DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
3RD YEAR INFORMATION
OCTOBER 2015
CONTENTS
3.
3RD YEAR INFORMATION
rd
Overview of the 3 Year Course
First Week’s Events - Start of session arrangements
List of Personal Tutors and Offices
rd
3 Year Timetable / class list / coursework groups / tutor groups
Industrial Internships
rd
3 Year Examinations
Assessment Procedures
Transferable Skills
Selection of 4th Year Electives
3rd Year Course Descriptions
Information for students with disabilities, specific learning difficulties
or long-term health issues
Safety Reminders
Staying Healthy with Your Computer - Avoiding CTD
Safe Lifting
3
OVERVIEW OF THE 3RD YEAR COURSE
Based on the fundamental chemical engineering science covered in the first two years, the
3rd Year course is concerned with various aspects of process design and operation that lie
right at the heart of chemical engineering. These include the synthesis, design and analysis
of processes operating under steady-state conditions, the important considerations of
transport processes in heterogeneous systems that lie behind reactor design and the
mechanical properties of materials used in process equipment so that the design may be
successfully realised. The important areas of safety, reliability and environmental issues are
also treated in a systematic and detailed manner.
The course also considers some advanced topics in fluid and particle mechanics and
separation processes, continuing on from the treatment of these subjects in previous years.
Particular emphasis is placed on the behaviour of solid particles and liquid drops in flowing
systems, and the separation of multi-component mixtures.
In addition to the lectures and tutorials, the 3rd year course involves some challenging
course work projects designed to complement the various lecture courses. These projects,
which include flowsheeting, mechanical design, environmental engineering, and a new suite
of experimental projects, will provide you with an excellent opportunity to practice and
improve your presentation skills and your time management abilities in the face of
competing demands.
If you have any queries about the 3rd year course, please feel free to contact the 3rd Year
Chairman Prof. Omar Matar.
4
START OF SESSION ARRANGEMENTS
5
6
PERSONAL TUTORS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM
Personal Tutors
Initials
Telephone
No.
Prof. Claire S. Adjiman
Dr. Clemens Brechtelsbauer
Dr. João P.B.T. Cabral
Dr. Benoit Chachuat
Dr. Ronjun Chen
Dr. Peter A. DiMaggio
Dr. Paul S. Fennell
Prof. Amparo Galindo
Dr. Valeria Garbin
Dr. Jason Hallett
Dr. Adam Hawkes
Prof. Klaus Hellgardt
Dr. Jerry Y.Y. Heng
Prof. George Jackson
Prof. Serafim Kalliadasis
Prof. Sergei G. Kazarian
Dr. Andreas Kogelbauer
Dr. Cleo Kontoravdi
Dr. J. Krishnan
Dr. Bradley Ladewig
Prof. Kang Li
Prof. Andrew G. Livingston
Prof. Paul Luckham
Prof. Sandro Macchietto
Prof. Sakis Mantalaris
Dr. Christos Markides
Prof. Omar K. Matar
Dr. Marcos Millan-Agorio
Prof. Erich A. Müller
Dr. Camille Petit
Dr. Ronny Pini
Dr. Roberto Rinaldi Sobrinho
Prof. Nilay Shah
Dr. Umang Shah
Prof. David C. Stuckey
Prof. Nina F. Thornhill
Dr. Chris Tighe
Prof. J.P. Martin Trusler
Dr. Daryl R. Williams
Prof. X. Yun Xu
CSA
CMB
JTC
BC
RC
PDM
PSF
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JPH
AH
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BL
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PFL
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AM
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OKM
MMA
EAM
CP
RP
RRS
NS
US
DCS
NFT
CT
JPMT
DRW
XYX
46638
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e-mail
address
@imperial.ac.uk
c.adjiman
c.brechtelsbauer
j.cabral
b.chachuat
rongjun.chen
p.dimaggio
p.fennell
a.galindo
v.garbin
j.hallett
a.hawkes
k.hellgardt
jerry.heng
g.jackson
s.kalliadasis
s.kazarian
a.kogelbauer
cleo.kontoravdi98
j.krishnan
b.ladewig
kang.li
a.livingston
p.luckham01
s.macchietto
a.mantalaris
c.markides
o.matar
marcos.millan
e.muller
camille.petit
r.pini
r.rinaldi-sobrinho
n.shah
u.
d.stuckey
n.thornhill
c.tighe
m.trusler
d.r.williams
yun.xu
Room
No.
RODH C609*
ACEX 205
ACEX 507
RODH C501
ACEX 408
ACEX 218
BONE 228A
ACEX 311
ACEX 415
BONE 228b
RODH C502
RODH 234
ACE 417A
RDHL 601a
ACEX 411
ACEX 516
ACEX 206
ACEX 516
RODH C503
ACEX 412
ACEX 419
ACEX 305
RODH 148
RODH 406
ACEX 515
ACEX 404
ACEX 517
RODH 236
ACEX 409
ACEX 522
ACEX 526
ACEX 523
RODH C502
ACEX 204
ACEX 516
ACEX 210
ACEX 417
ACEX 413
BONE 439
ACEX 407
* These rooms are in the Centre for Process Systems Engineering, access to which is by
swipe card only. See the section on ‘How to find your way around the Department’ in the UG
Handbook for an explanation of the various buildings.
IF YOUR TUTOR IS ABSENT FOR ANY OF THE SCHEDULED PERSONAL TUTORIALS
DURING THE YEAR GO TO ROOM ACEX 252 WHERE DR. KOGELBAUER WILL BE
AVAILABLE TO TALK TO YOU.
7
3RD YEAR TIMETABLE, CLASS LIST, COURSEWORK AND TUTOR GROUPS
The third year timetable can be found on Blackboard Learn in the General Student
Resources section.
Class lists, coursework and tutor groups will be available by beginning of term on
Blackboard Learn in the General Student Resources section
INDUSTRIAL INTERNSHIP PROJECTS
The industrial internship project scheme represents a fusion of a summer internship with an
autumn term research/design project. Projects are chosen to provide exposure to real
industrial problems, to have an adequate practical and academic content, and to be of
genuine benefit to the participating company.
Industrial internship projects are perceived by both the department and the students as
being a very important part of the undergraduate course and, as such, contribute 5.5% of
the final degree mark. The only other part of the coursework, i.e. design projects, laboratory
th
themes, pilot plant projects, etc. which has a higher contribution is the 4 year design
project at approximately 10%. These projects also allow both the industrial partners and the
students the opportunity to assess each other with a view to employment in the future.
During the autumn and spring terms details of available projects will be put on your year
board. If you are interested in any of the projects contact Dr Clemens Brechtelsbauer
(c.brechtelsbauer@imperial.ac.uk), the industrial internship project co-ordinator. The
department is hoping to provide projects for all those students that show an interest in
wanting to do one. If you do not chose to do an industrial internship project or are
unavailable during the summer vacation then you will be assigned a research project to
carry out in the autumn term.
Most of the major companies run industrial internships for penultimate year students during
their final summer vacation. These are an ideal opportunity for you to see what the
companies are like and for the company to see whether you would make a suitable
employee after you graduate. The internships tend to last for about 8 weeks but this can
vary, and you will be paid. The competition is fairly stiff but getting on one of these courses
usually will give you an advantage when it comes to applying for a job with that particular
company.
The deadlines for industrial internship applications are often soon after you have started
your 3rd year, typically the end of October or November. If you are interested you need to
watch out for the companies’ adverts on the notice board as soon as you start back in
College.
8
3RD YEAR EXAMINATIONS
Business/management courses are examined either at the beginning of the spring term or
the summer term (see below).Technological electives are examined in the first three weeks
of the summer term. All Humanities courses are examined towards the end of the spring
term. The Chemical Engineering III (Mastery) paper is taken in the first week of the summer
term with the re-sit in the penultimate week of the summer term for those students that fail
to achieve the pass mark. All other core courses are examined in June.
Subject
Length of Paper
Core Courses
Environmental Engineering
Reaction Engineering II
Safety and Loss Prevention
Strategy of Process Design
Numerical Methods
Transfer Processes III (Fluid Mechanics & Particle Engineering)
Chemical Engineering III (Mastery)
3 hours
3 hours
3 hours
2 hours
1½ hours
1½ hours
3 hours
Technological Electives
Biochemical Engineering
Carbon Capture and Clean Fossil Fuels
Introduction to Nuclear Energy
Membrane Science & Membrane Separation Processes
Nuclear Chemical Engineering
Process Heat Transfer
1½ hours
1½ hours
3 hours
1½ hours
1½ hours
1½ hours
9
ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES
M.Eng in Chemical Engineering
PART III
Examination
Course
'Lecture'
hours
Chemical Engineering 3
Numerical Methods
Reaction Engineering 2
1
Transfer Processes 3
2
Strategy of Process Design
Safety and Loss Prevention
Mastery for Engineers 3
Numerical Methods
Reaction Engineering 2
Fluid Mech. & Particle Eng.
Strategy of Process Design
Safety and Loss Prevention
2
20
30
40
20
45
P/F
150
250
225
175
350
Environmental Engineering
Electives
Elective
5
Language
Environmental Engineering
3
(Modules)
4
(Module)
French 3/Spanish 3
35
40
20
40
250
400
Sub-Total
1800
Sub-Total
TOTAL
300
300
300
300
1200
3000
Coursework
Discovery Labs
Techno-Economic Project
Flow Sheeting
Mechanical Design
1
1.5-hour paper
2-hour paper
3
Two 20-hour technical/management/humanities modules
4
One 20-hour technical/ management/ humanities module
5
Students on H802 studying in Europe only
2
10
Marks
M.Eng in Chemical Engineering – Fine Chemicals stream
PART III
Examination
Course
'Lecture'
hours
Chemical Engineering 3
Numerical Methods
Reaction Engineering 2
6
Transfer Processes 3
7
Strategy of Process Design
Safety and Loss Prevention
Environmental Engineering
Chemistry
Elective
Mastery for Engineers 3
Numerical Methods
Reaction Engineering 2
Particle Engineering
Strategy of Process Design
Safety and Loss Prevention
Environmental Engineering
Chemistry Dept. Courses
(Module)
2
20
30
20
20
45
35
40
20
7
1.5-hour paper
2-hour paper
11
P/F
150
250
200
175
350
250
325
200
Sub-Total
1900
Sub-Total
TOTAL
300
300
300
200
1100
3000
Coursework
Discovery Labs
Techno-Economic Project
Flow Sheeting
Pilot Plant
6
Marks
TRANSFERABLE SKILLS
In each year of the course, there are several pieces of work that are designed to help you
build a set of skills that are essential in virtually all professional work, and form a part of your
own personal development. They include





Professional awareness: building knowledge about the Chemical Engineering
profession, and other professions.
Professional skills: time management, study skills, making a good CV, interviewing.
Interpersonal skills: dealing with others one-on-one, negotiating, conflict resolution.
Team working skills: being a good team member or team leader, getting the best out of
yourself and others.
Communication skills: writing reports and making presentations on technical or nontechnical subjects.
These skills are known as transferable skills, because you take them with you from one job
to another or from one profession to another. In contrast, technical skills tend to be very jobspecific; each new job requires a different set of skills. Transferable skills are in great
demand by employers across all professions. Many prospective employers go to great
length to assess the competencies of candidates in these areas, and use them as a primary
basis for employment decisions.
These skills cannot easily be taught, but are developed through your effort, practise, and
experience and through constructive feedback from other students and from staff.
In the Third year, the main elements of the course that contribute to these aspects of your
professional development are:




Professional awareness: Industrial LINK project. Careers events, design
Interpersonal skills: Design, Discovery Laboratory
Team working skills: all coursework projects
Communication skills: Presentation skills video workshops.
In addition, the Chemical Engineering Society organises several events that can contribute
to the development of your professional awareness (but only if you attend). These include
concourse lunches and the annual Newitt Lecture. The Faculty of Engineering also
organises a number of ‘Engineering Impact’ seminars, which you will be invited to attend.
Finally the College Careers Advisory Service and the Department’s Careers Adviser (Dr.
Kogelbauer) provide advice, guidance and information in relation to a range of career
options.
12
SELECTION OF 4TH YEAR ELECTIVES
Students are required to take 120 hours of electives in their 4th Year, made up of six 20
hour electives (but see below). 40 hours of these electives must normally be chosen from
the Technical Electives list. Please note that students can only take ONE elective for credit
from the Humanities/Languages department. In very exceptional circumstances only, a
student may take two courses.
Students ARE NOT allowed to take courses in the Business School for non-credit.
‘Long’ Research Projects
Students are allowed to undertake ‘long’ research projects in their 4th year, which start at the
beginning of the autumn term and can potentially end at the end of the spring term
according to the following rules: Students will be
-
excused from taking two electives;
-
asked to submit a report and give a presentation by the end of the autumn term;
-
submit a final report at the beginning of the summer term;
-
The breakdown is as follows:
o First report: 40% - emphasis on lit. review, setting up problem, prelim. results,
detailed plan of the spring term work;
o Presentation: 20% - presentation of the first report findings with a look to the
second report;
o Second report: 40% - emphasis on results obtained in the spring term.
Nuclear and Chemical Engineering stream (H890)
Students taking this degree must take the following three electives (having already taken
Introduction to Nuclear Energy, and Nuclear Chemical Engineering):
-
Nuclear Thermal Hydraulics (autumn term)
-
Reactor Physics (spring term)
-
Nuclear Materials (autumn term)
Plus three other electives of their own choice (or plus one in the case they are doing a
‘Long’ Research project).
Fine Chemicals Stream
Students on the ‘Fine Chemicals’ stream must take the following courses during their fourth
year:
- Pharmaceutical Process Development – 20 hours
- Colloid and Interface Science – 20 hours (if not taken as an elective in their third
year)
- Business for Engineers 2
and three 20 hour electives, including a course in Chemistry if they wish, unless they are
taking the ‘long’ research project option in which case they can take one 20 hour course).
Students who are on the ‘Fine Chemicals’ stream and have spent their third year abroad,
must also take Particle Engineering [3rd year core course (20 hours)], if they have not
covered this whilst abroad and the Pilot Plant project.
13
Business and Management Electives
For an up-to-date list of courses you are advised to consult the business school BPES page
at http://wwwf.imperial.ac.uk/business-school/programmes/undergraduate/bpes-programme/
Not all of the business courses may be available – you will be given detailed information in
the spring term at the electives presentation.
Humanities Electives
For an up-to-date list of courses you are advised to consult the Imperial Horizons
programme page at http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/horizons
Technical Electives – ALL 20 HOURS
The list of options has slight variations each year, however, in order to give you some idea
of the topics which may be offered to you here is a list of those that were offered to the
current 4th Year.








Carbon Capture & Clean Fossil Fuels
Dynamic Behaviour of Process Systems
Dynamical Systems in Chemical Engineering
Membrane Science & Membrane Separation Processes
Introduction to Nuclear Energy
Nuclear Chemical Engineering
Process Heat Transfer
Transport Processes in Biological Systems



Advanced Process Operations
Advanced Process Optimisation
Molecular Modelling of Fluids



Colloid & Interface Science
Product Characterisation
Pharmaceutical Process Development



Nuclear Thermal Hydraulics
Nuclear Materials
Nuclear Reactor Physics
Interdepartmental Exchange Electives (IDX)
A number of electives are also offered to 4th year students across the Faculty of
Engineering. These courses all run on Fridays, am or pm, in either the autumn or spring
term. All are 20-hour electives and detailed information about the courses on offer can be
found
here
http://www.imperial.ac.uk/engineering/students/current/inter-departmentalexchange-idx/
14
Technical Course information and registration


It is strongly recommended that you look through the outlines and objectives of all
courses prior to registering. All information available on the Departmental Student
System (DSS):
www.imperial.ac.uk/dss

Log into DSS and change the academic year to 2016-17. Then, look through the
information related to the available electives.

You have until mid-October to decide on your electives.
Other information:


Humanities/Languages Electives – all 20-hour electives: registration through the
Centre for Co-Curricular Studies website http://www.imperial.ac.uk/centre-forlanguages-culture-and-communication/
A draft timetable for Technical & Business electives due to run in 2016/2017 will be
uploaded onto Blackboard after Easter. This will help in making your choices.
3RD YEAR COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
Descriptions for individual modules can be found on Blackboard Learn in the relevant
course/module page.
They are also compiled here http://www.imperial.ac.uk/engineering/departments/chemicalengineering/courses/undergraduate/course-details/modules/
15
Information for students with disabilities, specific learning difficulties
or long-term health issues
At Imperial College we recognise that studying at university can be a challenge, especially if
you have a disability. We are keen that you have every opportunity to fulfil your potential and
graduate with the degree you deserve. It is therefore important that you let us know about any
disability, specific learning difficulty or health problem as soon as possible so that we can give
expert advice and support to enable you to do this.
Some people never think of themselves as having a disability, but students who have
experienced any of the issues listed below have found that a little extra help and support has
made all the difference to their study experience.

Specific learning difficulties (such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, AD[H]D)

Autistic spectrum disorder (such as Asperger’s)

Deafness or hearing difficulties

Long term mental health difficulties (such as chronic anxiety, bipolar disorder,
depression)

Medical conditions (such as epilepsy, arthritis, diabetes, Crohn’s disease)

Physical disabilities or mobility impairments

Visual difficulties
Where to find help:
1. Your Disability Liaison Officer (Mrs Rituparna Saha, r.saha@imperial.ac.uk,
Extension: 43136, or 0 207 594 3136 if phoning from outside the College)
Mrs Saha is your first point of contact within your department and is there to help you with
arranging any support within the department that you need. She is also the person who will
apply for special examination arrangements on your behalf. You need to contact her without
delay if you think that you may need extra time or other adjustments for your examinations.
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/registry/exams/specialexamarrangements
2. Disability Advisory Service: http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/disabilityadvisoryservice
The Disability Advisory Service works with individual students no matter what their
disability to ensure that they have the support they need. We can also help if you think that
you may have an unrecognised study problem such as dyslexia. Our service is both
confidential (information about you is only passed on to other people in the university with
your agreement) and individual in that any support is tailored to what you need.
Some of the sorts of things we can help with are:








Being an advocate on your behalf with others in the College such as your departmental
liaison officer senior tutor or exams officer, the accommodation office or the estates
department
Checking that your evidence of disability is appropriate and up-to-date
Arranging a diagnostic assessment for specific learning difficulties
Help with applying to the College for the cost of an assessment
Help with your application for the Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) see below
Helping students not eligible for the Disabled Students Allowance in obtaining support from
other sources
Help with arranging extra Library support
Supporting applications for continuing accommodation for your second or later years
16
3. Disabled Students Allowance:
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/disabilityadvisoryservice/supportatimperial/funding
4. Students who are home for fees and who have a disability can apply for a grant called
the Disabled Students Allowance which can pay any extra costs that are a direct result
of disability. This fund is not means-tested and is also a grant not a loan so any home
student with a disability can apply and will not be expected to pay it back. Remember
students with unseen disabilities such as mental health difficulties, dyslexic type
difficulties or long term health problems are also eligible for this fund.
17
SAFETY REMINDERS
ALL ACCIDENTS AND NEAR MISSES MUST BE REPORTED TO:
Departmental Safety Team
ce-safety-team@imperial.ac.uk
If you require first aid contact your local first aider or call the College
emergency number 4444
Report any defects or maintenance faults to:
Mr. Pim Amrit
Departmental Services and Safety Manager
Room: BONE 321
Extension: 45600
Fire Alarms:
Continuous bell ringing
EVACUATE
In the case of EVACUATION
leave by the nearest exit - DO NOT USE THE LIFTS
IN AN EMERGENCY RING: 4444 from a College phone
Or ring 020 75891000 from a mobile
18
STAYING HEALTHY WITH YOUR COMPUTER
Avoiding Cumulative Trauma Disorder
Computers can damage your health. Every year the Occupational Health staff see
several cases of Cumulative Trauma Disorder (CTD)- formerly called RSI or
Repetition Strain Injury- in staff & students and the problem is becoming more
common. Avoid it happening to you by taking care to organise your workstation and
organise your time spent using a computer both at work and at home.
Follow these simple rules & find that your computer can work for you without causing
harm.
TAKE BREAKS - The Key Issues
1. Intersperse with other work (take note laptop users!): phone calls, writing/reading work,
filing, proof reading, photocopying, talking with colleagues. Even coffee breaks!
2. Five minute break every hour & don’t spend a whole day on computer-based activities
(applies equally to work at home). Netsurfing or playing computer games do not count as
a break.
KEEP YOUR DESK TIDY Avoid cluttering it up with books, papers etc. Make sure you have
enough clear space to operate your mouse easily & to access your keyboard. Keep most
frequently used items close to hand to avoid stretching.
ADJUST YOUR EQUIPMENT TO SUIT YOU
1. Set your screen to a comfortable height, usually with the top just below eye level, so you
do not have to stretch your neck. Avoiding any twist in your spine, sit face-on to your
screen.
2. Ensure sufficient room to rest your hands in front of keyboard when not keying.
Interchange position of keyboard and mouse depending on data input device
predominantly in use at the time.
3. Adjust your seat height so your arms are horizontal to the keyboard and avoid
flexing/extending wrists. If you use a laptop, work with it on a table, never on your lap.
4. Ensure room for your feet to rest under your desk. A footrest may be beneficial for small
people.
GET COMFORTABLE
1. Adjust the seat height & back tilt/height to fit you. Twisted or cramped posture to be
avoided.
2. If you are copying documents, use a document holder.
3. Sit back when you are thinking, rather than staying hunched over your screen.
4. Use a soft touch when keying and avoid flexing your wrists. Try to adopt a neutral
position. If possible, learn how to use short cut keys and touch typing.
5. Give your eyes a comfort break too. Look away from your screen or close your eyes when
thinking. Avoid staring at the screen & throw in a few extra blinks as natural blink reflexes
are often unconsciously suppressed.
19
Make use of the illustrations below and the attached checklist to see whether you’ve
organised your desk and your work to avoid unnecessary problems. The rules for
desktop users apply to work with laptops; whenever possible the same advice should
be followed.
DON'T IGNORE SYMPTOMS If your arms or shoulders start aching/tingling, follow steps below.
1. Take a break & re-organise work to give yourself more breaks in future.
2. If symptoms persist or keep recurring, contact your occupational health (OH) service for help.
MAKE USE OF THE EXPERTS
1. All College departments should have a DSE (Display Screen Equipment) Assessor who knows
about computer ergonomics & can help you check your workstation. They’ll help you with the computer
checklist if you don’t feel confident to complete it yourself. Also if you identify problems through the
checklist which you can’t solve yourself or which may affect your or other’s safety.
2. The College Safety Department holds regular health & safety training sessions for computer users.
Contact your DSE assessor or the Safety Department for details.
3. Your local OH service can assess and advise on CTD problems.
4. Staff are entitled to free eyesight screening through their Occupational Health Service. For those
entitled, an optician’s assessment can then be arranged and if needed, free glasses for computer
work provided.
5. Students can also arrange vision screening with their OH service.
PERSONAL SAFETY FOR LAPTOP USERS
1. Do not endanger your health by carrying too heavy a total load with the addition of your
laptop.
2. Take precautions to avoid theft while your laptop is in transit and check your insurance
cover. Your personal safety is more important than loss of your laptop.
Don't ruin your work by poor practice. Be organised, be sensible with your work-time & be
successful— without damaging your health.
The ideal working posture. Forearms at keyboard
height and eyes level with top of screen. Chair adjusts
to provide back support and feet securely rested (in
this case by use of a footrest). Use this as a guide to
finding a comfortable working posture for yourself.
20
An ideal work station arrangement.
Desk
uncluttered, space for documents etc. if needed
and to rest hands when not typing. Screen
positioned to avoid reflections from light coming in
from the window or the fluorescent light tubes.
COMPUTER HEALTH & SAFETY CHECKLIST
Name of User: ____________________________________ Location: _____________________________
Department/Section: _______________________________ Date of assessment: ____________________
Average amount of time spent using computer per working day: ___________________________________
Please read these instructions before answering the checklist:
A. Before you carry out the assessment you should read through the Guidance for computer users.
Lap top users should also read the Guidance for laptops. The full list of guidance notes are on the
Occupational Health Web pages at Occupational Health web pages.
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/occhealth/guidanceandadvice/computerhealth
B. Please answer all questions. The table below each question lists the different points you need to
consider. The comments on the left hand side give suggestions on how to resolve problems. You’ll
find more details and diagrams in the guidance notes at
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/occhealth/guidanceandadvice/computerhealth
C. If you are unable to correct a problem yourself, ask the Departmental Safety Officer for
assistance.
1.
Have you positioned your equipment to allow you to work comfortably?
Monitor - If no then try out the suggestions below, or refer to the guidance notes on the OH web pages.
 Set it ‘face on’ to you – avoids twisting neck to
view the screen.
Lift / lower screen and use swivel tilt mechanism on
 Top of screen at eye height
screen to achieve correct viewing angles. See
 Screen should be approximately 60 cm from desk
Figure 2 in guidance notes.
edge
Keyboard
 Space in front to rest hands
………………………………
 Should be directly in front of you when using it.
Mouse
 Operate on mouse mat
 Adjacent to keyboard
 Space to move without you stretching or
cables snagging
 Correct mouse technique
Try pushing the display screen further back, to
create more room for the keyboard, hands and
wrists.
Read through guidance notes, The Mouse Trap, for
tips on how to use your mouse safely.
See Tip B9 in Guidance Notes.
Chair
 Chair height set so your arms are approximately
horizontal when typing.
 Seat tilt adjusted to support your thighs without
pressure.
 Back adjusted to support the small of your back.
 Chair arms shouldn’t stop you getting close to
your desk.
 Feet able to rest on the floor – may need foot rest
See Tip A1 and B2 of Guidance notes for
information on Chair height.
See Tip B3 and B4 of Guidance Notes for
information on back support from your chair.
Remove / lower them if they are in the way. A new
chair may be required in some cases.
.............................Yes 
21
/
No 
COMPUTER HEALTH & SAFETY CHECKLIST
2.
Do you have sufficient space to work comfortably?
Chair
 Room to move legs under the table
Move obstructions from under your desk.
Desktop
 Sufficient desk space to place papers for
reference without having to twist your body
 Sufficient space in front of keyboard to rest
hands.
 Other frequently used equipment (telephone, etc.)
should be within easy reach.

See Figure 1 and 2 for diagrams on desk
layout.
.............................Yes 
3.
Legible, stable characters (no flickering)

No distracting reflections off the screen or glare
from surrounding environment

Ability to adjust screen brightness and contrast

Adequate desk lighting

A Clean screen
If you feel that your eyesight is the reason for not
being able to view your screen easily, we advise that
you have your eyesight tested. See the ‘Eligibility for
eye tests’ guidance document for further information.
Ideally your screen should be at 90 degrees to the
source of the reflection. See Tip A6 in the Guidance
notes for diagrams and more information.
Makes it easier to view information displayed on
screen. See Tip B7.
A desk lamp may be required to enhance local
lighting.
.............................Yes 

No 
Can you read your screen easily?

4.
/
/
No 
Do you know how to use the software?
No, I don’t.
You should report your training needs to your
supervisor who will be able to organise the necessary
training for you.
.............................Yes
/
No
5. Have you organised your work to avoid long periods of uninterrupted use?

Avoid doing screen based work for longer than
1 hour without a break
Intersperse computer work with other tasks. See Tip
B1 in Guidance Notes for more information.
.............................Yes 
If your workstation is set up correctly you should have ticked only YES boxes.
If you have any queries or problems see the DSO.
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/
No 
Safe lifting
Lifting and carrying is a common cause of injury at work. Good manual handling techniques can
significantly reduce the risk of injury.
Almost all staff and students at some time get involved in manual handling in College: whether it’s
carrying a pile of books, shifting a computer or moving equipment in an office or laboratory.
This guidance describes the basic techniques of good lifting practice to help you avoid unnecessary injury
Principles of safe lifting practice
Before you start
 Think about the job
 Does it need carrying, or can a trolley or other
equipment be used instead
 Think about what you are going to do before you do it:
 Where is the load going?
 Does it need more than one person to lift it safely?
 Is there enough room?
 How can you avoid having to twist when lifting or
putting the load down?
 Think about you
 Are you dressed for the job? Tight clothing can
restrict movement. High heels are never suitable.
 Do you have a health problem that might make you
vulnerable to injury
 If you are not sure of how heavy a load is, test it out before
you try to lift it. Gently rock the load to test the weight and
its distribution
 If you have not been trained, you should not lift >15Kg
without advice from your local Manual Handling Assessor
 Remove any obstructions/tripping hazards from the route
 Work out where and how to take a rest if moving a heavy
load over a long distance
 Are there any sharp edges? If so, then you may need to
wear gloves to protect yourself
 If load is too bulky, look at ways in which to break it down
Lifting technique
 Place you feet apart to make a stable base for lifting
 Placing one leg forward in front of the other will help
improve balance and control
 If you have to reach out to the load, try sliding it
towards you before attempting to lift it
If lifting from a low height, bend your knees, NOT your
back
 Stand correctly, keeping your back straight and your
chin tucked in
 Keep your shoulders level and facing the same
direction as your hips
 Lift smoothly, avoiding jerking movements
 Lift your head first – your back then straightens
automatically
 Grip the load with your palms, rather than just your
fingers – If you need to change your grip, rest the
load first.
 Keep your arms close to your body to help support
the load
Do not allow the load to obstruct your view – seek
23
assistance if it is too large.
Moving the load
 When carrying, keep the load as close to the body as
possible
 Keep the heaviest side of the load closest to your
body
 When pulling or pushing, use your body weight to
move the load – if possible, let the momentum of the
load do some of the work e.g. when pushing trolleys
 When pulling, keep your back straight and your arms
as close to your body centre line as possible
 Avoid twisting your body when turning
College Policy
The College has a specific safety policy on safe manual handling.
Any heavy lifting or carrying tasks in College which cannot be avoided by, for example, using lifting or
transport equipment should have a risk assessment completed before it is carried out. The person in
charge is responsible for this.
Each College department has a Manual Handling Assessor who can help with risk assessments and
advise on safe techniques
You should always follow instructions given on how to carry out a manual handling task in accordance
with its risk assessment
If you are expected to lift or move loads in your work or studies, but are unsure whether the task is within
your capabilities, speak with your manager/supervisor before trying.
If you have recently strained a muscle, or have a history of back problems, or there are other personal
circumstances e.g. you are pregnant, which you think means a task is outside of your capabilities and/or
requires a risk assessment, speak with your manager or supervisor.
Training
If your work regularly involves manual handling then you should be trained in manual handling techniques.
Your Departmental Manual Handling Assessor may provide this or recommend that you attend a courses
organised by the College Safety Department.
Speak to your manager in the first instance if you think you need trained.
Information
on
safety
department
training
courses
is
available
at
www.imperial.ac.uk/safety/training/courseindex
Injuries or accidents
You must always report any injuries, accidents or near misses involving manual handling to your manager
or supervisor.
You can find further information on the College Policy, lifting techniques, risk assessments and manual
handling
aids
on
the
Occupational
Health
web
pages
www.imperial.ac.uk/occhealth/guidanceandadvice/manualhandling
24