DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS
RISK ASSESSMENT AND STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE
PERSON CARRYING OUT ASSESSMENT eg Supervisor, technician, academic, safety officer, PG student, UG student etc
Name
Position
Date
Click here to enter a date.
1. PERSON CARRYING OUT THE WORK eg technician, academic, PG student, UG student etc
Name
Position
Who is their supervisor?
2. DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITY / TITLE OF EXPERIMENT (include storage, transport and disposal if relevant)
3. LOCATION
Campus
Choose an item.
Building
4. HAZARD – indicate all that apply and give further details
Room
See guidance: http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/safety/subjects
The following have specific risk assessment requirements and have either a College and/or a department approval process (ie Line manager/Academic Supervisor, Safety
officer, Department Laser Safety Officer, Area Supervisor)
Yes, Radioactivity or X-Rays
Isotope or source
1. Check with Dept Radiation Protection Supervisor (DRPS) that this work is already approved and attend training.
If NOT already approved, you or your supervisor will need to conduct a RADIATION risk assessment which will need approval
(via your DRPS). See guidance, complete form you find on this link: http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/safety/formsandchecklists/raforms1
before completing this form. Do not begin work until you have received approval from the College Radiation Protection Team.
2. I have attended the relevant training (local and College)
3. This work is approved and I attach the existing risk assessment
Yes, Lasers
Class of laser
1. Check with Department Laser Safety Officer (DLSO) that this work is already approved and attend training.
If NOT already approved, you or your supervisor will need to conduct a LASER risk assessment which will need approval from
the DLSO. See guidance, complete form you find on this link: http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/safety/formsandchecklists/raforms1 before
completing this form. Do not begin work until you have received approval from the DLSO.
2. I have attended the relevant training (local and College)
3. This work is approved and I attach the existing risk assessment
Yes, Biological (ie soil, human/animal
tissues, plants)
Type of material
Solvents
Dusts
Chemical Resins
Fumes
Other
Flammable/ explosive substances
Yes, Gases / Cryogenic substances
or give project reference number:
1. Check with Department Safety Officer that this work is already approved and attend training.
If NOT already approved, you or your supervisor will need to conduct a BIOLOGICAL risk assessment and you may need
immunisation. See guidance and use the form you find on this link, instead of the one you are currently completing
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/safety/formsandchecklists/raforms1
2. I have attended the relevant training (local and College)
3. This work is approved and I attach the existing risk assessment
Yes, Hazardous Substances ie
or give project reference number:
Material/Chemical name(s) where
known
or give project reference number:
You will need to conduct a COSHH/DSEAR risk assessment
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/safety/formsandchecklists/raforms1
I have conducted / there is an existing risk assessment attached
Substance name(s)
You will need to conduct a GAS / Cryogenics risk assessment
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/safety/formsandchecklists/raforms1
I have conducted / there is an existing risk assessment attached
Yes, Machinery / mechanical
Equipment name / type
Yes, Manual handling/heavy lifting
Will the work involve slings/hoists?
You will need to conduct a MACHINERY risk assessment and will require training in its
use
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/safety/formsandchecklists/raforms1
I have conducted / there is an existing risk assessment attached
You will need to conduct a MANUAL HANDLING or LOLER risk assessment and may
require training.
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/OCCHEALTH/formsandchecklists
and obtain advice/approval from the Department Safety Officer.
I have conducted / there is an existing risk assessment attached
Yes, Work will be conducted away the
department
Will the work be done in the field or
hosted institution?
You may also need to conduct an OFFSITE risk assessment
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/safety/formsandchecklists/raforms1
Please obtain guidance/approval from the Department Safety Officer.
The following hazards have general risk assessment and local approval requirements (ie Line manager/Academic Supervisor, Safety officer, Area Supervisor)
Vacuum systems
Structural Failure
Pressurised equipment
Trip hazards
RA/SOP Safety Dept FoNS MAY2011
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Electrical
Working at height
Extreme temperatures
Falling objects
Fire / radiant heat source
Work in confined spaces
Noise
Heavy lifting
Water
Hand tools
Other (give details)
5. How does harm occur and who or what might be affected?
[Eg staff could suffer severe burns due to contact with heat source, students could suffer eye damage from exposure to laser beam, equipment could be damaged by
flooding/explosion/mis-use etc]
Tick all which apply:
1.
Staff / students
Support staff
Cleaners, engineers
Equipment
Building
Environment
2.
3.
4.
6. What would be the severity of the worst injury or harm if no controls in place? (See Severity table on matrix)
Minor
(score 1) Serious
(Score 2)
Major
(Score 3) Fatality
(Score 4)
7. How frequently is the process being carried out?
Several times a day
Daily
Once a week
Once a month
Every 6 months
Annually
Other - give details
8. What is the probability of injury or harm occurring? Use the probability table on matrix and consider any risk increasing factors (including frequency)
Very unlikely
(score 1)
Unlikely
(Score 2)
Possible
(Score 3)
Likely
(Score 4)
9. Brief description of the procedure
What could go wrong?
What controls are in place?
Is risk very high,
high, medium or
low?
[Include setting up if relevant]
[Include the hazards identified above].
[Are they effective and sufficient or are more
required? Give details of how they are
monitored / tested.]
Multiply severity
by probability
(See matrix)
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an item.
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10. If High or Medium, what extra precautions are needed? If not please tick box and move onto next section
If yes, please describe
Who has been asked to do this?
By what date?
11. RESIDUAL RISKS - Once your additional control measures are in place, what are the overall residual risk levels?
The overall residual risk to persons is:
The overall residual risk to equipment /area is:
The overall residual risk to the environment is:
Choose an item.
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If high or medium, give details:
If high or medium, give details:
If high or medium, give details:
12. EMERGENCY ACTIONS - if control measures fail or there is an unforeseen incident
For Campus emergency contact numbers, see http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/facilitiesmanagement/security/contacts/emergencycontacts
13. MONITOR AND REVIEW
Controls should be monitored: daily
weekly
I will review this risk assessment at least every 6 months
or incident or accident.
monthly
6 monthly
every 12 months
annually
other
or immediately in the event of process / location change
Continue to Approval Section 
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APPROVALS SECTION
14. IS “LONE WORKING” outside department hours intended?
Yes
No
If lone working is intended you must:
 Obtain appropriate permission from your HoD or line manager
 Introduce further controls to reduce the risk to one acceptable by your
HoD/line manager - ie a buddy system, CCTV, web cam
 Once installed, check the further controls are effective
 Complete a lone working form and keep it with you in the department
 Read the lone working policy on the Physics Department H&S web page.
You must not:
 Start work until written approval has been given by the HOD or line
manager via the lone working form
 Work outside the agreed limits of the work
SUPERVISOR / LINE MANAGER SIGN-OFF
I have read this risk assessment and agree that once all controls and
emergency procedures are in place and operating correctly, the overall
residual risk to:
 Personnel from this activity is
LOW
MEDIUM
HIGH
 Equipment from this activity is
LOW
MEDIUM
HIGH
 Environment from this activity is
LOW
MEDIUM
HIGH
Lone working is intended and I am satisfied that extra controls outlined in
(14) to reduce this risk to LOW are in place
Lone Work is permitted between the following dates:
until:
Lone working is forbidden
I have taken due consideration of foreseeable risks, and so far as reasonably
practical have put appropriate controls in place.
 Work outside the agreed time scale. (7-8am and 6-11pm weekdays and
7am-11pm weekends)
My name.................................................
Even if lone working is not intended you must:
Obtain approval for this assessment from line manager / Faculty Safety
Manager
Signature.................................................
Date......./......../.........
Line Manager/Supervisor name...............................................................
Signature.................................................
Date......./......../.........
Safety Officer/Assessor name......................................................................
Signature....................................................
Date......./......../...........
HOD SIGN-OFF FOR HIGH RISK LONE WORK
I understand that the risk from this work is:
 HIGH and lone working outside normal hours is intended
 I am satisfied that extra controls outlined in (14) to reduce this risk to
LOW are in place
HoD’s signature ………………………………………………
Print name …………………………………………
Date
14. TRAINING RECORD – use this section to record the names and date of any persons you are training in this risk assessment and
associated procedures
Trainer Name
Date
Trainee - Name
Date
15. IMPORTANT NOTES
Note: http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/physics/safety for Physics safety information and Physics Risk Assessment forms
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/safety/formsandchecklists/raforms1 for specific risk assessment forms and guidance
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/safety/subjects on gases, biological agents, chemicals, radiation, offsite work etc

After completing this form please make a copy and keep it with you during your experiments. The original must be kept with your group safety
records.
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