School of Biological Sciences
Postgraduate Research Students
Safety Induction training
Rosaleen Hynes
Health & Safety Co-ordinator
October 2014
What’s this about?
• Legal responsibilities – Queen’s & Yours
• Your reporting structure for H&S
• How to deal with accidents and emergencies
• Fire safety
• H&S issues for postgraduates
• Personal Protective Equipment
• Fitness to Work
Legislation to Protect You
 The Health & Safety at Work (NI) Order 1978
 Places duty on Employer to minimise risks
 H&S Regulations and Guidance Notes
 COSHH 1994 - Risk assessments (Employers & Employees)
 Manual Handling
 First Aid
 Radiation
Legislation to Protect Others
 Anti-Terrorism Crime and Security Act 2001
 Police to be supplied with details of research with potential for terrorist
use.
 Work with certain substances/agents (Schedule 5) closely monitored
 Security clearance required for personnel working with Schedule 5
material
 Genetically Modified Organisms (Contained Use)
Regulations 2001
 All GM work registered with HSE (NI)
 All GM work risk assessed
 Potentially hazardous projects cleared with HSE (NI)
Legal
Regulations set out requirements
 Non-compliance
 Risk of criminal prosecution,
 HSE(NI) Inspectors, Belfast City Council Inspectors
 Queen’s public image damaged
 Civil claims
Queen’s H&S Responsibilities
 Queen’s University Safety Policy
‘It is the University’s policy to ensure, so far as
is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and
welfare of all its staff and students...’
The Vice-Chancellor
Professor Patrick Johnston
Reporting structure within the School
Ultimate responsibility: The Vice Chancellor & Senate
School responsibility:
Professor C Maggs
Head of School
Supervisors
Laboratory Managers & Technicians
You
Your responsibilities
 You have a legal obligation to prevent accidents and
personal injury to yourself, colleagues and members
of the public
 You are required to co-operate with your Supervisor
in matters of H&S
 You must not intentionally interfere with anything
provided for the purposes of H&S
Emergencies
QUB Emergency number 2222
• Queen’s Security staff are First Aid trained
• Out of hours - serious First Aid Injury – 999 –
(Also contact QUB Security)
• City Tower Block & RVH site Emergency number
6666
• Know local emergency number
Emergencies
Medical emergency: Illnesses, accidents….
• Contact Local First Aider
• Familiarise yourself with location of local first aid
equipment and qualified first aiders.
• First Aid Contact Lists displayed in labs and on
all first aid boxes.
FIRE!
Emergencies
FIRE!
Know how to raise the alarm
(shout Fire/ break glass points)
 Attend School Fire Safety training
 Know all Emergency Exit routes
 Know Assembly points
 Evacuate immediately no matter what!
FIRE
 On hearing the fire alarm:
 Immediately evacuate the building by the nearest
emergency exit. Do not use the elevator
 Assemble at the designated assembly point
 For MBC - Bottom of lawn area in front of building, away
from the entrance and off the road (for emergency vehicle
access MBC)
 Do not re-enter the building until you are told to do so
by a fire warden or other personnel responsible for fire
safety
Accident & Incident reporting
 Report all accidents, even where no treatment is
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required to supervisor/person in charge or
Report accidents a.s.a.p.
Accident Recorded by relevant staff
Co-operate in documenting what occurred/was
witnessed - Accident report maybe required for
investigation by University safety services.
Report incidents of verbal
or physical abuse
General H&S issues for postgraduates
• Hazards – Due to Field sampling Location (Water,
Heights, Adverse Weather)
• Due to Nature of Experimental Work – eg. Radiation,
Toxic/Flammable Chemicals, Infectious Agents
• Lone working
• Safe use of work equipment
• Slips, trips & falls/ manual handling
• Safe use of computers
• Fitness to work
Project work
Supervisors’ H&S responsibilities
 Supervisors are responsible for ensuring all
projects are properly risk assessed,
documented and comply with H&S
requirements: COSHH, radiation, GMO etc.
 Supervisors must ensure students complete
risk assessments.
 Risk assessments should be completed
before commencing work.
RISK ASSESSMENTS:
 Assess Risk: 1. Identify hazards
 2. Devise working procedure to minimise risk
Risk = Hazard x Likelihood
Record Risk Assessment
Risk Assessments only required where there are
identified hazards
RISK ASSESSMENTS:
 COSHH – hazardous chemical substances and/or
carcinogens, mutagens – COSHH Adviser – Mr George Allen
 COSHH – hazardous biological agents - Specific guidelines
within QUB for work with biological materials, infectious
agents and GMOs - Biological Adviser – Dr Alan Trudgett
 GMO – All GM work registered with HSE (NI) - requires
approval from within QUB – Discuss with Supervisor
 GMO Induction on school safety webpage –
 Consult with Supervisor for guidance
RISK ASSESSMENTS:
 Radiation – Radiation Adviser - Dr K Panov
 Must be registered for work within the school
 Lab bench training provided and recorded
 COSHH RA required
 Where do you get a COSHH RA form?
 Blank COSHH RA with guidance
notes - School
safety webpage, George Allen or myself
RISK ASSESSMENTS:
 Fieldwork – Environmental/Fieldwork Adviser - Mrs G.
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Riddell
Generic Fieldwork RAs with guidance notes– School safety
webpage – tailor to your own situation – exclude irrelevant
details
Visit the site before completing the RA
Complete Health & Safety Questionnaire – held by
Supervisor in confidence or consult with University doctor
Permission for Lone Working - authorised by Supervisor
Supervisor’s responsibility to check if health surveillance
required eg. Exposure to asthmagens – consult with
University doctor
RISK ASSESSMENTS:
 All risk assessments should be completed under the
guidance of your supervisor and then submitted
electronically to the appropriate school safety
adviser.
 Approved risk assessments should be signed and
copies retained by those carrying out the procedure,
their supervisor and the appropriate school safety
adviser.
Project work
Supervisors’ H&S responsibilities
 Supervisors are responsible for:
 Providing suitable and sufficient training and
instruction
 Ensuring you are competent and understand risks &
controls
 Providing appropriate supervision to ensure you are
following the correct procedures
Lone Working / Out-of-hours working
Hazardous work
 Sign out of hours book at porter’s desk – after 6pm and at
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weekends
Permission to Work Alone Form - Authorised by
supervisor/HOS
Includes Declaration of Medical Fitness relevant to work – Held
in confidence by supervisor –
Inform Supervisor of medical conditions relevant to role eg.
Temporary ill health/Migraines, Back injuries, Pregnancy
Option to discuss with University Doctor in confidence
Safe system of work in place – Addressed in RA
Consideration of emergency measures
Examples of hazardous work:
Work with dangerous machines, dangerous chemicals, poisons,
explosives, dangerous pathogens, ionising & non-ionising
radiation, cryogenic materials
Safe use of work equipment
 QUB approved equipment only
 School responsible for maintenance & testing
 Report defects
 Switch off after use
Slips, trips and falls
 Prompt cleaning of spillages
 No tripping hazards, such as trailing leads
 Reporting of defects in floors and stairs
 Suitable footwear
Save your spine
 Does this lifting need to be done?
 Can you make it safer before you do it?
 Do you need equipment? e.g. trolleys, steps
 Do you need help? e.g. team lift
 Can you store at an easier height?
 Do you need protective wear? e.g. gloves
Personal Protective Equipment and clothing
Funded by School
 Laboratory coats
 Aprons & overalls
 Gloves
 Safety footwear
 Weatherproof clothing
Personal Protective Equipment and clothing
Safety Service funding
 Hearing protection (earmuffs, earplugs)
 Eye protection (visors, goggles, safety glasses)
 Respiratory protection (masks, respirators, face-fit testing)
 Prescription safety glasses (on approval)
 Glasses specifically for computer work
 Safety footwear subsidy available
Safe use of computers
Proper workstation set-up
 Appropriate computer equipment
 Appropriate furniture, adjustable chair
 Suitable lighting / no glare
 Breaks in activity, 5 minutes per hour
 Report health effects:
pains in hands, wrists, arms, neck,
shoulders or back
Eye discomfort, headaches
Need advice?
Points of contact within School
• Supervisor
• H&S Co-ordinator – Dr Rosaleen Hynes
• COSHH Adviser – Mr George Allen
• Radiation Protection Adviser – Dr Kostya Panov
• Biohazards/GMO Safety Adviser – Dr Alan Trudgett
• Environmental/Fieldwork Adviser – Mrs Gillian
Riddell
• School Safety Webpages – School Safety Manual
Summary Contacts
 QUB Emergency Contact
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2222
National Emergency Contact
999
Local First Aider
first aid box
Fire Action
Raise alarm
Sign in after hours and at weekends
University Occupational Health & Safety Services
www.qub.ac.uk/uhs
safety@qub.ac.uk