Health and Safety
Policy
2015/2016
Craig Hopper – School Safety Officer
Contents
A
Statement of Intent
B
Organisation of Safety in the School
1
2
3
4
5
C
1
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
1.6
1.7
6
7
8
9
Staff with specific duties
Staff Structure
Organisation roles
School Safety Committee
Accidents/near misses/ incidents
Arrangements in the School
General
Conduct
GLP
Signage
Fault Reporting
Security
Out of Hours/Lone Working
Manual Handling
2 Documentation
2.1 Risk Assessments
General
COSHH
Travel
2.2 DSEAR
2.3 MSDS
2.4 Laboratory Safety Information sheet
2.5 Unattended Experiments
3 Control Measures
3.1 LEVS - Fume hoods
3.2 PPE - Lab Coat Cleaning
4
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.5
Safety Audits
Staff Induction
Training
Sanctions
Chemicals
Segregation/Storage
Poisonous / Toxic
Carcinogens
Chemical Weapons
Solvents
5
5.1
5.2
5.3
6
6.1
6.2
6.3
Cryogens
Liquid Nitrogen
CO2
Helium
Gas
Storage, Transport
Regulators, Gas lines
Types
7
7.1
7.2
7.3
7.4
7.5
Waste Disposal
Liquid
Solid
Gas
Sharps
Bottled Chemicals
8
8.1
8.2
9
9.1
9.2
Equipment/Apparatus
Use of Electrical Equipment
Visual, Formal, PAT testing
Radiation
Use of lasers
X-Ray
10
10.1
10.2
10.3
10.4
10.5
Emergency Procedures
Fire Evacuation
Types of Extinguisher
Release of Chemicals
Chemical Spill
First Aid
APPENDIX 1 – Fire Evacuation plan
APPENDIX 2 – Waste disposal guide
APPENDIX 3 – Incompatible chemicals and reaction hazards
APPENDIX 4 – Declaration (to sign and print)
Page | 1
Contacts
Emergency
Fire, Police, Ambulance
Security
Estates
House Services (24 hours)
6666/9999
86817
87171
86817
Staff with Specific Safety Duties
Prof U Stimming
Prof AC Benniston
Dr C Bleasdale
Mr C Hopper
Prof A Harriman
Dr M Probert
Dr M Carroll
Mr G Day
Mr C Burrows
Head of School
Deputy HoS, Safety
Deputy HoS, Chair of Safety & Estates Committee
School Safety Officer
Laser Protection Supervisor
Radiation Protection Supervisor
Biological Safety Officer
Manual Handling Co-ordinator
Portable Applicance Test (PAT)
86786
85706
87070
87078
87074
88660
87082
87064
87291
Fire Marshal (CHEM)
Fire Marshal (CEAM)
Deputy Fire Marshal
Deputy Fire Marshal
87078
Johnston laboratory
B41
School Office
School Office
2.10
Synthetic Teaching Laboratory
3.11
NICR
83938
87205
87029
87069
87078
87082
86635
85933
Fire
Mr C Hopper
Dr A Charles
Mr G Day
Miss H Mann
87064
87078
First Aiders
Miss S Morton
Mr C Dunn (CEAM)
Miss K Kirkpatrick
Miss A Randall
Mr C Hopper
Miss A Reddy
Miss A Roberts
Mrs L Molyneux
Page | 2
A. Policy Statement
The Health and Safety at Work Act and the Management of Health and Safety at Work
Regulations 1992 require the University to formulate a policy with respect to the
management of health and safety and to bring this policy to the attention of all those working
in the University. The University requires the School to formulate its own policy and to bring
this to the attention of its staff and others working in the School.
It is the School’s policy to be committed to the University's Health and Safety Policy and to
act positively to promote safe working practice and safety awareness so as to prevent injury
and ill-health to personnel.
There is a Faculty Safety Committee which reviews policy, implementation and incidents on
a regular basis.
As Head of School, I am responsible for all aspects of the health and safety of personnel in
the School, from the formulation, through to implementation and development of school
policy. All members of the School are required to be actively involved in establishing,
observing and pursuing safe working practices.
Day-to-day monitoring of the School Safety Policy is carried out by the Safety Officer and
Assistant Safety Officers, the Biological and Radiation Supervisors, the Laser and UV
Protection Officers, the Display Screen Equipment Assessor and the Manual Handling
Coordinator. These people are also available for help and advice; they should be consulted
by any staff, student or visitor who has questions or doubts about health and safety matters.
A Health and Safety Notice Board is maintained near the School Office in the Bedson
Building and gives information about Safety Personnel, notes about specific items of current
concern and other safety related matters.
It is the School of Chemistry’s policy to:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Provide the necessary resources (financial, physical and personnel) to minimise
risks. This includes the provision of advice on health and safety.
Implement and develop procedures and codes of safe working practice.
Keep up-to-date with changes in health and safety practice by liaising with the
University Safety Officer and professional bodies, by the use of information
retrieval systems and through the attendance at training sessions, seminars and
conferences by its safety officers and staff.
Disseminate information on health and safety via electronic mail messages,
notices, etc. as appropriate.
Provide training in safe working methods.
Maintain an appropriate framework for consultation on effective measures for the
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continual development and promotion of health and safety.
Prof U Stimming
September, 2015
Page | 4
B. Safety Executive and Safety Organisation in the School
1. Staff with specific safety duties
Prof U Stimming
Prof AC Benniston
Head of School
Deputy Head of School with responsibility for
Safety & Chair of Safety and Estates Committee
86786
85706
Dr C Bleasdale
Mrs P Pears
Mr C Hopper
Deputy Head of School
School Manager
Technical Services manager &
School Safety Officer
Radiation Protection Supervisor (X-Ray)
Radiation Protection Supervisor (Radiochemistry)
Laser Safety Officer
Biological Safety Officer
Hazardous Waste
Manual Handling
Electrical Safety
87070
87103
87078
Dr M Probert
Dr M Carroll
Prof A Harriman
Dr M Carroll
Miss A Reddy
Mr G Day
Mr C Burrows
86641
87074
88660
87074
87082
87064
87291
2. Staff structure with regards to Safety
Head of
School
School
Manager
Chair of
Safety/Dep HoS
Commitee
RPS, LSO,
BSO
Deputy HoS
Supervisors
Everyone
Advisory role
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School Safety
Officer
3.
Organisational roles with regard to Safety
The ultimate responsibility for health and safety within the School lies with the Head of
School. For routine health and safety matters, the line of responsibility follows the normal
managerial lines in the School indicated in the previous section. However, every employee
with a supervisory role carries executive responsibility and is responsible for ensuring, in
accordance with the law, the health and safety of staff, students and other persons in their
area of responsibility and anyone else who may be affected by their work activities. The
responsibilities of those with delegated authority, School Managers, Principal Investigators
and Supervisors are detailed below.
3.1
Head of School (HoS), Professor U Stimming
In discharging his responsibilities, the Head of School is responsible for, either directly, or
through delegated authority (which is detailed in writing):

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Ensuring adherence in all respects to the Health and Safety Policy of Newcastle
University and in particular to ensure that the necessary resources for
implementation are available.
Planning, organising, monitoring and reviewing the arrangements for health and
safety including the arrangements for any visitors (and contractors).
Ensuring the provision of adequate facilities and arrangements for work with ionising
radiations including appointing sufficient numbers of Radiation Protection
Supervisors and a Departmental Laser Safety Officer.
Ensuring that the duties relating to safety in the School are understood.
Ensuring that training and instruction have been given in all relevant procedures
including emergency procedures.
Ensuring that departmental teaching and research are conducted in a safe manner
so as to avoid unnecessary hazards and to control risks to reduce the level of risk to
acceptable levels.
Keeping fabric, equipment and services in a safe condition and ensuring that proper
steps are taken to remedy defects.
Informing the University Occupational Health and Safety Service before any
significant hazards are introduced or when significant hazards are identified.
Ensuring that regular safety inspections are undertaken.
Investigating and keeping records of all accidents and incidents and to report
immediately to the University Occupational Health and Safety Service any serious or
potentially serious accident or incident.
Day to day implementation of the School Safety Policy is managed by the Deputy Head of
School, Chair of the School Safety Committee, School Safety Officer (SSO) and other safety
advisers, Heads of Research Groups and their senior staff. Matters affecting safety must be
given high priority and any delay must be reported to the SSO.
The appointment of the School Safety Officer, Laser Safety Officer, Radiation Protection
Supervisor and Biological Safety Officer is made in writing by the Head of School. The
appointments are renewed annually.
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3.2
School Safety Officer (SSO), Mr C Hopper
The School Safety Officer is responsible for:
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3.3
Advising on the measures needed to carry out the work of the School with the
minimum of risk to health and safety.
Devising School Policy, local rules and procedures on all aspects of safety including
fire safety.
Liaising with the University Occupational Health and Safety Service and Enforcement
Authorities on all matters of health and safety.
Coordinating any safety advice given in the School by specialist advisers and the
University Occupational Health and Safety Service and providing a point of reference
on all health and safety matters.
Reporting on accidents and incidents causing, or with the potential to cause, injury
and/or damage and recommending remedial action to prevent reoccurrence.
Monitoring health and safety within the Department and reporting any breaches of
the Health and Safety Policy to the HoS.
As Fire Marshal, monitoring and recording implementation of University Fire Safety
Policy locally and advising the HoS on the effectiveness of the local fire safety
provisions and the adequacy of control measures.
Coordinating safety training for staff and students and assisting Principal
Investigators and Supervisors in identifying training needs.
Presenting a written annual report to the HoS regarding Safety in the School.
Providing regular reports to meetings of the School Safety Committee.
Deputy Heads of School (Professor AC Benniston and Dr C Bleasdale)
The Deputy Heads of School act on behalf of the HoS in his absence.
3.4
Chair of School Safety Committee (Dr C Bleasdale)
The Chair of the School Safety Committee manages the agenda for the Committee
and receives reports from the SSO. The Chair promotes dissemination of the
Committee’s deliberations to the School.
3.5
Laser Safety Officer (LSO), Professor A Harriman
The Laser Safety Officer is responsible for:
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Providing advice and guidance on Laser Safety within the Department.
Consulting with the University Occupational Health and Safety Service as
appropriate.
Ensuring that risk assessments, local rules and procedures are in place.
Monitoring compliance with procedures thus ensuring that safe working procedures
are followed.
Reporting and investigating any accident or incident involving a laser, including ‘near
misses’.
Maintaining any necessary registers of lasers and laser users.
Routinely inspecting laser installations.
Presenting a written annual report to the HoS regarding laser safety in the School.
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
Providing quarterly reports to the School Safety Committee.
3.6
Radiation Protection Supervisor (RPS), Dr M Probert (X-Ray), Dr M Carroll
(Radiochemistry).
The Radiation Protection Supervisor (where applicable) is responsible for:
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
3.7
Ensuring that the School’s ‘Local Rules’ for the use of Ionising Radiations are
complied with.
Coordinating the record keeping and reporting systems required by the Certificates of
Registration and Authorisation issued under the Radioactive Substances Act.
Routinely inspecting areas where radioactive substances / sources are used and
organising an annual review of all holdings.
Arranging the disposal of radioactive waste from the School.
Reporting and investigating any accident or incident involving ionising radiations.
Presenting a written annual report to the HoS regarding radiation protection tasks
and Radiation Safety in the School.
Providing guidance and support on the use of X-Ray in the School.
Providing quarterly reports to the Safety and Estates Committee.
Biological Safety Officer (BSO), Dr M Carroll


3.8
Advising on the use of Biological agents within the School.
Reporting and investigating any accident or incident involving Biological agents.
School Manager, Mrs P Pears
The School Manager is responsible for:

Overseeing the policies and processes concerning health and safety within the
School, in order to ensure that the School complies with University policies and
National Health and Safety legislation.
Overseeing business continuity and local incident planning for the School.
3.9
Academic Staff
Academic staff are accountable to the Head of School for the health and safety
management of their work activities and the activities of postdoctoral fellows, PhD
students, undergraduate project students and any visitors or guests working in their
research laboratories under their supervision. Their duties include:
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
Assessing the risks of the work under their control and ensuring the implementation
and maintenance of relevant risk control measures.
Ensuring the provision of suitable information, instruction, training and supervision to
the staff, students and academic visitors under their control taking into account the
experience and skills of these people.
In their absence from the School, appointing a suitable deputy to maintain
appropriate supervision of the work under their control. Ensuring that their specific
research projects are well managed so as not to cause illness or injury.
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Ensuring that all new members of staff, students and visitors have suitable and
sufficient training in order to perform their duties safely; to discuss with them the
School Safety Policy; to provide them with a copy of local safety rules and provide an
appropriate level of supervision. The academic member of staff should keep a
checklist of matters to be discussed and this list should be revised at least annually.
Training records must be kept.
Ensuring that all work in their research group is conducted in line with School Policy
and that appropriate control measures are used and procedures followed by means
of regular inspections.
Ensuring that their areas of responsibility are kept clean and tidy, that rubbish is not
allowed to accumulate and that circulation spaces, gangways and corridors are kept
clear in order to maintain safe access and egress.
Ensuring adequate liaison with collaborative organisations as required, particularly
with regard to risk assessments both internally and externally.
Ensuring that work under their supervision has been assessed prior to work
commencing and that suitable and sufficient risk assessments have been completed;
and that all researchers under their supervision are aware of the content and location
of such risk assessments.
It may be appropriate for experienced researchers to undertake risk assessments
and where this is the case, the academic member of staff must ensure that they have
received the necessary information, instruction and training to be competent to
undertake the assessment. For clarification, PhD students and undergraduate
project students must have their risk assessments confirmed by the academic
supervisor or delegated person prior to the procedure being carried out.
Where a postdoctoral fellow has been deemed, by the academic supervisor, to be
competent to conduct their own risk assessments authorisation must be given in
writing and a copy of the agreement must be provided to the School Safety Officer.
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Ensuring that staff have access to adequate information regarding the hazards and
risks associated with their projects and that they are aware of the procedures to be
followed in the event of an accident or emergency.
Assessing the degree of experience of each member of their group and if necessary,
provide or arrange for further training.
Ensuring that short-term workers or visitors to the group are appropriately supervised
while working in the laboratory in accordance with their level of competence and
experience.
Ensuring that undergraduate vacation students are registered in the School,
inducted, and supervised at all times while working in the laboratory. For
clarification, such students must not be allowed to work in laboratories without
supervision and must not work outside the hours of 8.30 am – 5.30 pm Monday Friday.
Ensuring that all research group members understand the School’s waste disposal
policy and the correct routes for disposal of waste.
Ensuring that all graduate students attend the safety induction training course.
Ensuring that health screening and health surveillance takes place when appropriate.
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3.10
Ensuring that items, including chemicals, within laboratories are stored / segregated
correctly.
Ensure that no chemicals are removed from the School without good reason.
Individuals
All employees, affiliated members, students and all other persons entering onto the premises
or who are involved in University activities are responsible for exercising care in relation to
themselves and others who may be affected by their actions or omissions. Those in
immediate charge of visitors (including contractors) should ensure that the visitors adhere to
the requirements of the School’s safety rules and procedures.
You must:
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Make sure that your work is carried out in a safe manner and in accordance with
University and School Policy. If you feel you have insufficient training to complete a
task safely, ask your supervisor for training to be arranged.
Obey all instructions, written or verbal, issued by those appointed with executive
responsibility for health and safety.
Make it your responsibility to keep up to date with any changes in policies, practices
and procedures. Inform yourself of the health and safety hazards of the equipment
and materials with which you are concerned, in so far as these hazards may
reasonably be foreseen.
Protect yourself and others by wearing the personal protective equipment (PPE)
provided, and by using any guards or safety devices provided. It should be noted
that it is illegal to intentionally or recklessly interfere with or misuse anything provided
in the interests of health, safety or welfare, and this would include over-riding
interlocks on equipment, removing guards and insulating equipment from electrical
apparatus, removing earth wires.
Report all accidents, incidents, near misses, faulty safety equipment or PPE
immediately to the SSO including deficiencies in safety equipment and procedures.
Bring to the attention of your supervisor any potential hazard to health and safety
whether in your routine work or arising from faults in equipment.
Familiarise yourself with the location of firefighting equipment, alarm call points,
escape routes and assembly points, together with fire and emergency procedures
4. Safety and Estates Committee
In addition to the above arrangements, the School operates a Safety and Estates
Committee. This Committee has an advisory and consultative function for the HoS and
School Executive Board. The School Safety Committee is advised, as necessary, by the
University Occupational Health and Safety Service.
The Safety and Estates Committee is concerned with all aspects of health and safety of
staff, students and visitors within the School. The Committee aims to develop and maintain
high safety standards by promoting co-operation in instigating, developing and carrying out
measures to ensure the health and safety of all affected by the School’s undertakings.
The Committee meets monthly during the academic year or as often as necessary.
Page | 10
Members
Professor U Stimming
Professor AC Benniston
Dr C Bleasdale
Mr C Hopper
Dr I Hardcastle
Prof A Harriman
Dr M Probert
Dr M Carroll
Mrs P Pears
Head of School
Chair of Committee ,Deputy HoS with responsibility for Safety
Deputy HoS
School Safety Officer
Member of the School Safety and Estates Committee
Laser Safety Officer
Radiation Protection Supervisor (X-Ray)
Radiation Protection Supervisor (Radiochemistry)
School Manager
Terms of Reference
The purpose of the Safety and Estates Committee:

To create and promote an active safety culture.

To monitor the day-to-day implementation of this document and to make
recommendations regarding changes in safety policy or procedures as appropriate.

To monitor and review the practical implementation of new legislative requirements
or changes in the Health and Safety Policy as recommended by the School Safety
Officer or the University Occupational Health and Safety Service (OHSS).

To consider reports from enforcing authorities, reports and other data from internal
inspections, surveillance and monitoring and to make recommendations for
consequent improvements to health and safety procedures.

To receive and consider reports on health and safety from the following:
School Safety Officer (SSO)
Laser Safety Officer (LSO)
Radiation Protection Supervisors (RPS)

To receive and consider accident/incident reports and near misses and to ensure that
these are appropriately followed up.

To consider accidents, incidents and dangerous occurrence statistics in order to
identify unsafe and unhealthy conditions and practices and to make
recommendations for corrective actions.

To monitor and review the effectiveness of health and safety training and to make
appropriate recommendations.

To consider recommendations or complaints from staff or students and recommend
appropriate action.
Page | 11
5. Accidents/Near misses/Incidents
In the event of an Accident/Near Miss/Incident the following procedure will be followed by the
school:
Incident occurs
Yes
Injury sustained?
Accident reported to
First Aider
No
No injury, minor injury
(no further treatment
required)
Incident involving
chemical agents,
injury requiring
medical treatment
Call ambulance/ Escort
to hospital with MSDS
Notify
School Safety Officer
Incident investigation and report
using online system
School Safety Committee
investigate circumstances
Actions created and given to
affected people
Further
actions
Incident reviewed at
School and Faculty Safety committees
Safety policy updated if required
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6. Safety audits
6.1 Principles

The school will perform safety audits ensuring that as a minimum each laboratory in
the School is audited twice annually and each non-laboratory room is audited once
annually.

Safety audits will be coordinated by the School Safety Officer on behalf of the Head
of School.
The safety audit team members are:
School
School Safety Officer
Head of School
Deputy Head of School (Chair of S & E Com)
Deputy Head of School
Mr C Hopper
Professor U Stimming
Professor AC Benniston
Dr C Bleasdale
Mr R Davidson
Mr J Dryden
Mrs S Dainty
University Safety Office
SAgE Safety Adviser
University Fire Officer
University Chemicals and Biological Safety
Adviser
6.2 Format

Audits will be performed using the School Safety Audit form.

There are 9 categories with 5 competencies per category.

The categories are as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Entrance
Staff
Housekeeping
Safety Systems
Emergency information
Chemical – Waste and Sharps
Chemical – Gas and Cryogens
Chemical – Storage
Chemical – Flammable
Each competency is weighted as 20% with categories scored out of 100%. Each
score will give a quantitative measure of compliance in each category.
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6.3 Safety Audit – explanation of mark scheme
Sought Compliance
1.
1.1
Entrance/Security
Door Signage Sufficient
1.2
1.3
Laboratory Safety Sheet
Outside lab info (COSHH,
unattended Experiment)
Access to laboratory controlled
Access to chemicals controlled
Staff
PPE available and worn by staff
1.4
1.5
2.
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
3
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
4
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.5
5.
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4
5.5
6.
6.1
COSHH assessments present
SOPS present if required
Staff received appropriate training
for task
Appropriate Supervision
Housekeeping
General housekeeping meet
acceptable levels
Aisles free of obstruction
Surfaces free of contamination
Fume Hoods / LEV – contents not
excessive
Spill Kit present
Safety Systems
Fume Hoods / LEV serviced
PAT testing completed
Chemical inventory in place
COSHH form available
Emergency contacts
Emergency Information
COSHH / DSEAR available near
experiments
Emergency procedures outlined
Emergency Signs present where
required
Emergency Shower / Hose
flushed routinely
Fire extinguishers suitable
Chemical – Waste and sharps
Waste levels kept to minimum
Evidenced by
Requirements
Laboratory safety sheet, room number, additional signage if
required (laser etc).
Laboratory Safety sheet present?
COSHH and unattended experiment form if experiments are
active.
Doors locked. Not open if unoccupied.
Areas with chemicals locked. Chemical cupboards locked.
Suitable PPE worn by all staff in accordance to laboratory safety
sheet, school rules and risk assessments.
COSHH available for any experiment.
SOPs for instrumentation, equipment where appropriate.
Staff had received training, had skill and competency to complete
tasks.
Compliance with policies on Supervision/Lone working/Out of
hours working.
Tidiness of area in general. Free of clutter. Obvious regime of
cleaning.
Free access in and out of rooms. No trip hazards.
Chemical contamination, evidence of spills.
Appropriate levels of contents in LEV’s. Not cluttered thereby
affecting air profile.
Evidence of Spill Kit or appropriate alternative.
Last test must be within 14 months.
Last test must be within 12 months.
Record of contents, regularly updated, chemicals ordered.
For any experiments or processes involving chemical agents.
On COSHH RA, lab safety sheet, additional info recommended.
Evidence of risk assessments. Must be immediately available.
Information should be available on COSHH RA, Unattended
Experiments and DSEAR. Specialist procedures must have
displayed obviously.
Example: for lasers, radiation, electrical.
Maintenance record required. 1 week testing frequency
recommended.
Any fire extinguishers are suitable for activities.
Containers are not overflowing.
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6.2
Hazardous waste stored correctly
6.3
6.4
Waste containers labelled
Sharps bin present and
appropriate
Incorrectly stored sharps not
present
Chemical – Gas and Cryogens
Cryogenics stored safely & PPE
6.5
7.
7.1
7.2
7.3
7.4
7.5
8
8.1
8.2
8.3
8.4
8.5
9
9.1
9.2
9.3
9.4
9.5
Gas Cylinders secured
Regulator suitable and within 10
years old
Flashback device on flammable
and oxygen cylinder
Staff have attended university
training
Chemical storage - General
Corrosives stored on Spill trays
Toxins/carcinogens stored safely
Appropriate segregation of
chemicals.
Containers sealed and in good
condition
Chemicals in fridges stored
correctly
Chemicals - Flammable
Flammables in correct storage
Flammable store – incompatibles
not present
Non spark fridges do not contain
flammables
Ventilation of flammables where
required
Flam bins does not exceed 50l
highly flammable
Liquids in spill trays, ventilation here required, and incompatible
waste not present, sensible positioning in area.
Clear labelling.
Sharps bins available where required, not overfilled, in sufficient
quantity for activities.
Appropriate contents in bins. No sharps on open bench or in
storage.
Appropriate equipment, PPE and located appropriately in area –
RA present if required.
Chained or appropriate alternative.
Within 10 years, logged on school database and appropriate for
task.
Flashback present and correctly fitted.
Evidence of training.
Spills trays for all acid storage. Shelving must have lip to gather
spills.
Access restricted to lab users/locked cabinets.
See Chemical Storage section of School Safety Policy.
Old bottles should not be present without good reason, chemicals
do not exceed date of use, labelling must be visible, no
contamination on bottles, no evidence of chemical reaction.
Appropriately sorted, no incompatibles, contents not excessive.
Flammables separated from incompatibles. Preferably ventilated
or in flammable bin.
Flammables separated from incompatibles (oxygen, oxidisers etc)
Non-spark fridges required for flammables.
Ventilation of flammables where required
Area must not exceed 50l of flammable solvents or liquids.
Page | 15
6.4 School auditing process
The School conducts audits using the following process:
Safety audit schedule published in
safety policy
Team carries out audit on area
using School audit scheme
Review
Results and actions compiled and
issued to affected supervisors
Actions are checked by School
Safety Officer
Reviewed at
School Safety Committee
Findings and score from an audit of an area will be provided to the responsible person by the
School Safety Officer for the area within 7 days of the audit being conducted. Those
responsible should respond to the audit findings within 7 days. Both the School Safety
Officer and the responsible person for an area will sign an actions list. A copy of the signed
document along with the score will be presented to the Safety and Estates Committee at the
nearest opportunity.
Examples of dangerous behaviour or arrangements will be reported immediately and
directly to the HoS.
6.5 Auditing schedule 2015/2016
October – 2nd and 3rd Floors
December – Basement, Ground and 1st Floors
March – 2nd and 3rd Floors
May – Basement, Ground and 1st Floors
Page | 16
7. Staff induction
In order to work on behalf of the School or within School premises, the following process will
be observed:
Employment confirmed
School office provides Safety policy in advance of start of
employment
Employee attends induction meeting upon entering the
School
Employee signs Document A – Declaration- indicating that
they have read the safety policy and will abide by it
content.
Training agreed between Employee, Supervisor and Deputy Head/School Safety Officer and
information updated on Document B – Authorisation for Laboratory Work
Document B signed by Employee, Supervisor and Deputy
Head/School Safety Officer
Document B reviewed and signed by Head of School.
Copy of Document B retained by School Office for
School Training Record
Staff member permitted to work in school.
Page | 17
8. Training
8.1 School process
Training requirements will be agreed at a meeting between the employee or research
student, their supervisor and the School Safety Officer on entering the school. Once agreed,
a permit to work will be issued on the condition that the employee or student completes the
appropriate training programme. Subsequent training needs will be identified as part of the
Performance Development Review (PDR) process for staff or identified as part of the risk
assessment process for new tasks (staff and students).
A record of training for all employees and research students in the school are maintained by
the School Office.
The School training matrix indicates the compulsory training individuals are required to
undergo according to their staff category. Additional training is required for specialist roles
such as a role involving use of lasers.
8.2 Role of Employees/Research Students
Employees and research students must ensure that they attend all training courses agreed
on their enrolment meeting. Employees should not perform tasks that they are untrained in,
or feel uncomfortable doing. Employees should never attempt to use equipment or perform
tasks for which they have not been trained.
8.3 Role of Academic Staff
Academic supervisors must ensure that those under their jurisdiction are not expected to
perform tasks for which they are untrained or inexperienced to do. They must ensure that
new employees / research students have been appropriately trained to carry out the work
they are required to undertake and they should not leave inexperienced staff to work
autonomously.
8.4 Role of School
The School provides appropriate and adequate resources for health and safety training. The
School prohibits an activity to be carried out by a person that is not appropriately trained and
demonstrates competence to carry out the task.
Page | 18
8.5 Training requirements – Academic and Non – Academic Staff*
Accident Investigation
Basic Chemical Safety
Basic Fire
Basic Health and Safety
Biological and GM Safety
Cryogenics
IOSH Leading Safely
Display Screen Equipment (DSE)
DSE refresher
Emergency First Aid
EVAC Chairs
Fire Warden & Marshal Training
First Aid At Work
First Aid Refresher
Gas Safety
Genetic Modification Safety
Ionising Radiation – Open sources
Ionising Radiation – RPS (Advanced)
Laser
Manual Handling
Manual Handling refresher
Portable Appliance Testing (PAT)
Principal Investigators, Managers and Supervisors
(PIMS)
Radiation Protection Supervisor ( RPS ) Training
Open Sources Training - Basic Radiation Protection
Risk Assessment
Specific Hazards - Oxygen Resuscitation
STEP – slips, trips and falls
Transport of Biological Samples
Travel
Work At Height
HoS/
Dep
Compulsory
If relevant to subject area
Optional - Is a requirement for safe operation of school
*The HoS may exempt individuals from certain training requirements due to prior
experience.
Page | 19
Clerical Staff
Post Docs
Deputy Area
Supervisors
Academic
Supervisors
Course/Tasks
Technical
Staff
Non–
Academic Staff
Academic staff
8.6 Training requirement – Undergraduates and Postgraduates
Read and sign School Health and Safety Policy
(annually)
Blackboard pre-laboratory questions
COSHH assessments
Attend annual Safety lecture
Pre-Module talk.
Complete Practical safety training day
Complete demonstrator training
Attend Pre-Module demonstrator talks
Introduction to Learning and Teaching in higher
education (ILTHE)
Basic Chemical Safety
Basic Fire
Basic Health And Safety
Biological and GM safety
Cryogenics
Emergency First Aid
First Aid At Work
First Aid Refresher
Gas Safety
Ionising Radiation – Open sources
Ionising Radiation – RPS (Advanced)
Laser
Manual Handling
Manual Handling refresher
Open Sources Training - Basic Radiation Protection
Risk Assessment
Specific Hazards - Oxygen Resuscitation
STEP – slips, trips and falls
Transport of Biological Samples
Page | 20
Postgraduate
demonstrator
Postgraduate
Post-Grad
MChem
Training/Tasks
MSc
Undergraduate
Student
8.7 Training process
The following process is followed by the School with regards to training:
Training requirements outlined in
School Safety Policy
New employee
Current employee
Training for individual set in staff
induction meeting
Training reviewed in annual PDR
School office
arranges training
On completion of training, school training record
updated and copy of certificates retained
Records reviewed on a monthly basis by
School Office
Safety Committee reviews training completion
statistics
Safety Committee actions training if need is
identified
Page | 21
9
Sanctions


Contravention of the School’s Health and Safety Policy and procedures is not
acceptable. Appropriate action will be taken to ensure that the correct procedures
are being complied with.
o Minor breaches of the procedures will normally come to the attention of, and
be dealt with directly by the supervisor/line manager of the person concerned.
The supervisor/line manager may consider it necessary to issue a written
formal warning. A further breach of the procedures would be considered to
constitute a ‘major’ offence.
o Alleged major breaches of the safety procedures must be reported to the
HoS, either by the SSO or by the supervisor/line manager. The HoS will
investigate the matter and, if appropriate, issue one or more sanctions against
the worker concerned.
o Sanctions for a research worker for example, may include suspension from
using research facilities in the School until it is clear that he or she has
sufficient training and experience to recommence safe working.
o Persistent and/or flagrant abuse of the procedures may lead to permanent
exclusion from the School following formal processes conducted by the
supervisor and the Chair of Safety Committee (for research students) or the
University’s disciplinary procedures (for staff). In addition it must be
remembered that individuals can be, and sometimes are, prosecuted by the
Health and Safety Executive for breaches of statutory regulations and also for
carrying out dangerous operations or for permitting dangerous operations to
be carried out.
All members of the school have a duty to keep a look out for activities that may be
unsafe. Wherever possible, they should immediately report an unsafe situation to
their supervisor/line manager, the SSO or, out of hours, University Security, who will
assess the hazard and take appropriate action. Such action may involve immediate
shut down of the activity without prior warning.
Page | 22
C. Arrangements
1. General
1.1 Conduct

You must obey all safety signs, warnings, illuminated signs and alarms. These safety
measures have been implemented for your safety and their message must not be
ignored.

Untrained use of apparatus and machinery is can lead to serious harm for you and
school occupants. You must not attempt anything for the first time without proper
instruction on its use.

You must not knowingly use faulty or damaged equipment. It is every individual’s
responsibility to inform an appropriate person of faulty or damaged equipment that
they become aware of. You must not attempt to repair or modify any apparatus
unless you are competent to do so.

Your work area must be kept in a tidy and safe condition. You must ensure that at the
end of each day your area is safe and secure. At the end of an activity you are
responsible for, you must ensure that everything is cleared away and that
unidentified substances are not left behind to create a potential hazard or disposal
problem for others.

Eating and drinking is not permitted in any laboratories or workshops.

Mobile phones, personal stereos or any device that may distract a laboratory user is
not permitted when working in the laboratory or workshops.
1.2 GLP (Good Laboratory Practice)
Practical work in the school should be performed according to the principles of Good
Laboratory Practice (GLP).
This requires that laboratory users:

Should not carry out activities unless due consideration has been given to the means
of minimising the hazards, through appropriate choice of chemical reaction, reagents,
conditions, solvent, and management.

The selection of methodology and use of facilities and equipment should be
appropriate to an activity.

New procedures or modifications to existing procedures should not be attempted if
suitable control measures cannot be applied using the existing equipment or
facilities.
Page | 23
1.3 Signage
1.3.1 General
You are required to take notice and follow school signage. Below are the main categories of
sign you may encounter in the school.
Shape,
colour
Description
(i) Prohibition sign – a sign prohibiting behaviour likely to increase or
cause danger (eg ‘no access for unauthorised persons’);
(ii) Warning sign – a sign giving warning of a hazard or danger (eg
‘danger: electricity’);
(iii) Mandatory sign – a sign prescribing specific behaviour (eg ‘eye
protection must be worn’);
(iv) Emergency escape or first-aid sign – a sign giving information on
emergency exits, first aid, or rescue facilities (eg ‘emergency exit/escape
route’.
Deliberately ignoring signage will result in disciplinary action (see Sanctions page 22)
1.3.2 Laboratory signage
Entrances to laboratories must have the laboratory safety sheet available from the internal
website. This is designed to provide basic safety information in the event of an emergency.
The following information should be included:




Area supervisor – with out of hours contact number.
Basic description of laboratory activities.
Pictograms (1.3.3) indicating potential hazards.
Emergency contacts – Fire Wardens and First Aiders.
Additional signage is available via consultation with the School Safety Officer.
Page | 24
1.3.3 Chemical labels
From the 1st June 2015, chemicals must be labelled with pictograms from the European CLP
Regulations.
All signage, labelling and documentation must use the pictograms below (not the
orange CHIP versions).
Flame




Skull or
Crossbones
Flammables
Pyrophorics
Self-Heating
Emits
flammables
gas
 Selfreactives
 organic
peroxides
 Acute toxicity
(fatal or toxic)
Flame Over
Circle
Exploding
Bomb
 Oxidising
gases
 Oxidising
Liquids
 Oxidising
Solids
 Explosives
 Self-reactive
 Organic
peroxides
Exclamation
Mark
Corrosion
 Skin
corrosion/
burns
 Eye damage
 Corrosive to
metals
 Irritant (eye &
skin)
 Skin sensitizer
 Acute toxicity
 Narcotic
effects
 Respiratory
tract irritant
 Hazardous to
ozone layer
Gas Cylinder
Environment
 Gases under
pressure
Health Hazard
 Respiratory
sensitizer
 Germ cell
mutagenicity,
 Carcinogenicity
 Reproductive
toxicity
 Target Organ
Toxicity
 Aspiration
Toxicity
 Aquatic
toxicity
Key principles when labelling chemicals

All substances are labelled clearly and correctly.

Sensible colour schemes are chosen (eg Use of red wash bottles for water creates
the possibility of accidents).

The School requests that where possible, containers are labelled with pictogram
stickers available from stores.
Page | 25
1.4 Fault Reporting
Any faults regarding laboratory systems, infrastructure or school mechanical devices should
be reported immediately to the Technical Services Manager. Where possible, the faulty
device should be labelled as such to make others aware.
Special care should be taken with fume hood use. If the alarm is sounding or the flow rate is
less than 0.3m/s, the fume hood should not be used under any circumstances. Inform the
Technical Services Manager, make laboratory users aware of the problem and put
temporary signage in place on the fume hood sash.
Portable appliances such as hot plates can be taken to the Electronic Workshop for repairs.
Faulty items should be immediately taken out of service and labelled as faulty.
Under no circumstances should equipment that is known to be faulty be used by an
employee. An employee using equipment that:


they know to be faulty
or using equipment or apparatus in fashion they know to be inappropriate
…is in breach of the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974, Section 7.
1.5 Security
A city centre location, combined with high value and hazardous contents, makes the School
vulnerable to intruders. Security is a paramount concern for the School and the following
principles should be followed at all times:







Doors to laboratories, workshops, offices and any other school area should be locked
when not occupied.
SMART card protected doors should not be wedged opened at any time.
Anyone who has lost or had their SMART card stolen should inform the School Office
immediately so that the card is deactivated.
Laboratories with Poisons, Carcinogens, Chemical Weapons classified substances,
Mercaptens should have separate, lockable storage facilities. A key should be kept by
the Supervisor with any other keys given to the School Safety Officer for secure storage.
Keys are available for access to individual rooms via School Safety Officer. Keys will be
signed out and need to be returned upon leaving employment with the School.
Guests, visitors or any other person must be accompanied at all times by School staff.
Employees must have their SMART card on their person at all times. The SMART card
should be visible on their person.
Keys will be provided to staff by the Technical Service Manager. Postgraduates or
any other short term members of staff are required to pay a £10 deposit for a key.
From October 2015, all staff will need to sign for keys. Anyone in possession of a
key must return it at the end of employment or at any time where it is no longer
required.
Page | 26
1.6 Out of Hours Working and Lone Working
Out of Hours Working
The School defines working hours as 8.00 am – 6.00 pm Monday to Friday when the
University is open for business. Any time outside this is considered ‘out of hours’. For
clarification, weekends, public holidays and the days between Christmas day and New
Year’s day are deemed out of hours.
There is an online safe work out of hours system. This system must be used at any time
when you enter the premises out of hours. You must log into this system on arrival and you
must log out of this system on departure. This ensures that University Security is aware of
building occupancy in the event of a fire or other incident. If you plan to remain in the
building after 6.00 pm you must log on to the out of hours system.
Note that the delivery entrance/exit on Kings Road is unavailable as a means of escape out
of hours; you should plan you escape route accordingly.
In the event of a fire alarm sounding, evacuate the building as usual and congregate in the
car park off Kings Road.
You should not re-enter the building until University Security have instructed you to
do so, regardless of whether the alarm is still audible.
Undergraduate Students
The School does not permit out of hours working by undergraduate students in laboratories
or other areas of potential risk, except by the explicit agreement of the Head of School who
will need to be assured that direct supervision is to be provided.
Postgraduate Students/Researchers/Academic Staff
High Risk activities must not be undertaken by lone individuals at any time. High risk
activities must not be performed out of hours. Academic supervisors must, using the risk
assessment procedures (COSHH or other risk assessment), determine whether proposed
activities are suitable to be done out of hours. Thus, it should be clear and documented
which postgraduate students/ researchers are permitted to do which activities out of hours
and under which level of supervision. Supervisors must discuss out of hours working
arrangements with their researchers and ensure that adequate supervisory arrangements
are in place.
Low risk activities such as office work can be conducted out of hours provided that the out of
hours procedure is followed.
Lone Working
Lone working involving high risk procedures is not permitted at any time.
For all laboratory work there must be, at least, someone within earshot at all times.
Page | 27
No one can undertake potentially hazardous work until they have been trained in the
operations required and the procedures have been considered in the light of the School
Safety Policy on lone working.
Disciplinary action will be taken where staff or students do not comply with this
policy.
1.7 Manual Handling
Staff responsibilities
All Employees - Follow the method agreed for the particular task and observe the rules.
Supervisors - Consider handling implications before ordering new equipment and taking
delivery. Monitor tasks to ensure that approved methods are followed and that relevant rules
are obeyed. Equipment dimensions need to be taken into account before being brought on
to site.
Mechanical Workshop – Must be consulted when a significant load is to be moved. In this
situation a Risk Assessment will be required to be carried out prior to the activity.
School Safety Officer - Keep a record of formal assessments and make them available to all
interested parties.
School Office – Will ensure Manual Handling training is arranged on request and that related
information is kept up to date in School Training Record.
Rules for person involved in manual handling
1. Examine the load to be moved for hazards and study how best to tackle the problem.
This will mean giving consideration to the height, shape, and position of the load.
2. Follow the appropriate safe system of work in which you have been trained for the
handling of loads and use kinetic handling techniques where appropriate to avoid injury.
3. Before moving a load, ensure that it does not obstruct your view.
4. Inform your immediate supervisor/line manager of any personal condition that may
require review of your manual handling activities, e.g. medical condition, pregnancy.
5. Consider whether there will be any obstacles in your path, any slipping, tripping or falling
hazards, any stairways to be negotiated.
6. If there is any doubt as to the correct manual handling arrangement, seek advice from
your immediate supervisor/line manager.
Regulations governing manual handling
The Manual Handling Operations Regulations (1992) state that (i) if you are a
supervisor/line manager or someone who asks others to move something OR (ii) if you move
things for yourself, or for others then you have responsibilities under the Regulations.
Page | 28
2. Documentation
2.1 Risk Assessments
2.1.1 General
A suitable and sufficient risk assessment is a legal requirement and should be proportionate
to the risks being assessed. The group leader and managers are responsible for ensuring
risk assessments are:





completed for significant hazards and risks
accurately recorded
communicated and implemented
signed by themselves
reviewed when there is a significant change or something new in the work activity or
at two year intervals
Those who are carrying out the process must be adequately trained and competent to
perform the task.
Risk assessments must be signed prior to starting the activity by the group leader or
member of the School Safety Committee.
School-wide risk assessments
Risk assessments covering common school practices and arrangements are available on
the school internal website.
They should be referred to and obeyed when undertaking a task.
2.1.2 COSHH Risk Assessments
A COSHH risk assessment needs to be carried out prior to undertaking any experimental
work involving Chemical agents with the potential to cause harm. A COSHH risk assessment
needs to be specific to an individual task or activity and cannot be generic to all experimental
work in an area.
In order to carry out the assessment you will need to:
1. Gather information about the hazardous properties of the substances, the work, and
the working practices (or find out what the problems are). Use of a substances MSDS
sheet is recommended for this process.
2. Evaluate the risks to health
3. Decide on the necessary measures to comply with Regulations 7-13 of COSHH
4. Record the assessment using the online tool:
http://www.ncl.ac.uk/chemistry/internal/devel/coshhra.php
5. Print the document and get it reviewed and signed by the responsible person and
make it available in the area you are working (in your safety folder).
6. Review the assessment at an appropriate frequency and in the event of change to
the methodology or conditions.
Page | 29
It is imperative that any control measures recommended by the assessment are put into
place prior to carrying out the procedure. For example, the need for a specific antidote would
require it to be on hand when carrying out the experiment.
Using the online COSHH tool – guide
1. All sections must be completed otherwise the form will not submit.
2. For section 3 a CAS number is required for each substance. If one is not available,
use 00-00-00.
3. For sections 3.2 and 3.6, multiple sections can be selected be holding down CTRL.
The software does not always copy the selection into the window but they will be
present upon submission.
4. The information from previous forms can be used to populate new forms. Once
submitted, each form will generate a unique ID along with the email – This should be
entered into the box at the top of the form to populate the form.
5. The generated form should be printed out, signed by the submitter and their
supervisor and kept within the submitter’s or group’s safety folder.
Postgraduate or MSc - COSHH requirements
In order to perform any activity involving chemical agents in the School, an individual
COSHH assessment must be prepared.
The form must be signed by the individual’s supervisor prior to performing the
activity.
Safety Folders
Each researcher in the school is required to keep an individual safety folder. This will be a
yellow folder available from the School office.
It should contain the following:






COSHH forms listed according to the COSHH number scheme.
MSDS sheets for particular hazardous substances (Highly toxic, carcinogens, HF
etc).
Used unattended experiment forms.
Risk assessments applicable for their work.
Any SOP’s that they are expected to use as part of their work.
Print outs of Carcinogens or Mercaptan submissions.
Safety folders should be available in the immediate vicinity of where the researcher is
carrying out work. This will allow information to be quickly sought in the event of an
emergency.
The folder must be with the individual whenever performing activities involving
chemical agents and will be subject to spot checks and safety audits.
Failure to follow the COSHH procedure will lead to sanctions including suspension
from laboratory work.
Page | 30
Training

COSHH assessments are part of the university safety office training: Basic Chemical
Safety Training.

Supervisors need to ensure that students understand the COSHH assessment
process.
2.1.3 Travel Risk Assessment

The relevant form, which must include travel and accommodation details must be
completed:

o
Form for European Travel Risk Assessment
o
Form for International Travel Risk Assessment
The risk assessment should be submitted to the School Office (Jane McCartney) 3
weeks in advance of the proposed travel.

The risk assessments will be approved by Professor Andy Benniston (Deputy HoS with
responsibility for Safety) or returned for revision.

All risk assessments will be held on a central file for auditing purposes.

Travel will not be authorised until a satisfactory risk assessment has been
submitted.
Staff must read the information on the University’s Finance site about Insurance before
travelling. http://www.ncl.ac.uk/internal/finance/insurance/cover/travel_pg.htm

It is recommended that staff take a copy of the relevant Insurance Certificate with
them. This gives staff the policy number and the emergency contact details should
they be required, staff can also find details of what they are covered for.
Responsibility when away from the School:

Colleagues are required to email schooloffice-chem@ncl.ac.uk once they have
arrived at their destination abroad and again upon their return to the UK.
For further information and assistance in completing Risk Assessments staff should contact
Jane McCartney in the first instance. Further advice and guidance is available from Craig
Hopper and Paula Pears.
Page | 31
2.2 DSEAR
Work with dangerous chemicals is subject to the legislative requirements of the Dangerous
Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (DSEAR) 2002. Dangerous
substances or preparations include:



Those that can be described as explosive, oxidising, extremely flammable, highly
flammable or flammable
Those which present a risk because of their physico-chemical or chemical properties
and the way in which it is used or is present in the workplace
Dust, gas, vapour or mist which can form an explosive mixture with air or an
explosive atmosphere
DSEAR requires that a risk assessment is carried out for all work activities involving
dangerous substances. For the majority of substances this covered under the COSHH
assessment process.
However, a specific DSEAR risk assessment must be carried out if:





The work activity involves the use or storage of pressurised flammable gas cylinders
such as acetylene or hydrogen
Very large quantities of flammable substances are involved where the recommended
limits for storage of flammable substances are exceeded (50 litres for extremely or
highly flammable substances and flammable liquids with a flashpoint below the
maximum ambient temperature of the working area, 250 litres for other flammable
liquids with a higher flashpoint of up to 55°C)
The work activity involves the use of explosives
The work activity is likely to create an explosive atmosphere even after the
application of controls stated in the COSHH risk assessment
The work activity involves the use of flammable/oxidising/explosive substances only
and not substances hazardous to health as defined by COSHH
You will be prompted to perform an additional DSEAR assessment as part of the
online COSHH form.
Page | 32
2.3 Material Safety Data Sheet’s (MSDS)
In accordance with the European Regulation - REACH (Registration, Evaluation,
Authorisation & Restriction of Chemicals). Any commercially available substance
classified as a chemical agent must be supplied with a Material Safety Data Sheet’s
(MSDS). A MSDS is structured into 16 categories and provides information on all aspects of
safety with regards to that specific substance. The Sigma-Aldrich website is a good source
for this information.

The information on the MSDS sheets is vital for assessing risk as part of the COSHH
assessment.

It provides particularly useful information for required control measures such as PPE.

Print outs of particularly hazardous substances (highly toxic, carcinogens, HF etc)
should be kept by a researcher in their safety folder.
Safety folders will be subject to inspection in safety audits and in the event of an
accident/near miss or incident.
Page | 33
2.4 Laboratory Safety Sheet
Each laboratory door needs to have laboratory safety information in the format below. The
template is available on request from the School Safety Officer. This allows persons that are
unfamiliar with in area such as emergency services to understand the hazards upon
entering.
Page | 34
2.5 Unattended Experiments
Unattended experiments include all risk assessed activities in the School taking place
without direct supervision. This includes experiments that run overnight but also include
activities that will take place in working hours without persons present.
Local arrangements are required for short periods of non-supervision for reactions such as
lunch or toilet breaks. This requires communication between researchers in a laboratory to
ensure that experiments are monitored properly and can be made safe in the event of fire
alarm or unforeseen event such as a power failure, fire or flood.
Unattended experiments over longer periods or where shared responsibility is not possible,
need to be addressed using the school Unattended Experiment Procedure outlined below.
Unattended experiment - procedure
1. Use the unattended experiment link on the safety tab on the schools internal web
page.
2. Fill in the required information, ensuring that the information is sufficiently detailed.
3. Submit the form. This will generate a PDF, which in turn will be automatically sent to
the:
 Researcher
 Supervisor
 School Safety Officer
 University Security.
4. The submitter is required to print out the document and attach it to both the fume
hood/activity area and the laboratory door/lab notice board.
5. A copy of the unattended experiment form should be retained by the Researcher and
kept within their individual safety folder.
The use of the system gives a responder the ability to gauge hazard in an emergency
situation.
If you do not comply with the school procedure you will be culpable for any
consequences that arise from your actions.
Setting up the apparatus
It is imperative that experiments are set up in a technically appropriate manner to reduce the
chances of problems developing and to reduce hazard to a responder if problems like
flooding occur.
Glassware needs to be assembled according to best technical practice and additional safety
measures should be employed in case of a change in circumstance for example an increase
in water pressure.
Page | 35
It is important that condensers are set up properly to safe guard against the glassware
components or tubing coming loose. Both problems could lead to exposure to chemical
agents, flooding or release of flammable vapours leading to fire.
Water-cooled condensers need to be securely fitted with glass joints fully inserted. The
condenser should be clamped securely but not with force - as this runs the risk of breaking
the glass or pulling sockets apart. The clamp should be placed around the joint of the flask
with the condenser held by its own weight and secured by a further clamp.
Tubing
Tubing should be checked thoroughly before use. Rubber tubing degrades over time and
this is hastened in chemical atmospheres. The School recommends the use of neoprene
tubing, as this is less likely to degrade or split.
Tubing should be securely fitted to the condenser making use of cable ties or metal wiring. In
addition, use of cable ties or wire should be employed on the water tap or connection. Care
should be taken to ensure that the tubing that delivers waste to the drain, is firmly secured
and cannot become displaced.
Water pressure
Flow rate should be set at the minimum amount that a continuous flow is present.
Researchers should be aware that water pressure increases out of standard working hours
owing to a drop off in demand throughout the building. To counter this, flow rate should be
set to a minimum and adjusted accordingly after hours if possible. To maximize
effectiveness of cooling, water input should be directed nearest the flask end of the set up
with waste water flowing from the collecting end.
Guidance - Setting up condenser
Water out
Condensers should be securely
clamped at the joint of the
reaction flask and additionally
supported by loosely clamping
the condenser.
The tubing should be secured
either with:
a) A cable tie firmly secured.
b) Copper wire applied using
pliers.
Water in
If the shape permits, the hot plate
should be balanced on the base of
the retort stand to provide stability to
the apparatus and increase space in
fume hood.
Page | 36
3 Control Measures
3.1 LEV’s - Fume hoods
A fume hood/cupboard is the operating end of a Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV). This type
of system is used extensively by the School as a primary engineering control. The School’s
fume hoods are designed to reduce exposure to the generic airborne contaminants
produced by experimentation such as fumes, mists, vapours, gases and dusts.
Important factors to consider when using LEV’s in the School.

The fume hoods in the School are designed to be effective for typical laboratory work
and are usually calibrated between a flow rate of 0.35m/s and 0.5m/s. It is important
to note that the units may be ineffective for many processes that require extraction
outside these parameters. Such activities will need further control measures which
should be highlighted as part of the COSHH risk assessment.

The position of the sash is integral to the air profile and impacts upon the extractive
ability of the unit. Users must have the sash in the correct position when in use. The
School does not permit the taping of the catches designed to indicate the correct
height of the sash.

An untidy fume hood with multiple objects has the effect of altering the designed air
profile of a unit thereby reducing its effectiveness and possibly resulting in exposure
to chemical agents (see below). It is therefore important to keep the minimum
amount of objects in a fume hood.

Fume hoods will alarm/sound when they are outside the designed, operating
parameters. Users should check the air flow on the fume hood display. If the sash is
in the correct position and the unit continues to operate below the value, work must
cease in the unit and it should be reported to the Technical Services Manager. When
a unit is not working properly, all users of the area should be notified and signage put
onto the sash.

Fume hoods should not be relied upon for permanent chemical storage. Chemicals
should be stored in specialist cupboards which offer some containment in the event
of a power cut, flood, fire or other incident.
Page | 37
3.2 PPE
Using personal protective equipment (PPE) is not a substitute for other control measures.
The purpose of personal protection is normally to prevent accidental exposure to hazardous
substances. It is always necessary to match the type of protection (e.g. glove material) to
the particular substance, but this is especially important if likely exposure is to be longer than
accidental, or, of course, if the risk to health from exposure is very high.
For laboratory work the following PPE is mandatory.

Safety Spectacles: Must be worn at all times in the laboratory without exception.
Reading glasses are not appropriate as protective eyewear. All protective eyewear
must conform to European Standard EN166.
School users are discouraged from using contact lenses in conjunction with lab
glasses as reactions with chemical agents can cause serious injury to the eye. For
those requiring glasses, protective eyewear designed to cover prescription
spectacles can be ordered from stores
Prescription safety spectacles can be purchased through consultation with the
Technical Services Manager.

Laboratory Coats: Personal clothing must be protected from contamination by a
suitable laboratory coat or overall which should be changed before becoming
excessively soiled. If protective clothing is liable to become heavily contaminated, a
heavy-duty plastic or rubber apron should also be worn. Laboratory coats should be
kept within the laboratory if possible to reduce contamination. Laboratory coats are
not permitted in office environments or non-laboratory rooms within the School.
The school operates a lab coat cleanings service -contaminated/dirty lab coats can
be taken to stores for cleaning via an external company (This is a free service to all
school employees).
You should not take laboratory coats home to be washed.
Further PPE should be employed in accordance with the control measures identified by the
COSHH Risk Assessment/Risk assessment required before undertaking individual activities.
The COSHH Risk Assessment is required to be signed off by the laboratory supervisor
whom must ensure all suitable PPE is being used in their area.
Guidance for commonly used PPE include:

Gloves: Wear suitable protective gloves to avoid hand contact, or the longer sleeved
type if the arms are also at risk of contact with the substance. Nitrile gloves are
available from stores and are suitable for many chemical applications but these do
not offer protection against many solvents and other materials should be considered
for tasks involving incompatible substances.

Masks and respirators: Since the principal method for the control of airborne
hazards is to contain the substance, respiratory protection should only be necessary
in emergency situations. Filter-type respirators do not have universal applicability so
that it is always necessary to match the filter to the substance. Information on
suitability is available from the suppliers. If in doubt ask your Supervisor or School
Safety Officer.
Liquid Nitrogen - PPE – see Cryogen section for guidance.

Page | 38
4. Use of Chemicals
4.1 Segregation/Storage
Segregation and storage of chemicals needs to be performed in accordance with the School
Risk Assessment – RA- Storage of Chemicals (Liquids and Solids) – Aug 15.
The following storage classifications should be adhered to at all times:
Class
CLASS A
Description
Highly flammable
solvents
Strong mineral acids
Storage Requirements
Metallic cabinet. No more than 50l per room.
CLASS C
CLASS D
CLASS E
Strong basic liquids
Chlorinated solvents
Flammable (Solids,
Liquids)
CLASS F
Harmful, Irritants
(liquid, solids)
CLASS G
Low hazard solids
CLASS H
Oxidising agents
CLASS I
Highly Toxic,
poisons,
carcinogens
Low temp
Cabinet, drip tray.
Cabinet.
Ventilated chemical cabinet. Alphabetically
stored. Secondary containment
recommended to prevent unwanted
reactions.
Ventilated chemical cabinet. Alphabetically
stored. Secondary containment
recommended to avoid unwanted reactions.
Benchtop, shelving storage permitted. Nonventilated cupboard recommended.
Must be separated from sources of fuel.
Store in metallic cabinet.
Should be locked at all times. Keys kept by
supervisor and safety officer.
CLASS B
CLASS J
Cabinet, drip tray.
Fridges need to be non-spark.
Labelling
Storage cabinets, enclosures, cupboards need to be clearly labelled with the following
information:



CLASS
Category Description
Hazard Symbol/s as appropriate.
Segregation
The key incompatibles to segregate from each other are strong acids from strong bases and
strong oxidisers from organic or flammable materials. If mixing of these incompatible
materials occurs due to spillage, breakage or leakage the danger is one of reactions which
generate heat, toxic vapours, fire and even explosion.
See - APPENDIX 3 – Incompatible chemicals and reaction hazards
Page | 39
Storage – further info
Appropriate storage should be chosen so as to protect laboratory users from the properties
of a substance and according to the segregation guidelines above.
1. Strong mineral acids (e.g. sulfuric, nitric, and hydrochloric) must be kept apart from
strong bases. Even storage in the same cupboard on different shelves with spill trays is
inadvisable e.g. hydrochloric acid in the same enclosure as ammonia solution will cause a
white deposit of ammonium chloride to form over everything.
Highly flammable liquids (HFLs) should be kept away from other materials. In theory
storage of HFLs with water would not cause a problem, however it is a waste of flammable
solvent cupboard space since the volume of flammable storage cupboards should be kept as
small as possible.
Chlorinated solvents, although they are generally non-flammable, should not be stored
together with HFLs as toxic vapours such as phosgene could be generated should a fire
occur.
Some weak organic acids may also be highly flammable or have a flash point just above
32°C, e.g. acetic acid, so in theory should be segregated from other HFLs. However, in
practice their storage within a solvent cupboard is probably better than many alternative
locations and certainly better than an acid storage cupboard.
Volatile and malodorous materials e.g. mercaptans should be stored in a ventilated
enclosure such as a cupboard beneath a fume cupboard fitted with forced ventilation. Such
ventilated cupboards can be used for storing volatile chlorinated solvents.
Certain amines, e.g. diethylamine, are not only organic bases and corrosive but also
volatile, highly flammable and possess a very unpleasant odour so pose particular storage
problems. Although in theory they should be stored in flammable cupboards (flammability
taking precedence over corrosivity in storage terms) these cupboards are normally
unventilated and the build-up of smell is so unpleasant the cupboard is rendered unusable.
On balance, it is probably best to keep quantities of such malodorous material to a minimum,
well-sealed (e.g. with parafilm around the cap) and store in a secondary outer container in a
ventilated cupboard.
Light sensitive substances (e.g. chlorinated solvents) should be stored in amber-coloured
bottles away from the light.
4.2 Housekeeping
Haphazard storage on shelves is to be avoided, not least because breakages and spillages
are more likely to occur when searching through a muddle of bottles.
An alphabetical arrangement is better than haphazard storage but can lead to problems with
incompatibles being stored next to each other. Storing chemicals together on open shelving
may be acceptable for low risk materials. However, certain specific classes of chemical must
be segregated from each other, e.g. in different storage cupboards or, where this is not
possible, in separate secondary containment and not stored above / close to each other.
Page | 40
An inventory system needs to be kept in each laboratory. At the very least, this
should be updated on an annual basis. This requirement will form part of the safety
audit.
Labelling of individual containers
All chemical bottles must be labelled with at the very least the Chemical name. In addition,
the school strongly recommends using GHS pictograms to alert persons unfamiliar with a
substance to its basic properties.
Safety audits will seek out unlabelled/unclassified chemical containers and wastes.
4.3 Solvents
Highly flammable solvents must be stored separately within storage cupboards constructed
to British Standard EN 14470-1:2004. The total amount of flammable liquids in a laboratory
should not exceed 50 litres. However, this amount should only extend to larger rooms with
specialist storage. The school encourages laboratories to hold the minimum amount of
flammable liquids that it can operate with. Spill trays should be used to collect any spillages
from breakages.
4.4. Poisonous/Toxic/Carcinogens
Toxic substances and poisons should be purchased in as small a quantity as possible for a
task. It is imperative that such compounds are locked away from general use – with access
limited to laboratory supervisors. The use of such compounds starts with a thorough risk
assessment that must be signed off by the group leader. The control measures should be in
place prior to use of the compound. Persons wishing to use compounds of this nature should
make fellow laboratory users aware of their activity and display the COSHH Risk
Assessment on the fume hood they intend to use.
Carcinogens are given special consideration under Control of Substances Hazardous to
Health (COSHH) regulations and must be substituted with a less toxic alternative where
practicable.
If you intend to use a carcinogen you must fill in the online form on the OHSS
website.
Further information and the form is available at the below link.
http://www.ncl.ac.uk/ohss/chemical/carcinogens.htm
4.5 Chemical Weapons Declaration
On an annual basis, the school must declare its use of Schedule 2 and Schedule 3
chemicals identified by Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Groups
should inform the school safety officer upon purchasing anything listed in the schedules
highlighted at the following link:
http://www.ncl.ac.uk/ohss/chemical/convention.htm
Page | 41
5. Cryogens
Anyone who wishes to use cryogens in the School must have undertaken the appropriate
University Safety course.
5.1 Liquid Nitrogen
Those using liquid nitrogen must wear the following PPE:



Cryogenic gloves - European Standard EN 511
Eye protection – That is well fitted to the face.
Lab coat – with the sleeves over the top of the gloves so that liquid nitrogen does not
enter.
Footwear - Open-toed shoes and sandals are not suitable. If boots are worn,
trousers should be worn outside the boots, to prevent liquid running into the top of
the boot

Specially designed cryogen equipment and apparatus must be used when using liquid
nitrogen. Thermo flasks are not suitable and should not be used.
When transporting cryogens you must only use container specifically designed for this
activity. Nitrogen and CO2 are asphyxiates.
You must not, under any circumstance, store or travel in confined spaces such as lifts
with liquid nitrogen or solid CO2.
The storage of liquid nitrogen in an area should be carefully considered and assessed using
a COSHH risk assessment. The table below shows the amount of gaseous nitrogen
theoretically possible from liquid nitrogen. Whilst local systems and environmental
differences are important contributory factors, it should be used to assess the risk of
asphyxiation in the event of a container malfunctioning.
Gas to liquid Nitrogen ratio
150
145
140
135
130
125
Amount of Nitrogen gas (m₃)
120
115
110
105
100
95
90
85
80
75
70
65
60
55
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
0
5
10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120 125 130 135 140 145 150 155 160 165 170 175 180 185 190 195 200 205 210
Amount of Nitrogen liquid (l)
Page | 42
For example for a typical metallic Dewar used for research of a 25 litre capacity, a room size
of less than 20 cubic meters would represent a risk of asphyxiation in the event of a large
spill.
Access to Liquid Nitrogen
Access to liquid nitrogen will be granted to individuals whom meet the following criteria:

Have provided a use of liquid nitrogen permission form to the School Safety Officer
(the Supervisor will need to sign this stating that the individual has been trained in the
use of this materials and is competent to carry out this task).

Are wearing the PPE outlined in this section

Are on the School accredited list

Have a suitable container for the task (specialist cryogen container).
5.2 Solid CO2
Those using solid CO2 must wear the following PPE:




Cryogenic gloves - European Standard EN 511
Eye protection – That is well fitted to the face.
Lab coat – with the sleeves over the top of the gloves.
Footwear - Open-toed shoes and sandals are not suitable. If boots are worn,
trousers should be worn outside the boots.
You must not, under any circumstance, store or travel in confined spaces such as lifts
with solid CO2.
5.3 Helium
Liquid Helium may only be used following consultation with the School Safety Officer.
Gaseous Helium is to be used according to School policy on use of inert gases.
5.4 Carriage of cryogenic materials.
Cryogens must not be transported using personal or hire vehicles. Any transport of these
goods must be done with consultation with the School Safety Officer.
Page | 43
6. Gases
6.1 Storage, Transport
As much as possible, standard sized gas cylinders should be stored outside of the building
in the cylinder storage area or within specially designed enclosures. There is a cage for
small cylinders next to the waste store.
Storage of cylinders in laboratories or workshops should be avoided if possible.
Consideration of accidental discharge of cylinder contents should be considered as part of
the risk assessment and appropriate control measures put in place prior to an activity.
Cylinders should not be left unsupported and are required to be secured using a chain at all
times. Users should never leave cylinders unattended in public areas.
Gas cylinder should be transported around the school using a cylinder trolley. Manual
handling of cylinders should only be attempted by trained staff using appropriate PPE –
protective gloves and steel toe capped shoes.
6.2 Regulators, Gas lines
Regulators are required to be purchased through stores.
An appropriate regulator should be used for a particular gas. Use of incompatible regulators
with a gas type can cause unwanted reactions. It is important to select a regulator with
appropriate pressure capacity. Lower pressure regulators are most cost effective for the user
and the minimum flow rate should be purchased for an activity. The use or purchase of high
pressure regulators can have safety implications if large amounts of gas are released in
enclosed spaces or within equipment of certain pressure capacity.
Hydrogen and Oxygen cylinders should be fitted with flashback devices to reduce risk
of discharge.
Regulators need to be registered with the School Safety Officer and should not be used until
they have been entered into the system and tagged.
University policy prohibits the use of the regulators that are older than 10 years, any such
items must be surrendered to the School Safety Officer for disposal.
If any unregistered, out-of-date or inappropriate regulator use is discovered through safety
inspections or other means the offending item will be immediately removed and disposed of
by the School Safety Officer.
6.3 Purchasing
Where possible, the minimum amount of gas should be purchased for an activity.
Gas cylinders may be purchased through stores. For standard cylinders the School hires the
cylinder from BOC. The cost of the hiring the cylinder will be charged to the group or area
using the cylinder.
The use of small cylinders must be risk assessed before purchase. Empty cylinders can be
disposed of as part of the waste disposal service but will incur a charge to the Research
group.
Page | 44
6.4 Maintenance/Faults
If you suspect an accidentally release of gas in an area, do not enter the room and alert the
School Safety Officer immediately.
Maintenance of cylinders, regulators or fixed gas line systems should not be attempted by
untrained persons. Faults should be reported to the School Safety Officer immediately.
If faults with cylinders are found upon purchase they should not be used and returned to
BOC.
If you suspect your gas cylinder is leaking you should replace the cylinder with BOC. The
major expense for the School is not the cost of the gas rather the cost of renting the cylinder.
Under no circumstances should PTFE tape be used to prevent leakage.
Page | 45
7. Waste disposal
The efficient and safe disposal of waste products, materials and equipment is integral to the
safe operation of the School. Waste disposal in the School is organised in accordance with
University policy and follows the principles set out in The Hazardous Waste (England and
Wales) Regulations 2005. All School workers must abide by the system described in this
appendix.
Hazardous waste disposal, storage and transport have been risk assessed in the following
document: Risk Assessment – Hazardous Waste – May 15
Waste should be transported using plastic trolleys that can be ordered through stores. When
submitting waste please ensure that trolleys are not overfilled. Submitted waste should be
contained within the container or plastic waste bag. Waste with contamination on the exterior
of the container/bag poses a risk to stores operative and will not be accepted.
7.1 Liquids
This should be collected in 10 Litre plastic drums available from stores. The drums should
not be overfilled and users should ensure that the lid is correctly attached and secured when
submitted. Waste should be collected and labelled according to the 4 distinct waste streams
outlined below:
Waste category,
Label Colour
Hydrocarbon
Acetone
Halogenated
Aqueous
Description
Non-halogenated, non–aqueous, hydrocarbon based. E.g.
Non – halogenated compounds dissolved in ethyl acetate,
diethyl ether washings.
Acetone washings.
Compounds dissolved in acetone.
Halogenated solvents. Dissolved, suspended halogenated
compounds in
all solvents with the exception of acetone.
Water based hazardous wastes.
E.g. sodium hydroxide solution.
Waste will not be collected if the following information is not present:



Group Name
Waste Stream/Waste Type
Date
Waste will not be collected if:



Large amounts of chemical contamination is visible on the container.
The container is overly filled.
There is any sign of the waste reacting (gas build up, heat, bubbles etc).
Page | 46
7.2 Solids
Waste category,
Label Colour
Description
Solid
Contaminated filter papers. TLC plates. This should not contain large quantities of solid
chemicals (solid chemicals should be bagged separately and labelled with exact
contents).
Clinical
For consumables with low level of contamination. E.g. Tissues, plastic syringes, nitrile
gloves. Must not contain sharps. Full sharp bins can be disposed of in the clinical
waste bin outside the building (key available from 2.10).
Landfill
Black bins and laboratory entrance. For non-contaminated wastes such as paper. Use
recycle bins around the building wherever possible.
Glass
Broken glassware. Broken porcelain. Must not be chemically contaminated. Laboratory
users should dispose of waste in the outside glass bin.
Silica
Should be labelled up in plastic waste bags and labelled as silica waste.
Sharps
Needles, blades, contaminated broken glassware. Available from stores. Do not fill
above marked line. Do not attempt to retrieve item from the bin. Full sharp bins can be
disposed of in the clinical waste bin outside the building (key available from 2.10).
Metal waste should not be dumped on the ramp on Edwards Walk! – Non-contaminated
metal waste can be disposed of using the recycling facility on Edwards Walk.
7.3 Gas
The school can dispose of small used gas cylinders. Contact the waste disposal operative or
School Safety Officer.
7.4 Mercury
The School can dispose of mercury and mercury contaminated materials via the external
waste disposal company. Please contact the waste disposal operative to arrange collection.
7.5 Bottled Chemicals
The School can dispose of bottled waste via the external waste company. Anyone wishing to
dispose of waste in this way is required to fill out a commercial waste disposal form available
from the Schools internal website. This should be sent to the waste disposal operative
electronically. Please note that this is by far the most expensive disposal method both
financially and environmentally and should be reserved for particularly hazardous
substances that are no longer required. If safe to do so, users are encouraged to dispose of
waste through the normal streams where possible.
7.6 Electrical Equipment
In accordance with The Waste Electric and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations 2013,
electrical items need to be processed as WEEE waste. You should consult with the
Electronic Workshop on disposal of electrical items. Equipment must be free of chemical
contamination before submission as WEEE waste.
Page | 47
8
Equipment/Apparatus
8.1
Use of Electrical Equipment
An item of electrical equipment may only be used in the School if:





8.2
8.3
The item is known has been logged in the School electrical items inventory, been
PAT tested and labelled as such.
Has been designed for, and is appropriate for the task required.
Is in full working order.
Has been visually checked by the user for signs of damage particularly to the outer
casing, cable and plug.
The user has been fully trained or supervised to use that piece of equipment.
School Electrical items inventory and newly purchased equipment

All electrical items must be registered with the Electronic Workshop and entered into
the school electrical items inventory. All items on this list are subject to PAT testing at
the expense of the research group or area. This will not include non-portable items or
School infrastructure such as fume hoods

Any electrical item entering the School must be checked by the Electronic Workshop.
They will log it in the school electrical items inventory, label it as a school item and, if
necessary, electrical test the item.

The use of non-registered electrical equipment is prohibited by the School Safety
Committee and any found items will be immediately removed from service and
disposed at the expense of the offending party. Safety inspections will look for any
items that have not been registered, have not been PAT tested within the required
frequency of the item (usually 12 months).

All items within a laboratory will be PAT tested regardless of use. Old electrical
equipment may be disposed of at no cost to the group via University WEEE waste via
consultation with the Electronic Workshop.

If an explosive/flammable atmosphere is present, appropriate electrical equipment
(ATEX) need to be employed. This should be considered as part of the risk
assessment for the task. A section of safety audits will specifically focus on the
storage of flammables in appropriate fridges.
Visual, Formal, PAT testing
The Schools policy on the use of electrical equipment reflects the requirements of
The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 and the Management of Health and Safety
at Work Regulations 1999.
PAT testing, maintenance and repairs are available from the Electrical workshop but
the onus is on those responsible for laboratories to ensure that electrical equipment
is in a safe, working order.
Page | 48
This should be achieved by ensuring that electrical equipment is tested according to
the following guidance:
Recommended test frequency on electrical items
Frequency
Equipment category
Examples
User
checks
Formal visual
inspection
Combined
inspection and
PAT test
Hot plate
stirrer
Heating
mantle
Mechanical
stirrer
Before
use
6 months
1 year
Cables, leads and plugs
connected to Class 1
equipment
Extension
leads.
Battery
charging
equipment
Before
use
6 months
1 year
Double insulated (Class
II)equipment Hand-held
UV lamp, Hot
air gun
Before
use
1 year
N/A
Double insulated (Class II)
equipment: Not hand-held.
Moved occasionally
Fans, Table
lamps
If moved
4 years
N/A
Desktop
computers
VDU,
Photocopier,
Fax
machines
No
4 years
N/A
Computers in
Laboratory
environment.
No
2 years
N/A
Timer, Digital
Thermometer
No
No
No
No
No
No
Earthed (Class 1) equipment
Double insulated (Class II) Not
hand-held. Rarely moved
Double insulated (Class II)
Not hand-held. Rarely moved
Battery-operated:
(less than 40 volts)
Extra low voltage: (less than
50 volts AC): Telephone
equipment, low-voltage desklights
Page | 49
It is a requirement that all items in use in the School are recorded on the equipment
database alongside testing results-this process allows the School to identify historical trends
that may highlight problems with individual items.
Electrical equipment should only be used as the manufacturer intended with appropriate
equipment used for a particular task.
1. Visual checks
Before using a piece of electrical equipment the operator should visually inspect the item to
ensure that it is not compromised in any way. This should include checking for signs of wear,
burn marks or damage or any sort. Equipment must not be used if problems are detected
with the cabling, plug, components are missing, unusual noises such as rattling can be
heard or the behaviour of the equipment is different to the norm for this item. Any equipment
found to be at fault should be taken out of service, labelled and delivered to the electrical
workshop for repair
2. Formal visual checks
Items used regularly should be formally inspected on a 6 monthly basis. The frequency of
inspections should be increased for frequently used or potentially dangerous equipment.
3. PAT testing
The group supervisor has responsibility to ensure that all items are PAT tested within the
outlined frequency. This can be arranged via consultation with the Electronics Workshop.
Any item that exceeds this time limit should be removed from service until the inspection has
taken place.
Key points

Electrical equipment brought into the School needs to be PAT tested before
use in the School regardless of its previous history.

Electrical items should be checked visually before use.

Safety inspections will look for any items that have not been PAT tested or are
outside the required frequency.

Training needs to be provided before an individual can use autonomously any
item of electrical equipment.

Anyone whom deliberately uses a piece of equipment in an inappropriate
manner, or with the knowledge that the equipment is faulty, may be liable in the
event of an accident, near miss or injury in accordance with Section 8 of the
Health and Safety at Work Act.
Page | 50
9
Radiation
9.1
Non-ionising radiation
Local rules as apply for Laser laboratories. Persons should not enter
laboratories when the laser warning signs are active.
The school Laser protection Supervisor for 2015/2016 is Professor T
Harriman.
9.2
Ionising radiation
Local rules apply. Access to these areas are limited to trained staff or by
permission of the area supervisors.
The School Radiation Protection Supervisor for 2015/2016 is Dr M Probert.
10
Emergency Procedures
10.1
Release of Chemicals
Any chemical which has escaped or threatens to escape should be regarded, at least
initially, as an emergency.
In the event of chemical release or threatened chemical release:

Evacuate the laboratory if the situation demands.
(Take lab book/COSHH form if it is possible to retrieve these without endangering
yourself).

Evacuate the building by sounding the fire alarm if the situation demands and then
report to the designated assembly point.

If evacuation is not deemed necessary report the incident to a member of staff and
safety officer who will assume control.
10.2
First Aid
Current First Aiders for the Bedson include:
First Aiders
Miss S Morton
Mr C Dunn (CEAM)
Miss K Kirkpatrick
Miss A Randall
Mr C Hopper
Miss A Reddy
Miss A Roberts
Mrs L Molyneux
Johnston laboratory
B41
School Office
School Office
2.10
Synthetic Teaching Laboratory
3.11
NICR
A defibrillator is located outside the School office.
Page | 51
83938
87205
87029
87069
87078
87082
86635
85933
10.3
Fire
DISCOVERING A FIRE - WHAT YOU MUST DO:
1. RAISE THE ALARM - Shout FIRE, FIRE! And operate the nearest fire alarm call-point to
warn everyone in the building that there is a fire.
2. IF YOU SUSPECT A FIRE, SOUND THE ALARM. DO NOT search for the seat of the
fire. Only the Fire Service should do that, particularly where this involves opening doors
when a fire is suspected to be behind them. If there is smoke in the corridor etc, then
you have already found the fire and it is already time to RAISE THE ALARM!
3. CALL THE FIRE SERVICE - DO NOT DELAY in summoning the Fire Service. Call from
a place of safety. Dial 6666 if possible - this will be answered by the Operator/University
Security Staff who will then inform the Fire Service with additional information to get
them to the correct entrance.
Alternatively, dial 9-999 from internal phones or 999 from external phones.
4. If you have to call the Fire Service directly, ensure a call is made to the University
Security Control Centre on extension 6666 - let them know that there is an evacuation in
progress.
Extinguishers

If you judge the fire to be small, have received appropriate training and feel confident
in tackling the fire, you can use a compatible extinguisher found in the corridors of
the building. This should only be attempted once – you should then evacuate the
building.
Evacuation procedure on hearing the alarm
•
Leave the building immediately. DO NOT wait to be told and DO NOT attempt to
collect personal belongings.
•
Close doors and windows behind you if time permits and only where you can.
•
Observe any specific instructions about isolating equipment or services.
•
Use your nearest Fire Exit, (look for the green ‘Running-Man’ signs).
•
If you find smoke blocking your route then go a different way.
•
DO NOT use the lift. Move away from the building and keep the entrances clear for
the Fire Brigade.
•
Once out of the building proceed to the Fire Assembly Point and listen to the
instructions given by the Fire Marshal, who is responsible for your safety and liaising
with the Fire Brigade.
Page | 52
•
DO NOT go back into the building until you are specifically told to do so by the Fire
Marshal or the attending Fire Service Officer in Charge.
NOTE: Silencing the alarms is not a signal to re-enter the building.
FIRE ASSEMBLY POINT:
The Fire Assembly Point for the Bedson Building is the car park directly opposite the
building, across King’s Road.
The main fire assembly point is on the
car park opposite the delivery bay.
A second assembly point is available for
those leaving via the Barbara Strand
Teaching centre.
The conduct of people at the Fire Assembly Points and on leaving the building is
critical to everyone’s safety.
Helping Visitors and others that you may encounter:
•
Fire Wardens or Marshals, wearing high visibility jackets/armbands are there to help
and ensure the building is evacuated; you must carry out any directions they give.
•
DO escort out your visitors, members of the public etc.
•
DO assist anyone with mobility difficulties.
Disabled staff and visitors will have a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan.
•
If there are disabled or injured people or others who cannot leave the building then:
TELL the Fire Warden or a Fire Marshal EXACTLY where they are (floor, stairwell or
room number).
Page | 53
APPENDIX 1 - Fire Evacuation
Fire Marshal
Deputy
Deputy
Floor
Area
3rd
3A
3rd
3B
2nd
2A
2nd
2B
2nd
2C
1st
1C
1st
Mr C Hopper (CHEM)
Dr A Charles (CEAM)
Located at main entrance on Edwards Walk
Mr G Day (CHEM)
Located at main entrance on Edwards Walk
Miss H Mann (CHEM)
Miss R Hare (CHEM)
Located at Barbara Strand Teaching Centre
Entrance
Rooms
Fire Warden
Deputy
Tel
Dr A Henderson
Dr P Butler
86635
Dr L Molyneux
Dr S Hobson
85933
Miss A Reddy
Mr C Hopper
87082
87078
Miss C Nicoll
Miss K
Kirkpatrick
87287
87055
Mrs D MacLeod
Miss L Hughes
87871
1st Floor: Nanosciences Area
Prof A Houlton
Miss K Banks
(Quantum)
Dr B Horrocks
Mr M Devgan
(Quantum)
86262
85619
1A
1st Floor: Inorganic Research
Labs,
Seminar Room, Room 1.19
Dr KJ Izod
Dr S Doherty
87101
86537
1st
1B
1st Floor: Chemical Engineering
Prof S Bull,
Mr M White
Dr L Siller
Dr D Frankel
87913/87858
87906/85541
1st ,G, B
1D
Cluster Rooms,
1st, Ground Floor and Lower
Ground Floor
Miss R Hare
Miss H Bowden
87100
87082
G
G1
LT1 and Johnston Laboratory
Mr D Dunbar
Mr R Baron
87082
G
G2
Crystallography
Dr M Probert
Dr P Waddell
86641
G
G3
Laser labs
Dr T Carruthers
Mr O Woodford
87025
G
G4
CEAM Offices / Labs
Dr A Oila
Dr A Charles
B
B1
Dr C Wills
Mr G Reah
B
B2
Mr G Day*
Mr J Corner
B
B3
Miss H Mann*
Miss R Hare
B
B4
Mr N Dickman
Mr C Dunn
Organic QVI Road Wing and
McQuillin lab
Kings Road Wing, Edwards Walk
Wing, Office Corridor
Teaching Labs
School Office Corridor, 1st floor
LT3,
Faraday room, Outreach lab
Combined Honours and
Philosophical studies
NMR Labs & Offices, Stores,
Research Lab
Mechanical & Electrical
Workshops, Stores
Barbara Strand Teaching Centre,
Cluster room
CEAM Offices / Labs
Page | 54
85357
87909
86851
87291
87064
87364
87082
87100
87909
87205
THIRD FLOOR
SECOND FLOOR
Page | 55
FIRST FLOOR
GROUND FLOOR
THIRD FLOOR
Page | 56
Roles in Fire Evacuation
Fire Marshal (Edwards Walk) – Waits at entrance. Records that each area is clear using
information from Fire Wardens.
Investigates source of alarm with security. If deemed a false alarm- Security cancels
emergency services.
Once alarm system has been reset, the fire marshal will allow reoccupation of the building.
Deputy Fire Marshal (Edwards Walk) – Cover for Fire Marshal role.
Deputy Fire Marshal (Barbara Stand Teaching Centre) - Waits at entrance. Records that
each area is clear using information from Fire Wardens.
APPENDIX 2 – Waste Disposal
Page | 57
APPENDIX 3 – Incompatible chemicals and reaction hazards
Page | 58
Common laboratory chemical incompatibilities (note: this list is not exhaustive and merely
indicates some frequently encountered examples)
(Adapted from Imperial College NHLI guidance ‘Safe storage of chemicals in
the laboratory’, originally derived from the American Chemical Society
publication: ‘Safety in Academic Chemistry Laboratories’).
Chemical
Incompatible with
Acetic acid
Chromic acid, nitric acid, hydroxyl compounds,
ethylene glycol, perchloric acid, peroxides,
permanganates
Chlorine, bromine, copper, fluorine, silver, mercury
Concentrated nitric and sulphuric acid mixtures
Water, carbon tetrachloride & other chlorinated earth
metals dioxide, halogens.
When finely divided with iron oxide or other metallic
oxides (thermite reaction)
Mercury, chlorine. Calcium hypochlorite, iodine,
bromine, (anhydrous) hydrofluoric acid (anhydrous)
Acids, powdered metals, flammable liquids, chlorates,
nitrites, sulphur, finely divided organic combustible
materials
Nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide
Any reducing agents
Acids, heavy metals such as silver, gold, lead, copper
See Chlorine
Water
Calcium hypochlorite, all oxidising agents
Acetylene
Acetone
Alkali and alkaline
Aluminium*
Ammonia
Ammonium nitrate
Aniline
Arsenicals
Azides
Bromine
Calcium Oxide
Carbon (Activated)
Chlorates
Chromic acid, CrO3
Chlorine
Chlorine dioxide
Copper
Cumene
Flammable liquids
Fluorine
Hydrocarbons
Hydrocyanic acid
Hydrofluoric acid
Hydrogen sulfide
Hypochlorites
Ammonium salts, acids, powdered metals, sulphur,
finely divided organic or combustible materials
Acetic acid, naphthalene, camphor, glycerol, alcohol
and flammable liquids in general
Ammonia, acetylene, butadiene, butane, methane,
propane (or other petroleum gases), hydrogen,
sodium carbide,benzene, finely divided metals,
turpentine
Ammonia, methane, phosphine, hydrogen sulphide
Acetylene, azides, hydrogen peroxide
Acids (organic and inorganic)
Ammonium nitrate, chromic acid, hydrogen peroxide,
nitric acid, sodium peroxide, halogens
All other chemicals
Fluorine, chlorine, bromine, chromic acid, sodium
peroxide
Nitric acid, alkali
Ammonia (aqueous or anhydrous)
(anhydrous)
Fuming nitric acid, oxidising gases
Hypochlorites Acids, activated carbon
Page | 59
Iodine
Mercury
Nitrates
Nitric acid (conc)
Nitroparaffins
Oxalic acid
Oxygen
Perchloric acid
Peroxides
Phosphorus (white)
Picric acid
Potassium chlorate and
perchlorate (see also chlorates)
Potassium
permanganate
Selenides
Silver
Sodium
Sodium nitrite
Sodium peroxide
Sulphides
Tellurides
Acetylene, ammonia (aqueous or anhydrous),
hydrogen
Acetylene, fulminic acid, ammonia
Acids
Acetic acid, aniline, chromic acid, hydrocyanic acid,
hydrogen sulphide, flammable liquids and gases,
copper, brass, any heavy metals
Inorganic bases, amines
Silver, mercury
Oils, grease, hydrogen, flammable liquids / solids /
gases
Alcohols, acetic acid / anhydride, bismuth and its
alloys,organic materials, paper, wood, grease, oils
Organic Acids (organic or mineral), avoid friction,
store cold
Air, oxygen, alkalis, reducing agents
Strong oxidizing agents, bases, most common
metals, ammonia, strong reducing agents, also do not
allow to dry out as will explode with friction / impact
Sulfuric and other acids
Glycerol, ethylene glycol, benzaldehyde, sulphuric
acid
Reducing agents
Acetylene, oxalic acid, tartaric acid, ammonium
compounds, fulminic acid
Carbon tetrachloride, carbon dioxide, water
Ammonium nitrate and other ammonium salts
Ethanol, methanol, glacial acetic acid, acetic
anhydride, benzaldehyde, carbon disulphide, glycerin,
ethylene glycol, ethyl acetate, methyl acetate, furfural
Acids
Reducing agents
Note: A useful reference on chemical incompatibilities and other reaction hazards is
‘Bretherick's Handbook of Reactive Chemical Hazards’ published by Academic Press.
Some problems with alphabetical storage :
Acetic acid + acetaldehyde - small amounts of acetic acid will cause the acetaldehyde to
polymerize releasing large amounts heat
Acetic anhydride + acetaldehyde - condensation reactions can be violent / explosive
Acrolein + ammonia, aqueous - extremely violent polymerization reaction of acrolein and any
alkali or amine
Aluminium metal + ammonium nitrate - potential explosion
Aluminium metal + antimony trichloride - aluminium metal burns in the presence of antimony
trichloride vapour
Page | 60
Aluminium metal + any bromate (or chlorate or iodate) - finely divided aluminium plus these
compounds produces potential explosion that is detonated by heat, percussion, friction or
light.
Aluminium chloride - self-reacting upon prolonged storage, explosion occurs when container
is opened
Ammonium nitrate + acetic acid - mixture will ignite especially if acid is concentrated
Cupric sulphide + cadmium chlorate - explode on contact
Hydrogen peroxide + ferrous sulphide - vigorous reaction, highly exothermic
Lead perchlorate + methanol - explosive mixture if agitated
Maleic anhydride + magnesium hydroxide - potentially explosive reaction
Mercury nitrate + methanol - mixture has potential of forming mercury fulminate, an
explosive
Nitric acid + nitrobenzene - mixtures of nitric acid and nitrobenzene may be detonated
Potassium cyanide + potassium nitrite - potentially explosive mixture if heated
Silver + tartaric acid - explosive mixture
Silver oxide + sulphur - potentially explosive mixture
Sodium + selenium - reaction attended by burning
Sodium + silver bromide, silver chloride, silver fluoride, or silver iodide - forms impact
sensitive systems
Sodium + sulphur - reaction proceeds with explosive violence
Sodium + stannic halides - forms impact-sensitive mixtures
Sodium cyanide + sulphuric acid - release of HCN gas, death
Page | 61
APPENDIX 4 – Declaration
Annual Declaration – 2015-2016
All members of staff must print out, sign this page and return to the School office.
To be completed by member of staff
I have read the document entitled ‘School of Chemistry - Safety Policy 2015-2016’ and will
abide by the rules and guidance when undertaking work within and on behalf of the School
of Chemistry.
Name: ___________________________
Position: ___________________________
Signed: ___________________________
Date: ___________________________
Page | 62