1
School of Earth Sciences
Environment, Health & Safety (EHS) Induction and Training, August 2015
The School of Earth Sciences aims to provide a safe working and learning environment for its employees, students
and visitors. To achieve this, the school follows an EHS management regime adopted by the university and
overseen by the Faculty of Science. Students, staff and visitors must contribute to workplace safety by being
familiar with, and adhering to, local EHS procedures.
This guide provides information on EHS issues relevant to the department and is your induction to local EHS
procedures. It contains information on emergency procedures, mandatory safety-related training, incident reporting,
how to set up a computer workstation, preparation for fieldwork and other off-campus activities, insurance, vehicle
booking and risk control. The guide is primarily intended for new arrivals within the School. However, the guide is
also distributed to existing staff and postgrad students who may find the information useful. You are expected to
read these pages carefully.
If you are new to the School and are about to receive your office and building keys, you must read this guide and
complete & sign a questionnaire based on the guide’s content. Successful completion of the questionnaire is
deemed to demonstrate that you have a basic knowledge of the school’s EHS procedures. You and your
supervisor are required to sign off the questionnaire and thereby acknowledge that you have received the school’s
EHS induction. You will then be allocated your keys. The questionnaire can be found at the end of this document.
Please ask the Front Office staff to make a copy of your completed questionnaire; Front Office files the original, you
keep the copy.
This induction guide and other workplace safety-related material are also available at the School website
www.earthsci.unimelb.edu.au/about-us
Further information
-Laboratory Manuals and laboratory inductions
-university safety website (http://safety.unimelb.edu.au/)
-school EHS notice board, common room level 4, in kitchen area
-see section ‘Additional Information’ below
-EHS posters, displayed on each floor (landings of main staircase)
School Senior Management
Head of Department
Deputy Head of Department
Precinct 2 General Manager
Precinct 2 Facilities & Operations Manager
Prof. David Phillips
dphillip@unimelb.edu.au
Prof. David Karoly
dkaroly@unimelb.edu.au
Maria Castle
John Pederick
Pederick@unimelb.edu.au
rm 410, x49866
rm 310, x44698
x44876
x46888
mob 0402 243 454
EHS Resources
EHS matters are overseen by the departmental EHS Committee which (i) develops, implements and monitors local
regulations, (ii) investigates and responds to incidents and (iii) makes EHS-related recommendations to school and
faculty management. The EHS Committee reports to the Head of Department and to the Faculty of Science
(Eastern Precinct Manager; faculty EHS Manager; faculty EHS Committee).
The current (as of June 2015) membership of the School EHS Committee is:
Chair
Management Representative
Health & Safety Representative*
Academic Staff Representative
Academic Staff Representative
Professional Staff Representative
Fieldwork Representative
Postgraduate Student Representative
Dr Roland Maas
rm 326, x46522
John Pederick (office in Physics)
x46888
vacant
Prof Jon Woodhead
rm 326, x46821
Dr Steven Utembe
rm 420a, x57782
Abaz Alimanovic
rm 219b, x43898
Dr Sandra McLaren**
rm 345, x47215
Estephany Marillo-Sialer
rm 334, x49980
*the Health & Safety Rep (HSR) represents staff members in workplace health and safety matters
Last reviewed: 24 August 2015
Next review due: Oct 2015
School of Earth Sciences EHS Committee
Roland Maas, EHS Officer
uncontrolled when printed
2
**while Sandra is on long-term leave, Dr Steve Boger (rm 416B, x40317) is standing in for her on the EHS Committee
The EHS Committee is supported by a departmental EHS Officer (safety officer), chief wardens and floor wardens
(also known as fire wardens), First Aiders, and a radiation safety officer.
2015 departmental EHS positions
-EHS officer (safety officer)
-chief wardens
-floor wardens
-radiation safety
-First Aiders
Roland Maas
Abaz Alimanovic
rm 326, x46522
rm 219b, x43898
Roland Maas
see EHS posters
Roland Maas
Erin Matchan
see EHS posters
rm 326, x46522
rm 326, x46522
rm 402, 9035 9621
Emergency Response Information
Fire
Familiarise yourself with the location of fire extinguishers, break-glass alarms and escape routes in your part of the
building.
Break-glass alarms are located on each floor level, near the staircases.
Red fire extinguishers are distributed along the walls of each corridor and near the stairs. We have 4 types:
Extinguisher Type
water
foam
carbon dioxide
dry Powder



To be used on fires involving
wood, paper
NOT electrical, oils
oils, grease, solvents, paper, wood
NOT electrical
all fires
all fires
If you observe a small fire, use the nearest suitable extinguisher and attempt to bring the fire under control
If the fire cannot be controlled, call out “FIRE”, activate the nearest break-glass alarm and evacuate
If the fire alarm sounds, and you are not involved in fighting the fire, turn off gas & electricity to your
experiment and leave the building by the safest route (See Emergency Evacuation below).
Emergency Evacuation
A building evacuation alarm is not necessarily related to fire. It could be a response to a gas leak, a dangerous
chemical spill or another type of threat. All alarms must be taken seriously. There will be one unannounced
evacuation drill per year. The alarm for building evacuation is a very loud, continuous ring tone. Here’s what
you do:



When you hear the alarm, evacuate the building by the safest, shortest route as quickly as possible, without
panic. Leave the building via the main or the back staircase, or from the new sliding door on level 1. Never use
the lift in an emergency. Floor wardens in yellow helmets will check that all rooms have been evacuated, incl.
the toilets. Follow their instructions.
When outside, move well away from the building. Do not crowd around doorways. Wait around the corner in
Cardigan St, so you don’t block the way for the Fire Brigade.
Do not re-enter the building when the alarm stops. The signal to re-enter the building will be given by the Chief
Warden (white helmet) after consultation with emergency services (fire brigade, security).
Evacuation of a person with limited mobility
People with limited mobility will require help with evacuation. Fellow office occupants, colleagues and fellow
students are expected to assist in such cases. Wardens are instructed to specifically look after occupants requiring
help. As we cannot rely on the lift during an emergency, people in a wheelchair may need to be carried out.
First Aid
Current First Aiders trained in level 2 basic First Aid and CPR are listed on the EHS posters in the main staircase.
First Aid kits are available in each of the research laboratories, most of which are limited access. Kits available to
all are located in the mail/photocopy room 408, others are in Front Office, rm 401 (available during normal business
hours), in the CO2CRC office (302a) and in the Skeats Teaching Space, rm 209.
[Type text]
[Type text]
[Type text]
3
Using the phone in an emergency
All offices and some of the laboratories have phones connected to the university’s VOIP (internet-based) telephony
system. This can be used to call help in an emergency; some relevant phone numbers are listed below. During a
power-out (e.g. during a fire), VOIP phones will not work. Use mobile phones instead.
Important contacts (last update 14 July 2015)
Ambulance, Police, Fire Brigade
Poisons Info Line
Melbourne University Security, 24 hr
University Health Service, GP services, 138-146 Cardigan St
Royal Melb Hospital Emergency, corner Grattan St/Royal Pde
Eye & Ear Hospital, 32 Gisborne Rd, East Melbourne
University Services Health & Safety (Old Geology, bldg.155)
ohs-enquiries@unimelb.edu.au
0 000 (uni phone), or 000 on your mobile
works even without a SIM card
0 13 11 26
46666
46904
0 9342 7000 or 9342 7666 or 9342 7009
0 9929 8333
0 9089 8926
some more specific EHS-related university contacts
Chemical Safety enquiries: Christian Rantzau rantzau@unimelb.edu.au
Radiation Safety enquiries: Steve Guggenheimer s.guggenheimer@unimelb.edu.au
Office Ergonomics enquiries: Rosie O’Halloran rosieo@unimelb.eu
EHS Coordinator, Science, Sam Montalto montalto@unimelb.edu.au
EHS Coordinator, Science (deputy), Bryan McGowan bmc@unimelb.edu.au
42207, 0401 171 097
43052, 0411 111 265
49234, 0409 230 473
46924, 0425 800 085
44027, 0431 688 447
More about phones
All internal numbers within the university are 5 digit numbers, starting with 4 or 5. There are no phone books but
Front Office has a list of departmental numbers. A university-wide staff phone directory can be accessed from each
handset or on http://brand.unimelb.edu.au/global/contact-maps.html.
To make a call to a non-university number, dial 0, then the number. Long-distance and international calls are not
enabled on all phones.
Training
Compulsory training for all staff
Every staff member in the Faculty of Science, continuing or fixed-term, must complete training in
EHS Roles & Responsibilities for staff with supervisory/managerial roles
New staff are expected to complete this training soon after joining the university. It does not matter if you are in a
supervisor/manager role or not, do this training module.
In addition, academic and laboratory supervisors must complete two further training modules:
Risk Management
Incident Investigation
On completion of an online modules you should receive a ‘certificate’, and the completion is recorded in Themis.
However, please let the school’s EHS Officer know by email when you have completed a training module.
The university has placed an expiry date of 3 years on each of these three training modules; staff who have done
their training >3 years ago are required to do refreshers. You will be contacted when you are due for a refresher.
The three types of training and the relevant refreshers are offered as online, self-guided training modules at
http://safety.unimelb.edu.au/support/training/courses/
Risk Management training for postgraduate students
Since 2013, some postgraduate students in the faculty of Science are required to complete the online Risk
Management training available at http://safety.unimelb.edu.au/support/training/courses/
The postgrad students targeted here are those whose project involves medium- to high-risk off-campus work (field
work) or laboratory work, or both. Included are Honours, MSc and PhD students. Based on input from academic
supervisors, postgrad students affected by this will be contacted by school management to do the training. The
online material can be accessed with your postgrad student login, it can be done anytime and it takes about 1-2
hours to complete.
First Aid training
Last reviewed: 24 August 2015
Next review due: Oct 2015
School of Earth Sciences EHS Committee
Roland Maas, EHS Officer
uncontrolled when printed
4
“Level 2 First Aid/CPR” training is provided to the university community by First Aid Management P/L and costs
approx. $210. For dates see the regular ‘STAFF NEWS” sent to staff by email every Friday. The Level 2 training
expires after 3 years, CPR expires after 1 year. The level 2+CPR training now takes only 1 day (includes some prereading), down from 2-4 days in the past. The School of Earth Sciences sponsors certain staff and PhD students
(usually those with a heavy involvement in fieldwork) to do this training; others may be supported on a case-bycase basis. MSc and Honours students whose project involves fieldwork do level 2 First Aid/CPR training as part of
their induction at the start of the academic year. Individuals interested in doing the training, please contact your
supervisor or the local EHS Officer, Roland Maas.Hazard-based training
In addition to the general (for all staff) EHS training mentioned above, the university offers hazard-specific training
sessions for staff and postgrad students. These are typically classroom-based 2 hr sessions staged regularly
throughout the year. The most common types of hazard-based training include
Chemical Management
Laser Safety/Ionising radiation
Gas Safety
Manual Handling
4WD training
Please talk to your supervisor and the EHS Officer before enrolling in any of the hazard-based training courses.
Further information on EHS-related training can be found at the end of this guide and at
http://www.safety.unimelb.edu.au/support/training/
Manual Handling
Inappropriate manual handling is responsible for many work injuries. Any duties requiring heavy or prolonged
manual handling must be documented by the person carrying out the task and the relevant supervisor, and a
manual handling or task Risk Assessment carried out and filed. For further information, contact school EHS Officer.
and see http://www.safety.unimelb.edu.au/topics/manualtasks/
Computer workstation ergonomics
If you spend a lot of time using a computer, desktop or laptop – and this is practically everybody in the School - it is
worth setting up an ergonomically correct workstation. A well set-up computer workstation can help avoid overuse
injury and pain in back, neck, shoulders and arms that often result from prolonged computer work, see
(http://www.safety.unimelb.edu.au/ (click Advice Topics, Office Ergonomics).
Some basic principles:
Screen height: screen should be about eye height. If you use a laptop and want to use its screen, buy a mechanical
riser, or simply improvise with some thick books or a box under your laptop (you then need an external mouse and
keyboard)
Chair: needs to give good back support and be adjustable to correct height
Desk: your desk is the correct height if - when seated - your lower arms slope slightly down towards keyboard
Mouse, keyboard: an external mouse and keyboard make working with a laptop much easier. For those with
shoulder problems, consider using a narrow keyboard (without the numeric pad on right) and a vertical mouse. The
range of sideways lower arm movement required to operate the mouse and keyboard should be minimal.
Posture, breaks: good posture (see Office Ergonomics website) and regular breaks help prevent injury. Experiment
with using your non-preferred hand to operate the mouse occasionally.
The school provides office desks and chairs which meet the Australian Standard. If these prove to be unsuitable
(e.g. desk too low), it is often possible to swap for more suitable ones, modify what’s already there, or buy new
(Gregory Commercial Furniture are very helpful).
An extra keyboard and external mouse do not cost much; there may be spare ones in the department. Ask the IT
walk-up support people or the Facilities Manager. For additional ideas check http://www.ergonomicsnow.com.au/
We strongly advise every computer user to complete the self-guided workstation assessment available at
http://www.safety.unimelb.edu.au/ (Advice Topics, Office Ergonomics). It will help you to quickly detect and
eliminate problems with your workstation set-up. Please email your completed workstation self-assessment to the
departmental EHS Officer (maasr@unimelb.edu.au). If you would like assistance with your set-up, contact your
supervisor, the EHS Officer or the Facilities Manager.
Parenting
A parenting room is available in rm 206, with access from the foyer. It is for use by parents of very young children
(expressing/storing milk, nappy changing, quiet time). A small fridge to store expressed milk is currently in room
412. Enquiries, see Front Office.
Occupational Health Checks
The Health & Safety unit within University Services (http://safety.unimelb.edu.au/support/occupationalhealth/)
[Type text]
[Type text]
[Type text]
5
offers occupational health monitoring for staff and students involved in hazardous work. In the case of Earth
Sciences, this takes the form of hearing and lung function tests for individuals with exposure to noise and dust in
the rock crushing or thin section labs. Users of laser equipment rated at class 3B and higher are expected to
undergo specialised eye testing. The tests are performed at the premises of the university's Occupational Health
Nurse (currently Brendan Chaplin, Old Geology, building 155, ph x44534, email: occupationalhealthinfo@unimelb.edu.au).
The local EHS Officer selects individuals due for testing and arranges the tests with the OHS nurse. Supervisors
can also arrange such tests at any time. Contact your supervisor or the departmental EHS Officer if you would like
to use this service."
Reporting of Hazards
If you have any suggestions or concerns regarding workplace safety, or feel there are hazards that require
addressing within the School or associated with wok-related off-campus activities, please contact your supervisor
or any member of the EHS Committee (see above). Your concerns/suggestions will be dealt with immediately if
needed, or raised on your behalf at the next EHS Committee meeting. Alternatively, all staff in the School can raise
EHS issues and other work-related issues with staff-elected Health & Safety Reps. While the School of Earth
Sciences currently does not have a HSR, staff can approach HSR’s elsewhere in the faculty:
Jenny Scott (Chemistry, x47623),
Colin Entwistle (Physics, x48117)
Anton Cozijnsen (Botany, x45053)
Michael Poloni (Faculty Office, x49005)
James MacRae (Bio21, x42335)
Reporting of Incidents
An ‘incident’ is any situation that involves injury, a dangerous near-miss, or some other potentially dangerous
situation. If you are involved in an incident, on-campus or off-campus, do this:
1. report incident to your supervisor, to school management (David Phillips, David Karoly, John Pederick,
Maria Castle) or to the EHS Officer (Roland Maas), immediately or as soon as possible. The relevant
contact details are given on pages 1-2 of this guide.
2. ensure preservation of any evidence at the site to allow proper investigation of the incident, should this be
deemed necessary. This implies that ‘cleaning up the mess’ right away is not necessarily a good thing; wait
until the all clear is given from the relevant supervisor and the EHS Officer. Keep relevant documentation,
for example receipts for medical care.
3. after consultation with relevant staff (see point 1), formally report all serious or potentially serious incidents
using the Themis system. This includes all incidents which require medical intervention beyond applying a
bandaid. To make a report, enter the Themis website (http://www.themis.unimelb.edu.au/), go to Self
Service, Environment Health and Safety, click “Create new incident report”. Copies of the Themis incident
report will go to your supervisor, to the Faculty EHS Manager, and to the university’s OHS and Injury
Management unit. Staff in OHS&IM will forward the report to the state WorkSafe authority, if required. For
further information see http://safety.unimelb.edu.au/tools/incident/
External Contractors, see http://safety.unimelb.edu.au/topics/contractor/
Members of school staff occasionally hire consultants or instrument technicians to perform a particular specialist
task, such as installing new equipment or software, or carrying out instrument maintenance and repairs. These
locally hired and paid service providers are called ‘external contractors’ (*). They are usually unfamiliar with local
EHS procedures and may perform tasks that are potentially risky in our environment (may interfere with existing
equipment). The staff member hosting an external contractor has a duty of care and must ensure safe working
conditions for ‘their’ contractor. Likewise, the contractor is expected to support local EHS and other procedures, be
competent in his/her job, provide evidence of current professional insurance, accreditation and safe work
procedure accreditation as required, and perform the task in the agreed manner.
*NB. This does not include regular contractors (such as HIROTEC, NUVO) sent in by Property & Campus Services
(PCS, aka ‘Maintenance’).
The EHS procedure for contractor management involves the following steps:
1. Local staff member to complete a ‘contractor form’ which captures details about the contractor, the job, the
contractor’s qualifications, licenses, insurance etc, and the risk rating of the job. Depending on the
assessed risk rating, further details concerning safe work practice arrangements may need to be provided
by the contractor. It also captures details about job progress and outcome. The current template contractor
form (with guidelines) is available from Front Office and on the School EHS webpage
http://www.earthsci.unimelb.edu.au/about-us
2. Local staff member organises a local EHS induction for external contractor or arranges for constant
supervision of contractor (to assist in case of emergency)
Last reviewed: 24 August 2015
Next review due: Oct 2015
School of Earth Sciences EHS Committee
Roland Maas, EHS Officer
uncontrolled when printed
6
3. After both parties have signed it off, the completed contractor form is submitted to Front Office for filing in
the ‘external contractor’ folder. The contractor forms are used as evidence of compliance during EHS
audits of the faculty.
Faulty Equipment
If equipment breaks down, malfunctions, or is otherwise unsafe, you can take it out of operation temporarily (e.g.
for maintenance) by ‘tagging’ it. Prominently placed, yellow or red 'Out of Service’ tags are used to identify a piece
of equipment which cannot be used for safety or maintenance reasons. Tagging equipment is usually the
responsibility of the operator, however any person may apply a 'tag' if it is found to be faulty. Tags can be found in
First Aid Kits or are available from Front Office. Tags must be legibly filled in, attached prominently on the
equipment, and the detachable part handed to Front Office who will notify the relevant work area supervisor or the
EHS officer. We can only deal with defective equipment if we know about it. Equipment must not be used if it is
tagged.
Some Basic Safety Rules






Safe Work Procedures (SOP) must be followed where required
In laboratories Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) (lab coats, goggles, ear protection, sturdy shoes) must
be used where required, see relevant local procedures (lab manual). Report any problems with PPE
No food or drink in laboratories or in laboratory refrigerators/freezers. No food or drink containers to be used
to store chemicals
Clean up work area when you finish your work, report any problems to work area supervisor
Field work: follow all equipment and procedural guidelines provided by relevant field work coordinator and/or
trip leader. For example, wear sturdy shoes (hiking boots) and clothing suitable for the purpose (must keep out
cold, wind, rain; help protect against injury and sunburn). Wear a hat or cap and use sunscreen in sunny
conditions. Come prepared for changing weather conditions.
Visitors to laboratories and the school in general (External Contractors, see below) must be adequately
supervised and/or receive the relevant induction training, and they must be provided with appropriate safety
equipment.
Safe Handling Of Chemicals
Several of our laboratories use hazardous chemicals. Lab inductions and supervision are provided to users as
required and fume cupboards are available. Training in Chemical Management is available within the Faculty of
Science. The university’s regulations for Chemical Management are available at
http://safety.unimelb.edu.au/topics/chemical/
Below are some key points to observe when working with hazardous chemicals:





Before using possibly hazardous chemicals, consult the relevant Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). The
MSDS provides information on hazards associated with the storage, use and disposal of a chemical, what to
do in case of a spill, what PPE to wear during use, on incompatibilities with other chemicals, toxicological
information, and any special requirements for its use. Laboratories in Earth Sciences keep MSDS’s as
hardcopies within the laboratory safety folder. Original MSDS’s can be obtained from the manufacturer (where
reagents
are
purchased
off-campus)
or
from
the
university’s
GoldFFx
database
http://safety.unimelb.edu.au/unimelb-only/chemffx.html. (see School EHS manual).
All chemicals decanted from original containers must have proper labels which show the name of reagent, its
chemical formula, its strength where appropriate, usage details and hazard diamond. Scribbling on bottles is
not good practice. All reagent bottles must be kept in spill trays. Check the Chemical Safety website at:
http://safety.chemistry.unimelb.edu.au/Chemsafety.php
Before starting an experiment in the chemical laboratory
-consult lab supervisor or experienced lab users
-obtain and read the MSDS for the chemicals you are planning to use
-determine correct handling procedure for all chemicals used and produced in the experiment
-examine each step of the proposed experiment for potential hazards and acquire the necessary safety
equipment. Know what to do if things go wrong. Perform formal risk assessments as required.
-develop and maintain proper procedures for safe disposal of all waste material
Disposal of hazardous waste. In general, no hazardous chemicals can be tipped down the sink because they
may contaminate the tradewaste water and/or damage the plumbing. This includes acids and bases, organic
solvents and fluids containing heavy metals, used vacuum pump oil, but potentially also carcinogens,
mutagens, teratogens. Acid waste is to be neutralised with limestone or bicarb soda and can then be discarded
in the sink. Small volumes of waste acetone may be evaporated in a fume cupboard. For other hazardous
waste chemicals, use the university’s monthly hazwaste collection. Waste disposal procedures are part of the
laboratory inductions. Consult laboratory supervisors for details.
Small chemical spills. In general, chemical spills need to be dealt with right away. Small spills can usually be
handled by local lab staff, using the spill kit. Chemical spill kits consist of bicarbonate soda powder and a
[Type text]
[Type text]
[Type text]
7




bucket of vermiculite (potting mix). The bicarb is used to neutralise the spill and the vermiculite is used to
quickly soak up the neutralised fluid; instructions are provided on the side of each kit. In some laboratory spill
kits, vermiculite (which can be messy) has been replaced with yellow absorbent pads.
Large chemical spills. If a spill is too large to be handled with local resources, or if it involves noxious fumes
outside a fumehood, call Christian Rantzau from Health & Safety (0401 171 097). He may remove the spill
himself or call the specialists from the Metropolitan Fire Brigade.
In very serious cases and where swift action seems critical, set off the nearest breakglass alarm to evacuate
the building. By default, this will bring in the fire brigade (MFB) and campus security. Try to contain the spill and
prevent its entry into drains, if it is safe to do so.
Chemical burns on the body are initially treated by flushing with plenty of tap water. There are exceptions to
this rule, and compatibility issues (would water make things worse?) must be considered in the planning of the
experiment. Safety showers are installed in the clean lab (rm 332), sedimentology lab (rm 320) and in the new
bio/hydrochemistry and CO2 sequestration laboratories on level 4. Tap water is available in all labs, in the
toilets and in the common room on level 4. Inform lab supervisor or other staff member straight away if a
chemical burn has occurred. Call university security if necessary (46666) – or call 000.
Anybody working with hydrofluoric acid (HF) must know exactly how to handle this acid and what to do in the
event of a spill or burn. All labs using HF are restricted access (are locked) and have procedures in place to
handle incidents involving HF; training in these procedures is part of the local lab induction.
Waste: Safety & Environment Aspects
There are many ways we can minimise our impact on the environment:
 Use as little as possible: chemicals, paper, fuel, water, electricity, e.g. turn off equipment when not required,
turn off lights when you are last to leave a room, turn off lights in PC lab and toilets when you are the last to
leave at night.
 Recycling: yellow bins are for commingled recyclables (paper, cardboard, glass, aluminium, plastic large bins);
these will be emptied by cleaners. You can also use the large yellow lid bins located just outside the common
room (level 4) and in the photocopier room (level 4). The small red tabletop mini-bins on each office desk are
for non-recyclables. In general, emptying those is the responsibility of the office occupants although cleaners
sometimes empty them as well; a few general waste bins can be found in strategic locations
 Waste laboratory glass (washed out, label completely removed; or write ‘cleaned’ on bottle) can be placed in
the large recycling (yellow lid) bins outside Front Office
 Dirty and/or broken laboratory glass goes to landfill (red lid bin)
 Spent batteries and print cartridges from work-related equipment are collected in bins in Front Office
 Purchasing: buy equipment with high energy-efficient ratings and power-save features (e.g. use the
iProcurement catalogue)
 Storage of Dangerous (DG) Goods should be in approved DG cabinets (e.g. Storemasta, Westlab)
 Use the correct method for disposal of hazardous waste. Waste acids and bases need to be neutralised before
they can be tipped into laboratory sinks. Wastes from these sinks are collected in the tradewaste pit. Other
waste reagents must be stored in suitable, properly labelled waste containers (with appropriate Hazchem
diamond) and be put out for the monthly hazwaste pickup by the University’s contractor ‘Toxfree’. The EHS
Officer will alert lab managers by email when the pickup is announced. Waste acetone is evaporated in a fume
cupboard.
 Carefully consider the size of any chemical order. Ordering in bulk may reduce the unit cost but may bring
storage and compliance problems.
The University’s Green Office and Green Laboratory initiatives provide tips on how we can reduce our workplace
environmental footprint (http://sustainablecampus.unimelb.edu.au/).
Off-campus activities, fieldwork
Off-campus work and activities include anything from a work-related meeting in the city to an extended workrelated interstate or international trip. The university’s general guidelines for off-campus work can be viewed at
http://safety.unimelb.edu.au/topics/travel/
Further info can be found in the School of Earth Sciences EHS Manual
http://earthsci.unimelb.edu.au/online-forms-manuals
some general points
For insurance, budgetary and work safety reasons, off-campus travel and work requires supervisor approval and, in
some cases, completion of a risk assessment. However, the requirements vary depending on the duration,
destination and purpose of the off-campus travel/work. For example, if you are planning a short-duration (1 day or
less, metro area) low-risk activity such as going to a work-related meeting in the city or visit another institution or a
company in the metro area, it would be sufficient to inform your supervisor and/or fellow staff who may need to
know that you’re off-campus for the day. The only other issue is then to arrange for transport (see Vehicles, below).
Last reviewed: 24 August 2015
Next review due: Oct 2015
School of Earth Sciences EHS Committee
Roland Maas, EHS Officer
uncontrolled when printed
8
Off-campus work involving 1 or more overnight stay(s) requires formal approval from your supervisor. For staff, this
is done via TravelPortal http://travelportal.unimelb.edu.au/home. TravelPortal generates a requisition number for
your trip, allows you to specify details of travel and funding source, carry out a TP risk assessment, request a quote
from one of the TP-associated travel agents, and seek approval for the trip from your supervisor. Once approval
has been obtained, you can instruct the agent to book the travel and arrange payment. Staff arranging their own
travel can do so but must still obtain supervisor approval via TravelPortal.
The TravelPortal software has been much improved in recent months and is now far easier to use than 1-2 years
ago, when it could be a frustrating experience. The site also offers reference cards and a FAQ section which are
both very useful. TP requires you to set your computer’s settings to allow pop-ups. If you get stuck in the middle of
a TP transaction, try another browser (Firefox and Internet Explorer should be ok), find an experienced TP user
within the School, and/or call the IT Service Desk on x40888.
For all travel exceeding 5 overnight stays, staff members need to complete a travel diary, see information on the
TravelPortal webpage. Reconciliation of business travel expenses for corporate credit cards, and reimbursement of
business travel cash (or personal credit card) expenses not covered prior to the trip can be made post-trip using
the iExpenses tool (Themis, Staff Self-Help, Internet expenses, Create an Expense Report) and must be
supported by original receipts. Your receipts and/or internet booking slips (e.g. for accommodation, airfares) must
accompany the online Expense Report as clearly legible, scanned files (can assemble several on one backing
sheet for scanning), to be included as electronic attachments. As of Dec 2014, the original receipts need no longer
be submitted, but they should be kept for 2 months in case there is a query from University Services. For
downloads of instruction cards for all iExpenses transactions, see
http://themis.unimelb.edu.au/support/process_my_financial_transactions/accounts_payable
Staff business travel is covered under the normal university insurance http://www.fpg.unimelb.edu.au/io/ . Note
that claims for loss or damage to equipment taken on off-campus trips must be supported by admissible
documentation, such as a departmental register of equipment (any value) taken off-campus; items valued at
>$5000 taken on off-campus trips must be registered with the Insurance Office. The most common claims involve
laptop computers. Information on all insurance matters and conditions can be obtained from the Insurance Office,
see url above.
Postgrad students do not use Travel Portal but book any travel through their supervisor or, in some cases, external
sponsor organisation. One critical item here is insurance. Students on approved university business are covered for
travel within Australia but this is not automatically the case for overseas travel. Contact the University Insurance
Office for assistance (www.fpg.unimelb.edu.au/io/); this needs to be done well ahead (3 weeks) of the
intended travel.
Fieldwork
Those planning fieldwork should consult the university’s (http://safety.unimelb.edu.au/topics/travel/) website. This
contains templates of the 2 key documents
(i)
(ii)
Field Work Plan
Field Work Risk Assessment (completed examples available)
along with several support documents. The plan in particular compiles all EHS-related elements of your fieldwork
and is a very useful tool. Read the Field Work OHS Guidelines pdf which is also available at this page.
Information on organising and carrying out fieldwork, incl. in remote terrain, can also be found in the School EHS
Manual and in the VIEPS Field Manual (www.earthsci.unimelb.edu.au/about-us). Those unfamiliar with local
procedures should consult local staff with experience in the planning and conduct of fieldwork (e.g. Malcolm
Wallace, Stephen Gallagher, Sandra McLaren, Steve Boger, or the local EHS Officer).
In general, preparation for any fieldwork involves 7 steps:
1. complete a field work plan* (captures details on transport, communication, supplies, emergency
preparedness); have this checked by fellow fieldworkers, supervisor and by the school EHS officer
2. complete the Field Work Risk Assessment*
3. all participants of the field party to complete Earth Sciences Medical Questionnaire*; this ensures trip
organisers know of any medical conditions that may affect trip logistics
4. staff must obtain formal supervisor approval for off-campus travel via the TravelPortal system
5. book vehicles, first aid kits and remote area communication (satellite phone, EPIRB, Spot, in-reach sat
comms)
6. provide trip participants with relevant briefing material
7. lodge a hard copy of all material with Front Office
*the field work plan and field work risk assessment are those from (http://safety.unimelb.edu.au/topics/travel/) and
replace equivalent documents previously used in the School of Earth Sciences. The risk assessment completed in
step 2 is in addition to any risk assessment done within Travel Portal.
[Type text]
[Type text]
[Type text]
9
Vehicles
The School operates two 4WD vehicles (Toyota Prado). They are available for use by Earth Sciences staff and
postgrad students who hold a valid Victorian driver’s license. Note that the Prado’s are manual cars, not
automatics; this affects who can drive the cars. Access is via the University’s Smartfleet on-line booking
system. All users need to register with Smartfleet (see below) before they can take out a car. The registration is
straightforward but requires a copy of your driver’s license (front and back), and signatures of approver (if
applicable) and Head of School. Leave your completed form with Front Office for processing. This can take a while;
do not expect to get a car straight away if you have only just put in for your registration. Once you are registered,
getting a car (either one of ours of from the pool) should be easy and quick.
Guidelines for using Smartfleet, but see below if you are after one of the School’s new Toyota Prado vehicles
http://www.pcs.unimelb.edu.au/services_and_requests/fleet_services/hiring/index.html
Registration for new Smartfleet users
http://www.pcs.unimelb.edu.au/services_and_requests/fleet_services/hiring/pool_cars/account.html
Our two new Prado’s will be available to Earth Science people only and are garaged on level B5 Eastern Carpark.
Keys are kept in Front Office.
To book a vehicle, go to:
https://webfleet.com.au/Webfleet/ASPX/SystemUser/WebfleetUserLogin.aspx
Login in using your user name and password. Click on 'Vehicle Calendar'. Select 'Earth Sciences' from 'Managed
Site: Select a Site' and hit 'Search'. Select 'Date Range' for booking, hit 'Search'. Click 'Create'. Fill in the
details. For remote work select 'Other' for Destination and pick the nearest town it will accept. Click 'Yes, I agree'
in Declaration.
When you have finished the trip you will receive an email with a form to fill out. Please fill in the form with trip kms,
and charge details, sign and give to Front Office staff to process.
The two Earth Sciences Prado’s have 2 fuel cards, Shell and BP – the PIN is 3010. They are kept in the central
console above the gear stick, together with the car park swipe card. If the PIN on the Shellcard has not been set,
sign for the fuel and set the PIN to 3010. The vehicles have keyless entry, you just need the 'key' in your pocket to
access and start the vehicle. You will need to depress the clutch when starting the vehicle. For remote trips,
the spare key should be kept by the second driver; it cannot be left in the vehicle. There is no logbook, just the
form to fill out after the trip. The vehicles have a handy reversing camera when reverse is engaged.
Earth Science people will also be able to book University pool vehicles which are kept in the underground car
park under South Lawn; keys are accessed at the carpark using a pin code.
For long trips, a rental car often works out cheaper. Avis is the university’s preferred supplier; their nearest depot is
in Franklin St, near City Baths. Let them know you are from the university to access special deals.
A few more things about using Earth Sciences cars (and university cars generally):
- check tyre pressure, oil and water levels at start of trip (fix at nearest petrol station if necessary)
- return vehicle clean (go through carwash if needed), tidy (remove rubbish and give the car an internal
vacuum) and in sound mechanical condition. Report any problems to John Pederick
- drive safely; irresponsible behaviour will lead to suspension of your vehicle borrowing rights
- infringement notices (fines for speeding, running lights, parking etc.) are paid by the driver
According to university policy, the use of privately-owned vehicles for fieldwork is discouraged. The university
will not accept any liability for incidents involving private vehicles used for university business.
Any questions, check with the Facilities Manager, David Belton, or with the Fleet manager, Chris Stavrou (x43168,
mob 0478 405 819, email:cstavrou@unimelb.edu.au). Additional information on using cars for university business
is available in the school EHS Manual, see school website, and at http://www.safety.unimelb.edu.au/topics/travel/
Risk Control for Fieldwork
Risks arising from hazardous tasks or activities must be managed using the university’s risk management process
(see http://safety.unimelb.edu.au/). All risk management should be based on the accepted hierarchy of Risk Control
measures:
1. Elimination: can you do without using the hazardous procedure, chemical, tool etc.?
2. Substitution: can a hazardous procedure/piece of equipment etc be replaced with something less hazardous ?
Last reviewed: 24 August 2015
Next review due: Oct 2015
School of Earth Sciences EHS Committee
Roland Maas, EHS Officer
uncontrolled when printed
10
3. Engineering controls: make hazardous equipment and procedures safer using hardware controls (e.g.
guarding, emergency stop switches)
4. Administrative controls: make hazardous equipment and procedures safer with the help of training, signage,
safe operating procedures, etc.
5. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): safety glasses, hearing protection, strong shoes, hard hats etc.
Elimination and substitution are the best control measures. Where these are impractical, ‘hard-wired’ engineering
controls are the next-best solution, being less susceptible to operator error than the administrative controls.
Nevertheless, administrative controls are indispensable (training and supervisions are obvious ones) and widely
used. PPE is used in combination with other control measures to further reduce risks in situations where control
measures 1-4 alone cannot do the job.
Examples of completed fieldwork risk assessments for bushwalking and boating are available at
http://safety.unimelb.edu.au/topics/travel/
[Type text]
[Type text]
[Type text]
11
School of Earth Sciences
Environment Health & Safety (EHS) Induction Questionnaire
Keys will issued only on completion of this form; Front Office staff to check the form before handing out keys
Questionnaire completed by:
Date:
Please print name
Staff
Student
Visitor
Employee No.
Student No.
I have received and read:
School of Earth Sciences EHS Induction and Training Guide
Please initial
The university safety website is:
The school safety website is:
How does a building evacuation alarm sound ?
Do you need to complete EHS-related training ?
How do you set up an ergonomic workstation ?
What do you do if you are involved in an incident ?
Do you know how to access information on other EHS-related topics, such as field work
safety, chemical safety, car booking, local work practices and inductions, waste disposal,
occupational health checks
Facilities & Operations Manager is
Staff Health & Safety Rep. is
EHS Officer is
My Work Area Supervisor is
Please print
I have read the ‘School of Earth Sciences EHS Induction and Training’ guide and understand that I am expected to
follow the EHS procedures as stipulated and amended from time to time by the University of Melbourne and The
School of Earth Sciences.
For staff only: I understand my obligations regarding EHS training and will make efforts to undertake the
compulsory online training as well as any hazard-based training I may need, in a timely manner
SIGNATURES:
Inductee
Last reviewed: 24 August 2015
Next review due: Oct 2015
School of Earth Sciences EHS Committee
Witnessed by Supervisor
Roland Maas, EHS Officer
uncontrolled when printed
12
Training to be completed by new staff member
Mandatory for all staff at start of your time at the university, refreshers every 3 years thereafter
EHS Roles & Responsibilities, online
Mandatory for all academic, laboratory and office supervisors/managers
Risk Management, online
Incident Response & Investigation
Postgraduate students with projects involving fieldwork and/or laboratory work
Risk Management, online
Hazard-based EHS Training for staff and postgrad students
Chemical Management
Compressed Gas Safety
Ionising Radiation
Laser Safety
Manual Handling
Receiving Hazardous Materials (for Front Office Staff)
Mandatory for staff with emergency response roles
Chief Warden and warden (separate modules)
Staff and PhD students involved in leading/carrying out fieldwork
Occupational First Aid - Level 2
4WD training
[Type text]
[Type text]
[Type text]