2015/2016
FACULTY OF COMPUTING, ENGINEERING & SCIENCES – SCHOOL OF SCIENCES RISK
ASSESSMENT FORM
Procedure:
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Academics complete Risk Assessment for all practical classes/activities, Technical team for
all support aspects and forward to Faculty Health & Safety Advisor, reviewed on an annual
basis
Experimenters complete Risk Assessment in consultation with supervisor and technical staff
as appropriate
Academic/technicians forward all experimenters copies to Faculty Health & Safety
Advisor/nominated personnel for sign off then copy returned
Experimenters to keep copies of Risk Assessments when working in the laboratories
Notes:
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No laboratory work is to commence without a risk assessment signed off by Faculty Health &
Safety advisor or for experimenters by the supervisor and Faculty Health & Safety
Advisor/nominated individual
The risk assessment must be reviewed when any changes are made to the equipment,
materials, procedure or personnel.
Technical staff can stop experimental work if no risk assessment is in place, or if, in their
opinion, there is a risk to safety
□ Biology
□
Forensics & Crime Science □ Geography
Student: Name & email address:
Ref No: SOP 10
Supervisor:
Staff: Mishele Barrigas
Ethical consideration:
No ethics declaration
Date submitted/passed
Title of project/module (include module number):
IN PREPARATION FOR -
SHS80706-M DNA Techniques
SHS82310-6/BIOL60496 Advanced DNA Profiling
SHS80253-5 Genetics & Cell Biology
SHS80209-5 Forensic Genetics
FORE50317 DNA Profiling and Forensic Biology
FORE70336 Forensic Chemical and Biological Techniques (MSci Module)
FORE70291 Practical Support Two (Masters Summer practical week)
General/ Technical procedure
Description of experimental procedure/practical session
Ethanol precipitation and Re-suspension of Extension Products for DNA
Analysis using the 3500 Genetic Analyser
Transfer PCR product to a 1.5 ml tube before adding PCR water and 95% ethanol.
Vortex and incubate at room temperature for 15 minutes. Centrifuge for 20 minutes
at maximum speed. Remove supernatant and add 70% ethanol to wash pellets and
vortex briefly. Centrifuge for 10 minutes and remove supernatant. Load tubes into
the vacuum centrifuge (tube lid open) to dry. Ensure no residual ethanol remains in
the tube before re-suspending pellet in 10 µl of HiDi formamide. The entire volume is
then transferred to a 96 well plate. Storage at -20oC or loaded directly onto the 3500
genetic analyser.
Hazards inherent in the work, record details and
possibility of harm:
(equipment, procedures, invertebrate
/environmental samples, body fluids)
Record precautions which will be taken:
(e.g. Any standard operating procedures to
follow, SAF codes, faculty policies)
Electrical hazard: microcentrifuge,
vacuum centrifuge, vortex.
All equipment is annually tested.
Formamide is toxic
Formamide is used in very small
volumes, with exposure times kept to a
minimum
COSSH assessment (harmful substances)
Minimum handling precautions
Toxicity data:
Hazardous to the aquatic environment (HAE)
Acute toxicity (T)
Gases under pressure (GUP)
Corrosive (Corr)
Explosive (E)
Flammable (Fl)
Caution ‘©
Oxidising (O)
Longer term health hazards (LTHH)
Fume cupboard (F)
Safety glasses (SG)
Microbiological cabinet (Cab)
Laminar flow cabinets (LF)
Gloves (GL)
Face mask (M)
Respirator (R)
Other
All INFOMRATION CAN BE FOUND ON
MSDS (MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEETS)
ON THE INTERNET OR SCIENCES CHEMICAL
DATABASE ON-LINE OR WITHIN EACH OF
THE LABORATORIES
2
Chemicals involved
(including Products):
Toxicity data as
above:
Minimum handling
precautions:
Quantity to be
used: ml/g/%
solution
PER REACTION
32 µl
200 µl
10 µl
8 µl
10-50 µl
95% ethanol
70% ethanol
Hidi formamide
PCR water
PCR product
C, Fl
C, Fl
T, C
-
Gl, SG
Gl, SG
Gl, SG
Gl
Gl
Microorganisms:
Classification:
Minimum handling precautions:
Do any of the above substances have a workplace
exposure limit (WEL) please state value and
precautions:
YES
OES 1000ppm/8Hr TWA (ethanol)
Disposal information (How will all reactants/products be disposed of?)
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Waste ethanol to be stored for collection by a chemical disposal company.
Formamide will be treated as hazardous waste and safely stored for disposal by a
specialist company.
Have you checked all reactants are not hazardous to the environment? YES
Any special conditions specified as part of the permission to carry out the work/procedure and
actions needed to minimise risk e.g. adherence to HTA or body fluid policy 1.52, completion of
fieldwork risk assessment etc.
None
Supervisor/Academic comments:
(Any disability issues to be aware of?)
Staff/Supervisor - What level of risk do you assign with this work?
High
Medium
Low
Date: 4 September. 2015
Faculty H&S approval
Date of Review
Date:
September 2016
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