulating
  materials e.g. wire gauzes, bench mats, ovens
• Bench mats should be made of glass reinforced
  cement. Wire gauzes should be with ceramic
  centres.
• Add Asbestos free requirement when purchasing
• Do not dispose of asbestos-containing products as
  common garbage

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Procurement of Chemicals

• Before purchase, assess the hazardous nature of
  chemicals, check your inventory, whether it will
  be used in experiments in the near future
• Acquire safer alternatives e.g. Volasil 244
  instead of CCl4
• Avoid over-stocking of chemicals
• Keep quantities to a minimal especially for
  water-reactive chemicals e.g. Na, K, Ca2C, SiCl4,
  hazardous chemicals e.g. Br2 (ampoule package),
  conc. acids and alkalis and flammable chemicals
  e.g. P, ether, ethanol, etc
• Clearly labelled and date-stamped the date of
  arrival
• Keep a clear and updated record of chemical
  stocks (locations)

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Safer Alternatives to chlorinated hydrocarbons

• Displacement reactions of halogens
• Cyclohexane or Volasil 244 (octamethylcyclotetrasi
  loxane, (CH3)8Si4O4)
• Less dense than water, they form an upper layer
• Cyclohexane is much less expensive than Volasil
  244. The collected waste can be treated with 1 M
  sodium carbonate solution before recycling or
  disposal.

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Safety Information of Chemicals
International Chemical Safety Cards
http//www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/safew
ork/cis/products/icsc/
Scottish Schools Equipment Research
Centrehttp//www.sserc.org.uk
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CLEAPSShttp//www.cleapss.org.uk
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ChemLabels CD-ROM

• http//www.merck.de/english/services/chemdat/engli
  sh/index.htm
• http//www.sigmaaldrich.com

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Controlled Chemicals

• Prevent diversion of chemicals to illicit (??)
  manufacture of narcotic drugs or psychotropic
  substances e.g. heroin (???)
• Control of Chemicals Ordinance (Cap. 145)
• Acetylating Substances
• Ethanoyl chloride (???), ethanoic anhydride (???)
• Licence
• Potassium Permanganate (????)
• Storage approval
• List of Controlled Chemicals (Customs Excise
  Dept, Tel. [phone])

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Chemical Weapon Precursors

• List of chemical weapon precursors controlled
  under the Import and Export Ordinance (Annex A of
  STCC No.16/04)
• http//www.stc.tid.gov.hk/english/circular_pub/stc
  16_04.html
• Items under the control lists of two
  international control regimes - the Australia
  Group which aims to minimize the risk of chemical
  and biological weapons proliferation and the
  Chemical Weapons Convention which aims to
  prohibit the development, production, stockpiling
  and use of chemical weapons and on their
  destruction.
• Schools wishing to purchase chemicals e.g. NaF,
  KF flouride, PCl3 or PCl5 for expts should first
  sign an undertaking. By doing so, TID can trace
  the location of the chemicals and how they are
  used. No fee would be required.
• Trade and Industry Department ? ? ? ? ? Enquiry
  tel. [phone]

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Other Issues

• Obtain animals e.g. healthy rats for dissection
  from licensed animal traders (registered with
  AFCD, Tel. [phone]) or the University Animal
  Units
• Plant materials may contain irritants
• 3-pin adaptors and extension units comply with
  safety standard (BS546 or BS 1363)
• Class II laser (lt 1 mW)
• 2,4,6-Trinitrophenol (Picric Acid ???)

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Flammable Liquid Cabinets

• constructed from 20 swg zinc coated steel with
  welded seams
• door front built with an integral lip to assist
  in providing a vapour seal with the doors
• doors have reinforced vertical panels and
  continuous hinge to prevent distortion due to
  heat under fire condition
• all internal and external metal surfaces finished
  in textured high quality stove enamel which will
  not emit toxic fume during fire conditions
• label DANGER flammable materials and symbol

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Acid Storage Cabinet

• Constructed from 20 swg zinc coated steel with
  welded seams
• Door fronts with dia. 30 mm plastic ventilation
  cap
• doors have reinforced vertical panels and
  continuous hinge to prevent distortion due to
  heat under fire condition
• Finished in white polyester powder coating giving
  a surface which is resistant to most acids and
  alkalis

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Organising and Storing
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Semi-open Storage/retrieval System

• Not uncommon for teacher go in and out of prep.
  room to fetch things that s/he wants for further
  experiment, or to replace an item
• Allows self-service by teachers
• Cupboards with glass doors
• General items
• Plastic trays as standard containers
• Transparent plastic boxes
• Automatic self-checking system facilitates
  checking and counting of items returned by
  students
• A system of locating equipment location code
  and a plan

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General Storage Cupboards

• Glass-fronted cupboards
• Advantages
• Ease of seeing what is stored
• Ease of locating missing bottles
• Visibility of deteriorating stock
• Disadvantages
• Need for frequent cleaning of glass
• Effect of sunlight on the chemicals
• UV causing embrittlement of the plastic used for
  many chemical bottles

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Labelling

• Using card case for labelling storage cabinets
  easy update

32
Storage cabinet

• Facilitate self-service by teachers and students

Safety Spectacles
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Transparent plastic boxes

• boxes of different sizes are available
  inexpensively

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General Items

• A neat and convenient way of keeping connecting
  leads

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Plastic trays as standard containers

• Trolley with trays

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Record Keeping

• MS Excel
• Inventory program available at http//hklta.org.hk
  /

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Using MS Access for Inventory

• Database, table, query, form, report

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Commercial Inventory Program

• Master program (3000)
• Optional items
• User program (2000 per user) access to master
  database through LAN
• Bar code scanner
• Label printer
• Data collector for stock taking

39
Writing Off Equipment (1)

• To free up storage space
• For aided schools
• prepare a destruction certificate
• endorse by the school head under witness by a
  senior teacher
• certificate should be kept in school for record
  purpose

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Writing Off Equipment (2)

• For government schools
• Departmental Controlled Stores
• list of Unserviceable DCS for Disposal (G.F.277)
• approve by school head and retained for future
  audit inspection
• Inventory Stores
• list of Materials for Condemnation as
  Unserviceable (G.F.233)
• certify by relevant panel teacher(s) as the
  Member of Board of Condemnation
• submit to Senior Supplies Officer (EMB)

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Fixtures
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Major Repair Estimates

• For aided schools
• Non-recurrent
• For repair work of laboratory fixture costing
  8,000 or more
• Approval depends on recommendations by ASD /
  Housing Dept / EMB the availability of fund
• EMBCM091/2006 (around May each year)

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Major Repair
Dilution Tank
Catchpot Recovery Trap
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Major Repair
45
Island Bench

• Leg room

46
Fume Cupboard
Drip Cup
Remote Control
Wired or Tempered Glass
Air Foil
Proprietary type (UK Building Bulletin 88)
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Exhaust ducts
Weather Cap
Outlet of Exhaust duct
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Measuring Face Velocity
Anemometer
Regular checking, Test Report
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Emergency Repair of Lab Fixtures

• For emergency situations (eg breakdown of fume
  cupboard fan) costing 8,000 - 200,000
• Standard Request Form to ASD or Housing Dept with
  a copy to REO
• Adm. Cir. 57/1999

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Fume Cupboard
Pulley counterweight system of the sash door
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Safety and Laboratory Facilities

• Building Bulletin 80 Science Accommodation in
  Secondary Schools A Design Guide.
  http//eric.ed.gov
• L14 Designing and Planning Laboratories, CLEAPSS
• Science Facilities Standards (Texas)
  http//www.utdanacenter.org/sciencetoolkit/safety/

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Almost there!
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Managing for Safety

• Regulations policies http//www.justice.gov.hk
• Promote awareness on laboratory safety
• Safety precautions to minimise laboratory
  accidents
• Adopt safer alternatives
• Regular safety inspections
• Emergency plans drills
• Records filing
• Effective Communication
• Experience sharing training
• Review / Evaluation

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Iron/sulphur Reaction
Safer Chemicals Safer Reactions, L195, Sept
2003, CLEAPSS

• Form toxic sulphur dioxide
• Exothermic reaction, carried out in borosilicate
  test tubes as demonstration or in smaller
  ignition tubes by students
• Mineral fibre plug to stop sulphur vapour leaving
  the test tube and possibly catching fire

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Immediate Remedial Measures

• What should you do while waiting for first aider
  in the following accidents?
• Chemical splashes in the eye/on skin/in mouth,
  perhaps swallowed
• Burns
• Toxic gas
• Hair on fire
• Clothing on fire
• Electric shock
• Serve cuts
• Asthma attack

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First Aid Training

• First Aid Certificate Course ?????? (30 hours)
• Hong Kong St. John Ambulance?????????http//www.
  stjohn.org.hk
• Hong Kong Red Cross ?????? http//www.redcross.org
  .hk

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Professional Development

• Certificate for Laboratory Technicians
• Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education
  (Shatin)
• part-time day release (2-yr course)
  http//www.vtc.edu.hk/vtchome/main.jsp
• Training Courses organised by the Occupational
  Safety and Health Council
• Professional knowledge experience
• ?????????? http//hklta.org.hk
• ?????????????http//alated.uhome.net

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Open Source Content Management System

• XOOPS (http//www.xoops.org)
• Gallery 2a popular open source web-based photo
  album that allows a user to easily create and
  maintain albums of photos via an intuitive
  interfacehttp//www.xoopsgallery.org/
• http//www.echemhk.org/webUsername
  peterPassword qwerty

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Laboratory Technicians

• Contribute in departmental meetings
• Display signs alerting students to take proper
  safety precautions
• Familarise with the curriculum content to
  facilitate the preparation of materials for
  practical lessons
• Familarise with new trends of curriculum
  development purchase necessary equipment
• Maximise the use of resources and minimise
  wastage of materials by recycling and reuse
• Label drawers and cabinets to facilitate easy
  access
• Update professional knowledge
• Remember Safety is everyones responsibility

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Thank you !

• cdosc21_at_emb.gov.hk
• Tel. [phone]
• Fax [phone]