School of Biological and Chemical Sciences
SCHOOL OF BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL
SCIENCES
SAFETY MANUAL
Health and Safety Manual June 2013
School of Biological and Chemical Sciences
Queen Mary University of London
1
Contents
General Laboratory Health and Safety and the Chemical Hazards
General regulations
Emergency procedures
Accidents and reporting
First aid and medical
Fire safety
Security
Bomb threat
Chemical contamination of eyes and skin
Access to the Fogg, Joseph Priestley and Bancroft buildings
Out of hours working
Working alone and out of hours
Conference and meetings
Overnight experiments
School Health and Safety Group
Assessments under COSHH
COSHH, BIO-COSHH, Fieldwork and General Risk Assessment
General laboratory and office regulations
Cryogenic liquids and solids
Gas cylinders
Refrigerators and deep freezers
Fume cupboards (LEV)
Water, electricity, gas
Storage of flammable solvents
Storage and disposal of concentrated acids
Lasers
Ionised radiation
Ordering of toxic, radioactive and bio-hazardous substances
Chemical Hazards
Schedule 1 poisons, cyanides, absolute prohibitions
Carcinogens, Mutagens and substances toxic to reproduction
Explosive substances
Distillation hazards
Autoclaves
Centrifuges
Leaving the laboratory
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APPENDICES
Appendix 1
Appendix 2
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002
(COSHH Regulations)
Reportable injuries to HSE
Health and Safety Manual June 2013
School of Biological and Chemical Sciences
Queen Mary University of London
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SECTION I
1. GENERAL REGULATIONS
This Safety Manual provides specific information for staff and students working in the
Biology and Chemistry laboratory areas within the Fogg and Joseph Priestley buildings. It
provides a written record of the customary procedures and a reminder of safety issues of
particular relevance to those working in biology laboratories.
Staff and students should familiarise themselves with the College’s Environmental Health
and Safety Web pages at
http://qm-web.safety.qmul.ac.uk/index.html
These provide details of college policies and procedures, safety courses and links to other
useful sites.
The School safety website also has the Biology Division Safety Manual, Chemistry
Division Safety Manual and Field Study Manual. As well as this document, these provide a
written record of departmental procedures and a reminder of safety issues of particular
relevance to work in the divisions and the School overall.
Copies of this manual are available for view or downloading at
http://www.sbcs.qmul.ac.uk/students/healthandsafety/index.html
2.
SAFETY INDUCTION
All new members of staff, research workers and visitors will receive appropriate safety inductions,
which will consist of laboratory, office and fire safety inductions, or other training deemed
appropriate, a record of induction will be kept.
3. TRAINING RECORD
All staff will have a training record. The record will detail all training procedures that have been
completed; the record will be kept with the safety co-ordinator and removed when the individual
has left the School.
4. MANDATORY TRAINING
As part of induction and local rules within the School, the following training courses are deemed
mandatory, Fire Safety Interactive, Display Screen Interactive, COSHH and/or BIOCOSHH
(where appropriate). These courses and how to access them will be covered in the Safety
Induction or details can be obtained from SBCS safety Coordinator.
5. MANDATORY TRAINING FOR TEACHING LABORATORIES
All staff running or involved in demonstrating during practicals must have undergone COSHH
and/or BIOCOSHH training or they will not be allowed to oversee the laboratory practical.
Undergraduates are deemed to be undergoing safety training as part of their education in the
University.
6.
EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
IN EMERGENCY DIAL 3333
College Security will set up a conference call to the emergency services and listen in while you
Health and Safety Manual June 2013
School of Biological and Chemical Sciences
Queen Mary University of London
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report the emergency, and will also summon College staff to your assistance.
7.
ACCIDENTS and REPORTING
All accidents, no matter how minor, must be reported to both the School Safety co-ordinator or
designated deputy and sent to OHSD (occupational Health and Safety Directorate). The form is
available electronically from SBCS safety website or from OHSD website, hard copy can be found
in the teaching laboratories.
http://qm-web.safety.qmul.ac.uk/index.html
The completed form must be returned to:

College Health and Safety Office
d.ford@qmul.ac.uk
Tel: 13 5701
A copy must also be returned to:

School Safety Co-ordinator
a.j.philcox@qmul.ac.uk
Tel: 13 6339
If the accident is such that treatment is given by the Health Centre or a casualty department, the
form must be completed upon return to the School with copies distributed as advised above.
Please note the following:

The Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974, updated 1992, requires that certain
accidents and dangerous occurrences must be reported to the Health and Safety
Executive within seven days of the incident. Failure to do so is a criminal offence.
Appendix 1 summarises those accidents and dangerous occurrences that must be
reported to the Health and Safety Executive.

The full list of reportable accidents and dangerous occurrences is contained in the
Reporting of Incidents, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995
(RIDDOR).

The OHSD is responsible for reporting accidents or dangerous occurrences in the
correct manner and it is therefore essential that they are notified as quickly as
possible after the accident.

When a reportable accident or dangerous occurrence has occurred, the site of the
incident (other than for purposes of making the area safe) must not be cleaned,
tidied up, or in any other way disturbed until both the College and Safety Advisers
have conducted an initial investigation.
8. FIRST AID and MEDICAL TREATMENT
The appropriate course of action to take in the event of an accident will depend on the
nature of the injuries sustained.
In a medical emergency, dial 3333; you can also call (9)999.
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Queen Mary University of London
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
Tell the operator that you are calling from the School of Biological and Chemical
Sciences (Mile End campus) and give your exact location.
Queen Mary, University of London
School Biological and Chemical Sciences
Fogg Building
Bancroft Road
London, E1 4NS
Queen Mary, University of London
School Biological and Chemical Sciences
Joseph Priestley Building
Westfield way
London, E1 4NS
Queen Mary, University of London
Bancroft building
Library square
London, E1 4NS.

There is an emergency telephone at the 3rd floor general office Fogg building,
Joseph Priestley 1st floor Stores, or the porters’ desk on the ground floor of the
Bancroft building foyer. Follow the dialling instructions displayed above the phone
and ask for an ambulance.

Emergency medical treatment may also be obtained at:
The Accident & Emergency (A&E) department of the Royal London Hospital
Whitechapel, London E1.
(2 Km westwards along the Mile End Road)
Because the route to the Medical Centre can involve negotiating stairs, steps and
Bancroft Road, anyone going for treatment should be accompanied in order to guard
against possible further accidental injury.
Minor injuries

Minor injuries can be treated using materials from the First Aid boxes which are
located in teaching laboratories and the larger research laboratories in both the Fogg
and Joseph Priestley Buildings, and in the research laboratories in the Bancroft
buildings. The Fogg Building 3rd floor Reception and the Joseph Priestley 1st floor
Stores also have first aid boxes.

A list of current First Aiders in the Fogg building is displayed on each floor. In the
Joseph Priestley building they are displayed on notices in Stores and elsewhere.
First aider lists are displayed in the Bancroft building. Contact security if in doubt.

Non life-threatening accidents may be dealt with at:
Queen Mary Occupational Health department.
Ground Floor, Geography Building
Telephone - 020 7601 7825 (15 7825 internal)
0830-1600 Monday to Friday
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Queen Mary University of London
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9. FIRE SAFETY
The Queen Mary Health & Safety Department officials:
Dennis Browne
ext 13 8380 email:
d.browne@qmul.ac.uk
Keith Vagg
ext 13 8384 email:
k.vagg@qmul.ac.uk
These individuals can be contacted for advice on fire safety procedures, fire safety risk
assessment or training.
If a fire breaks out in your presence:

Raise the alarm by breaking the glass on the nearest fire alarm point.

If a fire has taken hold, leave immediately.

Small fires should be put out immediately using the appropriate extinguisher, fire
blanket or sand bucket but if it is safe to do so. Do not take any personal risk.

You should make yourself familiar with the locations of fire alarms, extinguishers, fire
blankets and the various fire exits from the building.
In the Fogg Building there are alarms in the lift lobby area. In the Joseph Priestly
Building there are alarms in the main corridor next to the research laboratory entries
and also on the back (South) staircase, as is the case in Bancroft


Report any use of the extinguishers, other equipment or discharge to the Safety coordinator or through Estates Helpdesk.
Estates-helpdesk@qmul.ac.uk
Ext 2580
This will ensure that OHSD will replace the extinguisher immediately after use.
When you hear the fire alarm:

On hearing the fire alarm, leave the building by the nearest route. Behave calmly:
do not run, do not take risks, use the stairs.

Do not use the lifts. If you are in a lift when the alarm sounds, leave it at the next
floor and descend via the stairs.

The "means of escape" routes within the Building are clearly marked with EXIT or
FIRE EXIT signs. Please familiarise yourself with all escape routes in the building.

If you find your nearest escape route blocked, follow the EXIT or FIRE EXIT signs in
an alternative direction to find a staircase by which you can descend. All staircases
descend directly and provide egress from the building at ground level.

If it is safe to do so, turn off your apparatus, close the windows and doors - do not
lock the doors - and leave the building by the stairs.

If possible, notify the fire marshal, who should be on the door organising the egress
from the building, he/she will then inform the fire brigade of the location of the fire.
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Queen Mary University of London
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
If you believe anyone has been left in the building, inform the fire marshal or fire brigade
when they arrive.

If the fire alarm sounds in any one stage of the building, all stages are to be evacuated.

In the event of a fire or emergency evacuation both academic and technical staff will
assist in ensuring that the building is cleared; please follow their instructions.

On leaving the building you must make your way to the assembly area for your
building. Do not stay in front of the building.



Fogg – West Square (behind Student Union)
Joseph Priestley – Library Square
Bancroft – Geography Square

A map showing the assembly point is located at every fire alarm point.

Do not leave the assembly area or re-enter the building until given permission to do
so by a member of staff authorized to do so.

The fire alarms will briefly sound during routine maintenance checks: do not confuse
this with the continuous two-tone sound for a fire or a bomb threat.
Fogg, Joseph Priestley and Bancroft Buildings will undergo an annual Fire Safety inspection
overseen by OHSD, a report is generated and its recommendations acted upon
An inventory of hazardous materials is kept in the ‘red fireman’s box’ located in each
building, this data is accessed by the fire brigade on arriving at the scene, the contents of the
box are reviewed at agreed intervals
10. FIRE MARSHALS
The following staff members are designated fire marshals and it is their responsibility to ensure
that their areas are cleared of people in the event of the activation of a fire alarm. You must listen
to their instructions and promptly evacuate the building when told to do so.
All fire marshals will undergo training through QMUL ESD; the training will be reviewed every 3
years to ensure that it is up to date in terms of College procedures and legal requirements. Duties
will be in line with ‘Duties and Responsibilities of Fire Marshals’ produced by OHSD.
FOGG BUILDING:
Ground Floor:
First Floor:
Second Floor:
Third Floor:
Fourth Floor:
Fifth Floor:
Sixth Floor:
Roof:
Paul Fletcher
Kath Smith, Sam Court, Alan Philcox, Sunita Dev-Paul
Joanna Szular
Raj Joseph
Caroline Brennan
JOSEPH PRIESTLEY
Ground Floor:
First Floor:
2nd Floor:
John Hayes, Janet MacPherson, Bob Janes
Tippu Sheriff, Isaac Abrahams, Agha shah, Jay Paul
Jalal Hamdan, Ian Sanders, Giulia Mastroianni
Andy Chisnell, Raj Joseph
Health and Safety Manual June 2013
School of Biological and Chemical Sciences
Queen Mary University of London
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BANCROFT
Ground Floor:
5th Floor:
Majid Motavelli
Joanna Szular
11. FIRE: SOLVENT STORES (Joseph Priestley Building)
These areas are protected by flood CO2 extinguishing systems, activated by thermostats or
manual operation. The system cannot be stopped once it has been activated. Activation of
the system also activates the fire alarms throughout the building. Do not enter these areas
after the system has been operated until you have been informed that it is safe to do so.
12. SECURITY
College security can be contacted on ext. 13 5000
If you cannot contact College Security in an emergency:
Dial (9) 999 and report the emergency, for example fire or injured person. Specify the
building and location at Queen Mary, University of London, Mile End Road, E1 4NS.
If possible try to arrange for someone to meet the emergency services when they arrive to
direct them to the emergency.

The School of Biological & Chemical Sciences occupies The six storey G. E. Fogg
Building on the east side of Bancroft Road (including the bridge over the road), the
Joseph Priestley Building on the east side of campus and laboratories on the ground
and 5th floors in the Bancroft Building.

The Fogg, Joseph Priestley and Bancroft buildings are open from 8.00 a.m. to 6.30
p.m. Monday to Friday. The buildings are closed on Saturday, Sunday and when the
College is officially closed.

Access to the Fogg building is via the ground floor entrance on the east side of the
building, through ‘D’ door or via Bancroft road, Bancroft can be accessed out of
hours.

Access to the Joseph Priestley building is through the ground floor atrium entrance.

Access to the Bancroft building is through the ground floor entrance in the Library
Square.

The room numbering indicates the floor level and room number, e.g. G.04 is room 04
on the ground floor.

Personal property is the responsibility of the individual and it is prudent to guard
against thefts at all times. Losses or suspected thefts should be reported as soon as
possible both to the College security staff (tel: 5000) and the SBCS buildings
manager (ext 6339).
13. BOMB THREAT
In the event of a bomb threat, if evacuation is thought appropriate, the alarm will sound as for a
fire. You should go to the appropriate assembly place for the building you are in, and await
further instructions from the College security staff and the Police.
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School of Biological and Chemical Sciences
Queen Mary University of London
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14. CHEMICAL CONTAMINATION OF EYES AND SKIN
Be aware of the location and use of eye baths and emergency showers. If a corrosive or irritant
chemical enters the eye, at once hold the eye open use an eyebath to irrigate with copious
quantities of cold water for at least 20 minutes.
15. WORKING ACCESS TO THE FOGG, JOSEPH PRIESTLEY and BANCROFT BUILDINGS
ACCESS AND NORMAL WORKING ARRANGEMENTS
During term time the Fogg and Joseph Priestley buildings are open for normal working from 8.30
am to 5.30 pm, Monday to Friday. The Fogg and Joseph Priestley buildings are closed on
Saturdays, Sundays and at all times when the College is officially closed.
Access to the Fogg, Joseph Priestley and Bancroft buildings are kept closed by a card-activated
magnetic lock system and should be securely shut after use, to maintain the security of the
building.
Loss of a security card must be reported immediately to the Head of School or his/her deputy or
Buildings manager.
Security cards are not transferable and must be returned to the College Security Officer when no
longer required, if a security swipe card is lot there will be a charge levied by security for its
replacement.
16. OUT OF HOURS ACCESS AND WORKING ARRANGEMENTS

No one is permitted to undertake any experimental work anywhere in the Fogg,
Joseph Priestley and Bancroft buildings without an outside hours risk
assessment being in place, no dangerous work can be undertaken, this would
include the use of cryogenic substances or otherwise dangerous procedures. It
is advised that the person working alone informs security (ext. 5000) of their
situation and/or contacts suitable person to let them know where they are, if
possible arrange for someone else to be present whilst in the lab.

An out of hours RA must be completed before work can begin

Outside working hours for JP should follow the outside working hours protocol,
appendix 16

For the purposes of research workers, out of hours is defined as
between 20:00 and 08:30 hrs Monday to Friday and anytime at
weekends.
17. WORKING ALONE AND OUTSIDE HOURS
College Standard for lone working at http://qm-web.ohsd.qmul.ac.uk/standard/index.html and search
for ‘lone working’
or direct document link
http://qm-web.ohsd.qmul.ac.uk/documents/standard/sem/old%20guidance/76997.pdf
SBCS website
http://www.sbcs.qmul.ac.uk/students/healthandsafety/index.html .
Health and Safety Manual June 2013
School of Biological and Chemical Sciences
Queen Mary University of London
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
It is advised that the person working alone informs security (ext. 5000) of their
situation and/or contacts suitable person to let them know where they are, if
possible arrange for someone else to present whilst in the lab. Lone working
should be accompanied by a lone working risk assessment.

Outside hours working for Joseph Priestley should follow the outside hour’s
protocol; these are displayed around the JP building.
18. CONFERNCE AND MEETING RISK ASSESSMENT
If staff are attending a conference or other work outside field work then a conference and meeting
risk assessment must be supplied, the main point of this assessment is to provide location and
contact details, for an emergency situation.
http://www.sbcs.qmul.ac.uk/students/healthandsafety/index.html
19. OVERNIGHT EXPERIMENTS

Overnight experiments in Joseph Priestley building should follow the overnight
experiment protocol, appendix 17
Experiments to be performed outside the normal working hours must have the prior approval of
your supervisor. Inform any remaining colleagues when you leave that they may be the only
persons left in the building.
Should you be the last person to leave your laboratory make sure that it is safe, i.e. water and
gas taps are turned off and electrical apparatus is unplugged. To conserve energy ensure safety
cabinet lights are turned off and the safety screen is pulled down.
20. LEV (LOCAL EXHAUST VENTILATION) FUME HOODS AND SAFETY CABINETS
All LEV will be maintained and records kept of such maintenance, with respect to OHSD
guidelines, further details are contained in the
21. GREEN HOUSES ON ROOF OF FOGG BUILDING
Access to the roof greenhouses is restricted and you must inform the relevant PI’s of your
intention to work in them, evacuation instruction will be given as part of safety induction.
22. SCHOOL HEALTH AND SAFETY GROUP (June 2013)
Chair of the School Safety Committee
Head of School
School Manager
School Safety Co-ordinator/buildings
Chief Technician
Technician Representative (Fogg building)
Technician Representative (Joseph Priestly building)
Deputy Safety Adviser (Joseph Priestly building)
Postgraduate/postdoctoral Representative
Field work Adviser
Secretary to the Committee
J Sullivan
M Evans
Fiona Marsh
Alan Philcox
S.J. Court
J. Hamdan
C. Bray
P. Duncanson
P Fletcher
A Grocott
The School Health and Safety Group are always pleased to receive comments and suggestions
for improving safety. Please make such comments and suggestions by e-mail or in writing to
Health and Safety Manual June 2013
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Queen Mary University of London
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Mrs. Angela Grocott (a.m.grocott@qmul.ac.uk).
23. ASSESSMENTS UNDER COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health)
The Legal Requirement
The key provision of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002
(see Appendix 1) is Regulation 6, which requires employers to make suitable and sufficient
assessments of the risks to health arising from hazardous substances at work. Each assessment
should establish what needs to be done to meet the requirements of the rest of the Regulations.
Regulation 6 includes the following:

An employer shall not carry on any work which is liable to expose any employee [or
any other person who might reasonably be expected to be on the premises] to any
substance hazardous to health unless he has made a suitable and sufficient
assessment of the risks to health created by that work to the health of those
employees or other persons and of the steps that need to be taken to meet the
requirements of these Regulations.

The assessment required by section (1) shall be reviewed forthwith if:

There is reason to suspect that the assessment is no longer valid;

there has been a significant change in the work to which the assessment relates,
and, where as a result of the review, changes in the assessment are required, those
changes shall be made.

OHSD would expect that RA’s were reviewed every 3 years
Purpose of the Regulation
The purpose of doing an assessment is entirely practical: it is to ensure that correct and sensible
decisions will be reached about how to control and respond to hazardous substances arising in
the course of work. The principle throughout the COSHH Regulations is that the precautions
which should be taken are determined by the nature and the degree of risk in each case. It is
therefore essential that, at the outset, a valid and informed judgement is made about the risks to
health. This means considering a series of questions about the work to be sure that all relevant
aspects have been taken into account. It does not mean carrying out a piece of original research
or producing a learned thesis on the properties of a substance. Above all, it is a matter of
stopping to observe, listen, read, and think before acting.
A “Suitable and Sufficient” Assessment
To be suitable and sufficient, the assessment should go through a series of questions, suggested
below. The first six are aimed at establishing the nature and extent of the risk; the last one
considers the precautions to take in response to the risk. The risk arising from the work is related
not only to the ability of a substance to cause harm but also to the amount of the substance and
the ways and extent to which people may come into contact with it. There are a series of model
risk assessments available which cover experimental procedures, substances encountered,
equipment used and waste disposal procedures, and these are in the model risk assessments
folder.
Where groups of people are doing similar work and are similarly exposed to the same types of
hazardous substances, the assessment can be based on a representative sample of people.
Equally, in situations involving large numbers of hazardous substances, such as research
laboratories, the substances can usefully be grouped together for the purposes of the
assessment, on the basis of similar hazard or treatment. The assessment does not necessarily
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Queen Mary University of London
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have to be done by just one person - several people may be involved in providing information for
different questions. However, the information should be brought together at the end of the
exercise, and considered as a whole, before taking action.
What hazardous substances are there?
This is a matter of recognising the hazardous substances used in, or arising from, the work.
There are, of course, many kinds. They can be in the form of gases, vapours, liquids, fumes,
dusts or solids, or they can be micro-organisms. They may arise from materials used, stored or
handled in any process, intermediates or by-products produced or given off, or the finished
products of any process. They may arise from materials used in activities incidental to production,
such as maintenance, cleaning or repairs. They can also arise from accidental spills or leakages.
Hazardous substances can be recognised by obtaining and reading information from suppliers,
including their labels on packages and containers (CHIP Regulations), from trade and technical
literature and HSE Guidance Notes and data sheets. Of course, hazardous substances can also
be recognised as they have always been: by in-house product and process knowledge and by
previous experience.
What are the harmful effects?
The effects of those substances on the body should be considered and, where appropriate, the
effects of mixtures of substances, which can sometimes be greater than that of each on its own.
The effect will partly depend on the form that the substance is in and the way it enters or acts on
the body, e.g. by inhalation, ingestion, contact with the skin or absorption through the skin.
Information on the harmful action of any substance should be sought from the same sort of
sources as in question 1.
Where will the hazardous substance be present?
All possible locations should be considered, i.e. all areas of use, storage, collection, disposal or
discharge. The potential for ‘escape’ at each stage should also be borne in mind.
Who may be affected?
The next step is to identify the people who may be affected at each of the identified locations.
They could be brought into contact with the substance if they either work with it directly or are in
the vicinity of where it is used, stored or collected, or from where it is discharged.
How great is the degree and extent of exposure?
Any decision about the degree and extent of exposure must be based, first and foremost, on
observation of and enquiry into working practices and experience. This provides a ‘yardstick’ for
deciding how precisely exposure needs to be evaluated, and against which to consider the nature
of the precautions to be taken.
Besides inhalation routes, exposure can arise from contamination of skin, clothing, food, drink
and smoking materials; the significance of all routes should be considered.
Where it has been decided to control exposures by containing a substance within a closed
system, routine exposure may, depending upon the reliability of the containment, be regarded as
negligible.
How do the exposure data compare with recognised standards?
Information on exposure will usually have little meaning unless it is related to some reference
point. The next step is therefore to compare the results obtained with accepted standards
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Queen Mary University of London
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representing, at least, the “adequate control” required by COSHH Regulation 7.
These standards may be prescribed or approved occupational exposure limits for inhaled
substances, or else self-imposed working limits or industry standards. The results of the
comparison will determine the action which should be taken to limit and further reduce exposure.
What action should be taken in response to the assessment?
Once the risks have been assessed, the next step is to decide what action needs to be taken to
meet the requirements of the other COSHH Regulations. Of prime importance is deciding what
more needs to be done, if anything, to achieve and sustain adequate control of exposure, or
preferably, to prevent it altogether. The control measures should be weighed up in terms of their
effectiveness, certainty and reliability, the more sure and reliable methods being preferred.
Elimination or substitution of the substances should be the first choice, followed by engineering
control measures. Arrangements for maintaining and testing the control measures to ensure they
continue to operate as intended should also be worked out. It is also necessary to decide what
other precautions may need to be put into effect, such as routine monitoring of exposure, health
surveillance procedures and training of employees.
Results
In all but the simplest cases, the assessments should be recorded, to ensure continuity of
awareness among managers and supervisors, and to ensure that other people who may need to
know are properly informed. Among the latter may be employees or their representatives and
Health and Safety Inspectors. Also, unless the assessment is recorded, it will not usually be
possible to make a correct judgement about when it should be reviewed. Therefore, unless the
assessment can be immediately or readily repeated at any time, or concerns work of very short
duration, it should be set down in a record.
Review
The assessment should be reviewed if there is any reason to suppose that it is no longer valid or
if there has been a significant change in the work, health surveillance, and new information about
health hazards, a change in personnel, or a change in materials, plant, control methods, process
or volume of production.
Assessment Forms
Suitable forms for the COSHH assessment exercise for chemicals can be obtained from the
Chemistry Stores; for a copy of the form see Appendix 13. The form is available electronically
from the Safety website; one copy is for the user of the chemical(s), one copy is to be given to the
supervisor and one copy to the Safety Officer. N.B. The assessment should include products and
by-products as well as reagents and solvents. The form must be countersigned by the supervisor
or the appropriate person. Procedures should be subject to periodic assessment and review [33].
Three copies should be made and distributed as for the COSHH forms. There are also COSHH
forms available from the Risk Assessment folder or from the College safety website
http://qm-web.safety.qmul.ac.uk/index.html
http://www.sbcs.qmul.ac.uk/students/healthandsafety/index.html
24. COSHH, BIO-COSHH, FIELDWORK and GENERAL RISK ASSESSMENT FORMS
The assessments under COSHH are the cornerstone of the Regulations and the key to
fulfilling the other requirements. They are intended to enable and encourage employers to
set priorities for the allocation of resources on the basis of the highest risk, and promote a
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Queen Mary University of London
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sensible and flexible approach to reducing the risks presented by work involving
substances hazardous to health.
NOTE: Copies of the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974 and the COSHH
Regulations are available for inspection from the College Safety Adviser.

All risk assessments to be stored within the laboratory / room where the work is
taking place, be up to date and available for inspection.

Two copies are needed, one for the work area, the other for reference stored in
another location. It is advisable to have electronic versions available in addition to
the paper copies in the laboratory.

If the work changes substantially over the course of a project, a new assessment
must be written.

After 3 years the assessment must be reviewed and a new assessment written to
replace the old one

The risk assessment applies not only to the work being done but the people involved
as well, if new members of the group arrive or leave, then new assessments must be
written.
25. GENERAL LABORATORY AND OFFICE REGULATIONS
The following rules, which are by no means exhaustive, cover many of the situations which you
will encounter in a laboratory. Before starting any work you should ensure that you have taken all
reasonable precautions against any foreseeable accident, taking due notice of the toxicities of the
substances with which you are working.
Offices and Laboratories

Offices and laboratories should be kept clear of all unnecessary obstacles, the
Storage of bicycles is strictly prohibited in areas other than those that have been
designated
Passageways

Doorways, landings, gangways and passageways must be kept clear and free from
obstructions at all times.

The storage of bicycles in passageways is prohibited.

Fire doors, which are clearly marked as such, must not be wedged, propped or tied
open except for limited periods when equipment and cylinders are being moved and
floors cleaned.
State of Laboratories

One of the best precautions against an accident is a clean and tidy laboratory; a
cluttered bench or floor is a prime accident site. Research workers are responsible
for keeping their own benches clean and tidy. Cleaning materials are available from
the Technical Staff and the Stores. Your co-operation with both the cleaners is
required to enable them to do their jobs efficiently and safely.
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Queen Mary University of London
14
Food and Drink

Food and drink may not be consumed or stored in the Fogg, Bancroft or Joseph
Priestley buildings except in designated areas.
Smoking

Smoking is banned throughout the Fogg, Bancroft and Joseph Priestley building’s
and this ban now extends to the whole of the Queen Mary campuses
Eye Protection

Safety spectacles must be worn at all times in any laboratory, unless a suitable risk
assessment is in place detailing why safety glasses should not be worn

There is a danger to the eyes in all laboratory work from splashes and explosions.
The School therefore provides all new workers with a pair of safety spectacles to the
Current British Standard. These glasses fully shield the eyes and fit over most
prescription glasses.

Prescription Safety Spectacles are available and the links below give details
of obtaining prescription safety spectacles.
http://qm-web.ohsd.qmul.ac.uk/documents/standard/64344.pdf
http://qm-web.ohsd.qmul.ac.uk/services/Eye%20Care/index.html)

lab workers can go to other eye care companies, but the School / PI would have to
pick up the cost.

You are required to wear safety spectacles at all times in the laboratory: the hazard
may not be of your own making but that of a co-worker.

Contact lenses increase the risk to the eyes in the event of an accident. It is not
advisable to wear contact lenses in the laboratories unless full goggles are worn.
Contact lenses may give rise to many hazards: they may slip at an awkward
moment, but more importantly they are difficult to remove quickly in the event of an
accident should the eyes be splashed with chemicals. They also reduce the flow of
natural fluids to the eyes which help to move any contaminant; moreover, they may
trap the contaminant behind the lens and can actually worsen the accident.
Protective Clothing (PPE)

Failure to wear a lab coat or other PPE may result in exclusion from laboratory
areas.

When carrying out practical work a laboratory coat should be worn. Laboratory
coats are supplied by the School and must not be removed from laboratory, unless
to be laundered through the School laundry contractor.

Failure to wear a lab coat may not only have consequences of personal injury, but
also damaged clothing will not be replace if a lab coat has not been worn

Protective gloves and aprons are available from the Stores and should be worn
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School of Biological and Chemical Sciences
Queen Mary University of London
15
when necessary. Workers should be aware that no type of glove can exclude all
substances and that glove materials themselves can be allergenic. Contaminated
gloves must not be worn. No gloves are allowed outside the laboratory, exception
may be granted if a suitable risk assessment has made, for exceptional procedures.
For further information on gloves please see the College Health and Safety website
at

Lab coats will be laundered on a regular basis

Any PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) that is damaged or cannot be cleaned
should be disposed of, by a suitable route
http://qm-web.safety.qmul.ac.uk/index.html
Dust Masks

Dust masks for use when working with non-toxic dusts or powders are available from
the stores. These masks should always be used when making or scraping thin layer
chromatography plates.
Safety Shields

Safety shields and Face Visors should always be used when working with potentially
explosive materials or hazardous materials where safety glasses are not appropriate
Footwear

The wearing of open-toed shoes in laboratories is potentially dangerous in the event
of a chemical spillage, and is therefore strongly discouraged. When moving gas
cylinders or other heavy objects that could crush the toes or feet, suitable protective
footwear should be worn.
Manual Lifting

If lifting weights over 25Kg is a regular occurrence, then the attendance of a manual
lifting course is mandatory
Fire Fighting
IF EVER IN ANY DOUBT, USE THE BREAKGLASS AND EVACUATE THE BUILDING, DO
NOT TAKE ANY RISK WHEN TACKLING A FIRE

The following are the main types of fire fighting equipment provided in the Joseph
Priestley building: CO2 fire extinguishers, foam extinguishers, and fire blankets.
HFFF extinguishers are located in some specific areas.

Never use foam or water when the fire involves electrical apparatus, use CO2, for
alkali metal or metal alkyls dry powder.

When tackling a fire, however small, always ensure that you have a reserve supply
of extinguishers, make sure you have a clear exit from the fire area and do not take
any personal risk.

If in any doubt about your ability to tackle the fire activate one of the fire alarm call
points which are on each floor on the exit routes from the laboratories. Call the fire
brigade as detailed on the fire action notice by the call point.
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Queen Mary University of London
16
Unattended Experiments

Overnight experiments in Joseph Priestley must follow the SBCS overnight
protocol; these are displayed in the laboratories.

Unattended experiments are the most frequent cause of fire and floods. The running
of unattended experiments can usually be avoided by careful planning. When
experiments or equipment must run overnight, or be left unattended, prior approval
must be sought from the academic supervisor or his nominee and a signed notice,
available from the Stores or the Technical staff, must be clearly displayed with all the
relevant information including the name of the person in charge of the experiment,
his telephone number and the emergency procedure to be followed in the event of
an accident.

Distillation experiments should NOT be left unattended unless specially designed
Solvent stills’ and other equipment used in the drying of solvents must NOT be left
unattended

If any experiment would cause a serious hazard if one of the services in use
failed, it must not be left unattended.
Waste Disposal (see also College Safety Regulations: Waste Disposal Procedure)
ALL WASTE IS DISPOSED OF FOLLOWING EITHER LOCAL GUIDELINES OR THOSE
GUIDELINES SPECIFICALLY LAID DOWN BY HSE AND ITS VARIOUS AGENCIES

The disposal of all waste materials must be carried out with care and with
consideration as to its ultimate destination. Some chemicals (e.g. Schedule 1
poisons such as cyanides, arsenic compounds, etc., Radiochemicals, substances
which pose bio-hazards etc.) will only be used under procedures that include specific
instructions for their safe disposal.

Before commencing any experiment you should be aware of the procedure for safe
disposal of any unwanted products and unused reagents. This information can often
be found in the original supplier’s catalogue, safety data sheet which accompanies
the material when purchased, or online from ACS, Aldrich, Royal Society of
Chemistry and others.
Waste Glass:
Yellow bins are provided for the disposal of waste glass, these are common in JP, Fogg
and Bancroft labs, and they will follow the same route for disposal as the yellow bins used
for non-hazardous biological waste

Clean (i.e. washed and uncontaminated) glass and glassware may be put in the
yellow bins for disposal.

Winchester bottles, when empty and clean of all chemical contamination, will be
disposed of by contacting Jalal Hamdan in the Joseph Priestley building.

All other glass, (glass vessels, glass bottles, broken glass, etc., which is
contaminated, has traces of chemicals adhering to it or which carries a label or
labels) must be put in the glass bin to indicate that it has been in contact with
“chemicals”.
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Queen Mary University of London
17

Chemicals other than aqueous solutions of low toxicity must not be poured
down the sinks.

Disposal of concentrated acids should be via the lab sink in either a fume hood or
bench sink followed with copious amounts water, the acid should be diluted first,
when diluting acids always add the acid to water.

Solvent residues, including wet residues, must be placed in the appropriate solvent
containers which are situated in laboratories. In the solvent delivery system, room
(1.30) in the Joseph Priestley Building, there are separate containers which are
supplied for the bulk disposal of halogenated and non-halogenated solvents and are
clearly marked as such. Halogenated and non-halogenated solvents must never be
mixed as they are disposed of by different procedures; also, there is a possibility of a
strongly exothermic reaction between the different kinds of solvents. When the lab
containers are full, transfer the contents to large containers in the solvent delivery
system room (JP 1.30), 10L container for Chlorinated and 25L for non-chlorinated.
When these are full (do not fill them right to the top) contact JP Stores for collection
and replacement.

The disposal of all other chemicals must be approved by the academic supervisor.
Destruction of old bottles of moisture-sensitive reagents such as alkyl lithium’s may
best be done “in-house” by the research workers involved in their use. A hazard
assessment will be required and due care must be exercised as in any other
chemical procedure. Inexperienced workers must seek advice from a competent
person. If commercial disposal of unwanted or waste chemicals is required then this
must be approved by the academic supervisor and arranged through the School
Safety Officer, who should first be provided with a list (preferably in electronic form)
stating the quantities and locations of the substances involved. Known and unknown
chemicals must be packed separately in secure containers, solids being packed
separately from liquids, and organic chemicals separately from inorganic chemicals.
A list of the chemicals with an estimation of the quantity of each must be placed on
the outside of the container. The waste materials will then be taken to a secure area
before removal from the College site.

Chemicals must not be emptied into waste bins.

Experiments and procedures that will involve or evolve gas should normally be
carried out in fume cupboards (subject to exceptions that may be approved by the
Safety Adviser
26. CRYONGENIC LIQUIDS AND SOLIDS (Liquid Nitrogen, Helium, solid CO2)

Areas where potentially Asphyxiant gases are used or stored have either fixed low
Oxygen monitoring, specific sensors for special gases or a personal oxygen monitor
is supplied.

Training will be given in the handling of cryogenic liquids and solids; you will not be
allowed to handle these materials, unless trained. A record of such training will be
kept.

Training will be given in the use of Dewar’s and cryogenic storage

Laboratories or areas where Asphyxiant gases may be present will monitored by low
Oxygen monitoring sensors, or by personal low oxygen sensors (supplied). All such
Health and Safety Manual June 2013
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Queen Mary University of London
18
equipment will be regularly serviced.

Thermal gloves should be worn when transferring liquid gases from one container to
another and the operation should always be carried out in a well ventilated area.

Liquid nitrogen is available in 160 litre or 200 litre containers. Small 25 litre
containers are kept in some laboratories.

Apparatus which is open to the atmosphere must not be cooled using liquid nitrogen
since the condensation of oxygen can be very dangerous. Users of argon
atmospheres should be aware that this gas condenses at the temperature of liquid
nitrogen. If liquid argon becomes trapped in a closed system and is allowed to warm
up then a dangerous increase in pressure may occur.

Liquid helium presents special hazards and its use must be discussed with the
academic supervisor and Safety Co-ordinator before commencing work.

Do not travel in lifts with cryogenic liquids.
27. GAS CLYLINDERS - see also College Safety Regulations: Use of High Pressure gases
http://qm-web.safety.qmul.ac.uk/index.html

The supply, delivery and installation of gas cylinders is the responsibility of the
Colleges supplier, contact details are available from stores or from School Safety
Co-ordinator

Gas cylinders present special hazards. The general precautions for handling and
storing gas cylinders listed below should be followed at all times.

Only those cylinders in actual use shall be kept in laboratories. These must be
chained to a firm support or stored in an approved stand. Free-standing cylinders
are dangerous and thus are forbidden in all laboratories.

Where fitted the valve protection cap should be left on each cylinder until it is
actually in use.

Do not place any cylinder where it may become part of an electrical circuit.

Never use oil or grease to lubricate the threads of a cylinder.

Never use Teflon tape on oxygen cylinder and avoid using it on other cylinders.

Use only the correct type of pressure regulator for the gas concerned.

Never use oil or grease to lubricate the threads of a cylinder.

Pressure regulators should be certified safe by a competent person or replaced at
intervals not exceeding once every five years.

The main valve should be opened slowly with a proper key; too rapid opening may
cause an explosion.

Never discharge the contents of a cylinder without the use of a pressure valve or a
control valve. Where a gas is passed through a liquid mixture, a pressure relief
Health and Safety Manual June 2013
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Queen Mary University of London
19
device and an anti-suck-back trap should be used. The correct arrangement is:
cylinder - suck-back trap - pressure relief device.

Do not attempt to move a gas cylinder unless you are competent. Protective
footwear should be worn. Four-wheeled cylinder trolleys are provided and their use
is strongly recommended as they minimise the risk of the cylinder toppling over.
The contents of gas cylinders may also have properties which make them hazardous, e.g.
because they are flammable, toxic, corrosive, etc. These properties can be found by reference to
the technical information sheets. Other important factors which should be considered are the
possible formation of hazardous products, such as acetyl ides formed by the action of copper or
copper alloys with acetylene or gases which contain acetylene as an impurity, or the formation of
fulminate when mercury is used in the presence of ammonia, etc.
Toxic or flammable gases must be used in fume cupboards. The cylinder used should be of the
minimum size needed for the reaction to ensure that all the gas is used in a reasonable amount of
time. The system should be tested for leaks using compressed air, nitrogen, or any inert gas
before using the chosen gas (es).
Do not, inadvertently or otherwise, connect two different gas cylinders together.
Rapid mixing of the contents can occur under such circumstances, causing a
possible explosion hazard.
28. REFRIGERATORS AND DEEP FREEZERS
Refrigerators and freezers should be cleaned on a regular basis.
All containers must be clearly labelled (chemical name, your name, and date) and
stoppered or sealed.
These must be of the spark-free type, whenever possible. Food and drink must not be stored in
refrigerators and deep freezers which are used for chemicals etc. Similarly, chemicals must not
be stored in refrigerators and deep freezers which have been supplied for food storage.
Only materials which are unstable at room temperatures, recrystallizing solutions in adequately
stoppered containers, or reaction mixtures may be stored.
All material stored in fridges and freezers when no longer required should be disposed of by a
suitable route.
All refrigerators and deep freezers are regularly checked and defrosted, at which time all
unlabelled materials will be removed and destroyed.
Refrigerators and deep freezers are operated at pre-set temperatures: do not alter the
temperature settings.
29. FUME CUPBOARDS(LEV)
Fume cupboards may be used for the storing of volatile and/or toxic materials or for experimental
work but not for both. Check that the fume cupboard is working before using it, check the flow
meter and that LEV inspection is in date, Report any failure or suspected failure immediately, for
Joseph Priestley contact Mr Jalal Hamdan (ext 2024) Agha Shah Stores and any such failure in
the Fogg building to Alan Philcox or to Alan Philcox in any event.
All LEV has record of maintenance and the interval at which maintenance is performed.
The efficiency of the fume cupboards is to be checked at regular intervals by the Laboratory
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Queen Mary University of London
20
Technician. You are required to keep the fume cupboard fronts closed to the “stop” position
when not using them and to have them open as little as possible when actually working in them.
The efficiency of the fume cupboards drops as the opening is increased. Always leave the fume
cupboard clean and tidy.
As soon as you have completed the reaction in the fume cupboard you should remove
your apparatus as the fume cupboard could be needed in an emergency.
No experiments which generate large volumes of toxic/flammable vapours should be carried out
in the fume cupboards in the research laboratories. The maximum permitted rate of release is
about one litre per minute. Large scale experiments should have a separate risk assessment.
There are vented cupboards under the fume hoods for the storage of volatiles and flammable
compounds
Do not leave unlabelled chemicals in fume cupboards or anywhere else. These will be
disposed of immediately.
Once the experiment has been set up the sash should closed down, all fume not in use or
being used have the sash down, this is especially important overnight where energy
saving is a priority
30. WATER
All water taps should be securely turned off when not in use. Where an apparatus is to be
connected for long periods, reinforced or plastic tubing must be used and the connection
secured with either jubilee or hose clips. The connection should be inspected at regular
intervals.
Connections to glassware should be made using 20 SWG tinned copper wire, or jubilee
clips, cable ties or special plastic adaptors. Condenser outlet leads must be made secure
to the drains or the trough, the outlets of which must be free from blockages. An overnight
flood can cause great damage and inconvenience.
Purified water is available on all floors in the Fogg Building, except the 2nd floor
Ice is available from 4th floor and 3.04 teaching laboratories, as well as purified water.
Purified water and ice are available on floors G, 1 and 2 of the Joseph Priestley Building.
If possible use our water resources sparingly
31. ELECTRICTY: School Code of Practice to Conform to Electricity at Work Regulations(1989)
The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, which came into force on 1 April 1990, is
Made under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The Regulations apply to all
users of electricity at work and have statutory force. Infringements of the Regulations may
leave individuals open to prosecution. The Regulations and this Code of Practice are
applicable to all staff and students working in the School. The purpose of this Code of
Practice is to ensure that the College’s and School’s responsibilities under the Regulations
are properly discharged. Infringements of this Code may lead to disciplinary action.
In particular, this Code requires procedures to be adopted to ensure that:

The College and the School exercise proper responsibility under the Regulations for
the health and safety of its staff at work and others who work in the School.
Health and Safety Manual June 2013
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Queen Mary University of London
21

All electrical equipment will undergo PAT (Portable Appliance Testing), this will be
performed under contract managed by QMUL Estates, record of testing will be
supplied to SBCS and will contribute to the School asset register.

Equipment which fails PAT will either be repaired and retested or disposed of.

The construction of new equipment and the modification and repair of commercial
equipment are carried out in accordance with proper standards of safety.

Staff and students undertaking any form of work on electrical apparatus are properly
trained.
Under no circumstances will staff or students engage in work which involves access to live
conductors.

All class 1 electrical equipment and supporting framework must be earthed. If
in any doubt consult estates electrical staff or a qualified electrician.

Multiple adapters must not be used: their use is forbidden under all
circumstances.
Where it is absolutely necessary to work on live circuits, including testing, such activities
should only be carried out by a competent electrical craftsman accompanied by a second
person with similar qualifications.
Apparatus which repeatedly “blows” a fuse must be sent for repair or disposed of.
Electrical equipment must be switched off and unplugged when not in use. In cases where
electrical equipment is left turned on for long periods or permanently, e.g. refrigerated
cabinets, ovens, spectrometers, etc. an appropriate notice should be displayed next to the
plug and switch.
Work on the School’s wiring installation or major electrical equipment, will be undertaken
either by the maintenance Department or by a contractor approved by the Maintenance
Department. All new work will be covered by a certificate confirming that the installation or
equipment has been tested and handed over in a safe working condition.
Wherever possible portable electric tools should be battery operated; failing this, mains
equipment should be of the double insulated type (Class 2). Other types of mains operated
(Class 1) tools should only be used when protected by a sensitive Residual Current Circuit
Breaker. Class 1 tools should not be used in wet conditions or in a confined space.
Ultimately it is the responsibility of the Head of School to ensure that all electrical
equipment used in the School, including that owned by members of staff, is tested and
inspected regularly. In practice this routine testing will be carried out by those members of
academic, technical and research staff with responsibilities for the teaching and research
laboratories and for School services.
It is the responsibility of the Maintenance Department to ensure that the mains wiring
installations should be tested every five years. An inventory and test record must be
maintained and be available for inspection in respect of both sets of inspections.
Subject to the above, it must be a condition of being allowed to work in the School that all
such workers do not interfere with the electrical installation or equipment in the School and
that any apparatus connected to the supply must not be a source of hazard: for example,
Health and Safety Manual June 2013
School of Biological and Chemical Sciences
Queen Mary University of London
22
sockets must not be overloaded or temporary connections made to cables.
It is the duty of all staff and students to bring to the attention of management any apparent
defect in the installation or equipment. It is the duty of management to take immediate
action when such reports are received.
By this Code of Practice the Head of School and the Safety Advisers inform staff and
students of their obligations under items 10 and 11. Electrical hazards or defects should be
reported immediately to your laboratory technician, academic supervisor, or to the Safety
Adviser.
All electrical equipment will undergo PAT (Portable Appliance Testing) in line with OHSD
guidelines
Please ensure that all unnecessary equipment is unplugged if not in use
32. GAS

Ensure that all gas taps are turned off when not in use. Always use a well made and
secure connection at both ends before using the supply. Replace and discard
damaged or perished tubing.

If gas is smelt at any time, check that all taps are closed, ventilate the area for a few
minutes and then check again for a smell of gas. If gas is still present report the fact
immediately to the Safety Coordinator and/or estates or other suitable person.

Laboratories should be equipped with a safety ‘Knock off’ switch
33. STORAGE OF FLAMMABLE SOLVENTS

Flammable solvents/reagents are to be stored in the vented cabinets under the fume
hoods

No bottles of solvents or reagents will be placed on the floor at any time

Flammable solvents in quantities greater than 0.5 litres should be stored below hand
level. Winchesters of flammable solvents must be stored only in the steel or steellined cupboards provided in each laboratory, never in under bench cupboards.

Ethers and some alkenes form peroxides and should not be stored for longer than 6
months. Sodium wire residues from bottles of dried solvents MUST be destroyed
using methanol by the person emptying the bottle. Bottles containing sodium wire
residues must never be put out for general disposal as empty bottles are washed
with water.
34. STORAGE AND DISPOSAL OF CONCENTRATED ACIDS

These should be stored in a well ventilated place, separate from organic solvents.
Cabinets are provided for this purpose under the fume hoods or in designated
cabinets

Concentrated acids should be disposed of down the sink with copious amounts of
Water, never add water directly to concentrated acids, and always add the acid to
water to dilute it. When disposing of concentrated acid use large volumes of water.
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Queen Mary University of London
23
35. LASERS
The use of lasers must be discussed at the planning stage with the School Safety Advisers
and College Safety and Laser Safety Advisers (Paul Cassell).
http://qm-web.safety.qmul.ac.uk/index.html
36. GLASSBLOWING
Any glassware given in for repair must be clean, dry, and free from solvent vapour, before
it is sent away for repair
37. IONISING RADIATION

Special regulations apply to the use of radioactive materials and to the X-ray
Laboratory.

Only designated radiation workers are allowed to work with radioactive materials and
X-rays. Any person who intends to work with radioactive materials or X-rays must
discuss the proposed scheme of work in advance with the Radiation Protection
Officer, currently Mr. S Pestaille, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, who
will make the necessary arrangements and supply further information.

Radioactive materials must not be brought into the School or ordered without the
written approval of the Radiation Protection Officer and the School Safety Adviser or
his deputy. The users of radioactive materials are required to keep a record of the
use and method of disposal of all radioactive materials under their control.

All projects using radio activity are subject to approval by OHSD
38. ORDERING OF TOXIC, RADIOACTIVE OR BIO-HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES

No order will be placed without completing the COSHH form, at the bottom of the
order form. The Stores Supervisor will not order any toxic gases, Schedule 1
Poisons, Radiochemicals or Bio-hazardous Substances unless the order has been
approved by the licence holder or suitable person.

All orders for hazardous material must have the risk assessment on the order form
filled in, or the order will not be processed.

There are procedures in place to ensure that when radioactive material is ordered
the activity limit for the isotope is not exceeded.

Schedule 1 Poisons will be issued from stock after the purchaser has signed the
Poison Register. The Stores Supervisor will issue a Hazard Warning Card which
shall be kept close at hand while the material is in use. The academic supervisor’s
written consent is also required. See also section 14.28 (Schedule 1 Poisons).

All hazardous materials ordered through stores will follow all necessary HSE
Guidelines
39. CHEMICAL HAZARDS
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Queen Mary University of London
24

Chemicals must not be transported in the passenger lifts, unless packaged in
accordance with HSE guidelines

Before using any chemical for the first time, you must ensure that you familiarise
yourself with all its known hazards. Appropriate Safety information may be obtained
from the Research Stores. The College Library has an extensive reference section
on chemical hazards, “Hazards in the Chemical Laboratory” by G D Muir, which
although not exhaustive, is one of the most readable. Data sheets can be accessed
via the web through ACS, Aldrich and others. Non-inclusion in this and other
standard reference works does not mean that the substance is harmless.

A written assessment of the risk of any new procedure is required in advance
and this must include any necessary precautions, first aid treatment where known,
and the procedure to be followed in the event of an emergency.

Academic supervisors and research workers are responsible jointly for the
safe planning of all experimental work. Prior consideration and discussion must
take place before chemicals are ordered or taken from the Stores and experimental
work is started (see also section 19). The results of this assessment must be
recorded on a COSHH form. COSHH, BIO-COSHH and General Risk Assessment
forms are available on the School Website. Most chemical work is potentially
hazardous and proper care must be exercised at all times in the laboratories. The
following specific examples of hazardous chemicals or procedures are meant to
illustrate some of the most significant hazards that may be encountered in normal
laboratory work.

Benzene: Highly toxic by inhalation and skin absorption. Prolonged exposure to
high levels of benzene is known to cause cancer of the bladder. Benzene may only
be used with a risk assessment in place, and the procedures followed for ordering
this compound.

Chlorinated Hydrocarbons: Chlorinated solvents and other chlorinated
hydrocarbons are toxic by inhalation, ingestion, and skin absorption. Some solvents,
e.g. CCl4, CHCl3, and Trichloroethene are extremely toxic and potentially
carcinogenic. Such compounds should be used as little as possible; if they must be
used then the work must take place in a fume cupboard.

Chromic Acid: Chromium(VI) compounds are banned and should not be used

Hydrofluoric Acid: Burns from this acid are very severe, exceptionally painful, and
very difficult to treat, and take a long time to heal. The use of this acid is normally
restricted to the College Glass Service. A risk assessment must be in place before
using this material

Mercury: Mercury is a cumulative poison. Except where it is necessary to permit
access of air to register barometric pressure, all mercury surfaces MUST be
enclosed. A risk assessment must be in place before using this element.

Work with mercury should always be carried out using a tray to contain any spillages
in a fume cupboard or other well ventilated area. Mercury spillages should be
cleaned up promptly, using a water pump or Pasteur pipette. Small droplets may be
removed with a suitable gum-forming proprietary device or covered with a paste
made of equal parts of calcium hydroxide and sulfur which has been made into a
slurry using water. Subsequent removal of the whole mass should ensure that all the
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Queen Mary University of London
25

Mercury has been removed (repeat if necessary). Zinc powder is a good alternative
40. WORKPLACE EXPOSURE LIMITS(EH40)
A list of compounds and their workplace exposure limits (EH40/2005) is obtainable from HSE
website; this list is updated regularly and is to be used with COSHH as additional information for
risk assessments
www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/table1.pdf/

A list of substances prohibited under EH40 is contained within the document
41. SCHEDULED SUBSTANCES(1,2,3)

A list of scheduled substances can be obtained from the web address above

The 3 schedules list toxic chemicals and their precursors, which are subject to
verification under the Chemical Weapons Convention. Anyone producing,
processing, consuming, importing or exporting any of these chemicals must meet
certain legal requirements. Further information is available from the CWC UK
National Authority

There are procedures in place for the ordering of these substances, consult the
Joseph Priestley stores manager
42. POISONS

All substances designated as poisons must be stored in a lockable poisons cabinet
and inventory kept.

Access to the poisons cabinet in Joseph Priestley stores is controlled by the store’s
manager as a legal requirement. The JP Stores Manager is the only member of staff
who is permitted access to the Poisons Cupboard.

Schedule 1 Poisons will only be issued against the signature of the relevant
academic supervisor, who shall have ensured that all appropriate precautions have
been taken. All unused material MUST be returned to the Stores at the end of the
day. When not in use the material MUST be kept in a secure locked poisons cabinet.
43. DRUGS, Schedule 1

Use of drugs for experimentation must follow Home Office procedures and is the
responsibility of the PI and licence holder

SBCS is licensed for schedule 1 drugs
44. CYANIDES
The following procedure must be used:

Request made to the Joseph Priestley building Chemistry Stores, with COSHH form
(copies to both College and School Safety Officers)

Notify Jalal Hamdan, who has been trained to use resuscitation equipment.
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26

Minimum quantity of cyanide issued from Chemistry Stores.

Appropriate First Aider (Jalal Hamdan trained in the use of the oxygen bottle) to be
informed before work with cyanide begins.

Working alone is forbidden, and at least one other adequately experienced person
should be present. N.B. Experimental workers should be aware of the fact that
a significant proportion of people cannot detect hydrogen cyanide by smell.

Unused cyanide must be returned to the Chemical Stores as soon as possible.
45. CARCINOGENS, MUTAGENS AND SUBSTANCES TOXIC TO REPRODUCTION:

All stored material must labelled following the GHS(globally Harmonised
System)

The material must be stored in a secure closed container at all times when not
actually in use. The container must be labelled as to its contents, including a clear
statement that it is either a known carcinogen or suspected of being carcinogenic.

Disposable gloves should be worn when using the materials and the work should be
carried out in a fume cupboard. Consideration should also be given to covering the
work surface with a disposable material. At the completion of the work any
disposable and covering materials used should be sealed in air-tight containers for
proper disposal. Consult senior organic technician in advance.

Safety pipettes must be used when handling liquids.

If the skin has been contaminated, soap and water are the safest cleaning materials.

Waste Disposal. The method chosen must not create any hazard either immediately
or for the future. The best method is chemical destruction by a competent person.

Biohazards: Advice on the safe handling of bio-hazardous materials should be
obtained from SBCS Safety Co-ordinator or in consultation with OHSD Biological
Safety officer, Mark Ariyanayagam:
m.r.ariyanayagam@qmul.ac.uk
46. EXPLOSIVE SUBSTANCES

No satisfactory protection can be offered in the event of a major explosion.

A risk assessment must in place before the use of these compounds can be
used.

Satisfactory protection can only be obtained if the chance of a small explosion
is anticipated, so that protective equipment can be built into or around the
apparatus. It is essential therefore that all laboratory workers are aware of the
possible sources of explosion and correctly assess the explosion hazards of
their work.

Compounds which readily detonate include many azides, organic
perchlorates, acetylides, peroxides and polynitro compounds. Such compounds
must be used only if an academic supervisor considers that it is essential as part of
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Queen Mary University of London
27
the research programme, in which case approval for the use of the material must be
given in writing. Clearly, a detailed assessment of the risks involved and necessary
precautions must be carried out in advance and must be agreed in writing between
the supervisor and the research worker.

Explosive compounds can be detonated in a number of ways, the following being the
most common in a laboratory environment:
Shock - a slight movement is sufficient for the most sensitive compounds.
Friction - stirring, removing a stopper, transfer of material, etc. Slight heating.

The quantity of explosive material used or made should be kept to the absolute
minimum required.

Full precautions must be taken. The explosive substances and any apparatus must
be behind a safety screen. A Grade 1 Impact Face Visor should be worn as should
heavy duty gloves and a laboratory coat.

The apparatus should be sited so that no other worker in the area could be injured if
there were to be an explosion in the system in use. Additionally, other workers in the
immediate area should be aware of any possible explosion hazards; a clear notice
should be displayed at the place of work and on the doors into the laboratory.

Accidents can result from the unwanted formation of explosive material, e.g. the
formation of peroxides in old ether bottles, especially di-isopropyl ether. Care should
be taken to ensure that such unwanted hazards cannot occur, e.g. by disposing of
ethers safely when they are no longer needed.
47. DISTILLATION HAZARDS
Laboratory distillation is considered a routine operation. However, serious fires can result if high
standards are not maintained. The recommendations below cover the more obvious sources of
danger. Additional precautions may be necessary in special situations. A limiting batch size of
0.5 litres is recommended for normal materials. Less experienced workers are recommended to
use appreciably smaller amounts

The solvent delivery system in room 1.30 is set up to provide the following dry
solvents; Toluene, Dichloromethane, Diethyl Ether and Tetrahydrofuran. If other
larger quantities of other solvents are required which are not on this list then
permission must be sought from Dr Tippu Sheriff and Dr Chris Bray.
General Precautions
The following general precautions, many of which apply to all laboratory work, should ensure that
distillations are carried out in a safe and efficient manner.

Make sure you know the location of the nearest fire extinguishers etc (see Sections 2
and 14.10).

Safety spectacles must be worn.
.
Apparatus

Check the apparatus for flaws or cracks before assembly.
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Queen Mary University of London
28

Use round bottomed or pear shaped flasks and air Liebig or coil condensers (not
double surface condensers which may fail under vacuum).
Procedure

Ensure that the apparatus is not a closed system. Note that a closed system may be
created if the distillate solidifies on cooling in the condenser.

Do not fill the still pot more than two-thirds full.

Prevent “bumping” by the use of boiling chips or a boiling stick or, if at reduced
pressure, by use of an air bleed. If the compound is likely to oxidise nitrogen bleed
should be used.

Never put boiling chips into a flask where the solvent is already refluxing, this
will cause the contents of the flask to be ejected.

Use a water, oil (paraffin or silicone), or sand bath or a suitable electric heater.
Paraffin oil baths should not be used above 180°C. Oil baths which are discoloured
or fume when heated should be discarded.

When distilling highly flammable liquids at atmospheric pressure fit the outlet from
the receiving vessel with rubber tubing and lead it to a safe point away from any
possible source of ignition

When distilling toxic compounds the whole assembly should be placed in a fume
cupboard.
Distillations at reduced pressures must only be carried out using round bottomed or
pear shaped flasks. Never use conical flasks!



Distillation apparatus must never be left unattended unless it has been designed for
automatic operation.
Automatic operation means that the system includes prevention of
overheating, heater cut-out in the event of water failure, etc. The system may
then be left if it has been working satisfactorily for at least one hour. It is
advised that checks are made from time to time on the distillation. Safety
devices have been known to fail!
Drying of Solvents
The drying of solvents by distillation from chemically reactive agents such as sodiumbenzophenone presents a particular risk of fire. In addition to the general guidelines concerning
distillation, the following additional points need to be noted.

The distillation of flammable solvents in quantities exceeding 0.5 litres must be done
in the Solvent delivery Room (1.30 Joseph Priestley). Such solvent stills should be
protected by a device which cuts off the electricity supply to the still in the event that
the cooling water supply fails.

Solvent stills should not be operated outside normal working hours.

Solvent stills should carry a notice to indicate who is responsible for their operation.

The drying agent must be chemically compatible with the solvent to be dried. Thus
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Queen Mary University of London
29
alkali metals must not be used to dry halogenated solvents, with which they can
react explosively. If in doubt consult your supervisor or the literature.

Lithium aluminium hydride should not be used for drying solvents.

Very hygroscopic solvents, such as Tetrahydrofuran, may require preliminary drying
(e.g. by standing over sodium hydroxide pellets) before they can be satisfactorily
dried with sodium metal.
Solid residues should not be allowed to accumulate excessively at the bottom of
solvent stills. Sodium residues which have become coated with organic material
often require extended treatment with methanol (at least overnight) before water can
safely be added.

48. AUTOCLAVES

Training will be provided in the use of SBCS autoclaves

Autoclaves must not used if training has not been provided and satisfactorily
completed

A record of training must be kept.

Autoclaves must be tested every year

Autoclaves must have a valid insurance certificate

If the autoclave is faulty or damaged in any way it must not be used. The fault
must be reported immediately.
49. CENTRIFUGES

Training will be given in the use of SBCS centrifuges

Ultracentrifuges must not be used if training has not been provided and satisfactorily
completed.

A record of training must be kept.

Ultra and high spin Centrifuges must be serviced regularly

If the centrifuge faulty or damaged in any way, it must not be used. The fault must be
reported immediately.
50. LEAVING THE LABORATORY

Gloves must be removed and disposed of before leaving the laboratory. Gloves must
not be worn outside the laboratory (this includes one handed glove wearing), Gloves
from the laboratory must be assumed to be contaminated and this contamination
must not be allowed to leave the laboratory and be spread throughout the building. If
you are transporting samples or small equipment make sure it is free from
contamination and transport without gloves.

Lab coats or other protective clothing must not be worn outside the laboratory.
Laboratory coats from the laboratory must be assumed to be contaminated and this
contamination must not be allowed to leave the laboratory and be spread throughout
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Queen Mary University of London
30
the building, by casual contact.
For the safety and convenience of those remaining you should carry out the following steps when
you finish an experiment and before you leave the laboratory.

TIDY YOUR BENCH

Dispose of all unwanted samples in a safe manner. This includes any samples in
refrigerators and the cold room.

Wash and put away all the apparatus you have been using.

Label all samples clearly with your name, sample name, and date of preparation.
Health and Safety Manual June 2013
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Appendix 1
THE CONTROL OF SUBSTANCES HAZARDOUS TO HEALTH REGULATIONS 2002 (COSHH
REGULATIONS)
The COSHH Regulations were made in the form of a statutory instrument under the Health and
Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974. This means that the enforcement procedures and penalties for
non-compliance with the regulations are the same as for the 1974 Act once the COSHH
Regulations came into force on 1st October 1989.
The formulation of the COSHH Regulations is the most significant development in occupational
legislation since the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974. The 1974 Act places a general
responsibility on employers to do all that is “reasonably practicable” to ensure the health and
safety of employees, and a subsection extends this responsibility to protection from harmful
substances.
The COSHH Regulations are designed to safeguard employees, subcontractors, visitors - both
official and personal guests - and students (i.e. anyone who might reasonably be expected to be
on the premises) from substances which might be hazardous to their health, such as chemicals,
dusts or micro-organisms. It should be noted that the COSHH regulations do not place any new
general duties on employers or employees; they simply set out the principles which will allow the
existing duties to be complied with and readily enforced. The requirements of the regulations
represent what is already considered by industry to be good practice, and these are currently
followed by many reputable organisations.
Central to the requirements of the regulations is the carrying out of an assessment of any
process which may involve exposure to substances hazardous to health. The assessment is the
key to all the other regulations and is intended to identify the nature and degree of risk, and thus
to enable those responsible to determine the precautions needed to comply with the other
regulations.
For most manufacturing companies and university laboratories the enforcing authority is the local
Inspectorate of the HSE. For some premises, notably catering establishments, offices and
shops, the enforcing authority is the local Environmental Health Department which is part of the
district or metropolitan council.
Factory inspectors and environmental health inspectors have broad enforcement powers.
Prosecution is seen very much as a last resort, but, if a prosecution is successful, heavy fines
and (at least in principle) imprisonment is possible. Those prosecuted may include: research
supervisors, teaching laboratory supervisors, technicians, heads of department, and even the
chief administrator (for us, the College Secretary) and/or the chief executive officer (for us, the
Principal), as well as the institution itself (the College), i.e. any employee who has failed in his
duty under the 1974 Act and the COSHH Regulations is liable to be prosecuted personally.
However, a more likely form of action is the issue of an improvement notice requiring certain
actions to be carried out by a specified date or, in more serious cases, a prohibition notice
requiring a process or area to be shut down until certain remedial work has been completed.
The following notes on the COSHH Regulations were issued by the Health and Safety Executive
to conference delegates at various seminars held in 1988 to clarify the new regulations. They
give a general outline of the COSHH Regulations, but in no way attempt to be an
authoritative statement of the law. The section devoted to ASSESSMENTS UNDER COSHH
expresses the views of the HSE, but the final decision as to interpretation will, of course, lie with
the Courts.
I. Introduction

The aim of the COSHH Regulations is to set out, in a legislative framework, the
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32
essential measures necessary to control exposure to substances hazardous to
health.

The broad scope of Regulations means that the same principles of control can be
applied to all substances hazardous to health. The flexible nature of the
requirements allows the precautions to match the risk and facilitate the introduction
of technical developments. Revocation of many existing relevant statutory provisions
should substantially simplify and improve standards of compliance.

The Regulations require an assessment of the risk to health that may arise from the
use of substances at the workplace, the establishment and the maintenance of the
necessary control measures, and, if appropriate, monitoring of exposure and health
surveillance. The Regulations apply not only where employees may be affected but
also in the case of any person who might reasonably be expected to be on the
premises.
II. Application

The COSHH Regulations apply to substances classified as being very toxic, toxic,
harmful, corrosive, or irritant under the Classification Packaging and Labelling of
Dangerous Substances Regulations (CHIP) 1984. They also apply to all other
substances hazardous to health arising from work activities and include mixtures and
compounds.

The Regulations apply to micro-organisms, but do not cover hazards which arise
directly from a person suffering from a disease, except where that person is an inpatient at a hospital, e.g. catching a cold from a co-worker is not included, but
contracting a disease through working with pathological samples is included.
COSHH will not apply where the Control of Asbestos at Work and the Control of Lead
at Work Regulations are in force.
III. Prohibitions

Certain existing prohibitions are continued (e.g. the Carcinogenic Substances
Regulations) and there will be revisions in line with a forthcoming EC Directive.
IV. Assessment (see section 11)

The purpose of an assessment is to enable a decision to be made about measures
necessary to control substances hazardous to health arising from any work activity.
It allows the employer to show that all the facts pertinent to the work have been
considered and that an informed and correct judgement has been reached about the
risks, the steps which need to be taken to achieve and maintain adequate control, the
need for monitoring exposure at the work place, and the need for health surveillance.

An assessment entails a systematic review to consider which substances, or types of
substances, employees or other persons are liable to encounter, what are the effects
of those substances, where the substances are likely to be present, and the ways
and extent to which any groups could potentially be exposed.

The detail involved in its preparation should be commensurate with the nature and
degree of risk arising from the work.
V. Control
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
The employer must ensure that the exposure of employees or any other person
who might reasonably be on the premises to any substance hazardous to health
is either prevented or adequately controlled.

Inhalation of substances assigned a maximum exposure limit (MEL) should not
exceed those limits and should be reduced below them to the greatest extent that is
reasonably practicable.
Inhalation of substances which have been assigned an occupational exposure
standard (OES) should be reduced to that standard. If exposure exceeds the OES,
control will still be deemed to be adequate provided that the employer has identified
why the OES has been exceeded and is taking appropriate steps to comply with the
OES as soon as is reasonably practicable. Control to the OES, or below it, can
always be regarded as adequate so far as exposure from inhalation is concerned.


In all cases, prevention or adequate control of exposure should be achieved by
measures other than personal protective equipment (PPE) to the greatest extent that
is reasonably practicable; i.e., the use of engineering controls is the first objective
and PPE should only be used as a last resort.
VI. Use of Control Measures

Every employer who provides any control measure should ensure that it is properly
used and every employee should make full and proper use of any control measure
provided.
VII. Maintenance, Examination and Testing

Every employer who provides any control measure in pursuance of COSHH
Regulation 7 (i.e. to control the exposure of employees) should ensure that it is
maintained in an efficient working order and in good repair. The employer should
ensure that thorough examinations and tests of engineering controls are carried out.
In the case of local exhaust ventilation plant this should be done at least once every
12 months. Respiratory protective equipment has to be examined at suitable intervals
and, for all control measures, a record (or summary) of the examinations has to be
kept for 5 years.

The objective of the Regulation is to ensure that all control measures which have
been provided to meet the requirements of Regulation 7 (1) perform as originally
intended, thereby continuing to effectively prevent or adequately control exposure.
The nature and content of the thorough examination and test depend on the
particular engineering controls under consideration and the nature and degree of risk
posed by the hazardous substance.
VIII. Monitoring Exposures

Monitoring of exposure should be carried out when it is required to ensure that
exposure is adequately controlled. It is required when failure or deterioration of the
control measure could result in a serious risk to health or where it is necessary to
demonstrate that a MEL or OES is not exceeded.

A record should be kept showing when the monitoring was done, what monitoring
procedures were adopted and what the results were.
IX. Health Surveillance
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
Where it is appropriate for the protection of the health of employees the employer
should ensure that they are under suitable health surveillance. Health surveillance
should be treated as being appropriate where the employee is exposed to one of the
substances in Section 81- 86 or Hazard group 3, 4 (biology section).

It is also appropriate where the exposure of the employee is such that an identifiable
disease or adverse health effect may be related to the exposure, there is a
reasonable likelihood that the disease or effect may occur under the particular
conditions of work, and there are valid techniques for detecting signs of the disease
or the effect. Any judgement as to the likelihood that a disease or adverse health
effect may occur must be related to the nature and degree of exposure. If, following
an assessment, it can be shown that it is most unlikely that any disease or adverse
health effect will result, then exposure can be deemed not to be significant and health
surveillance is not required.
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Appendix 2
REPORTABLE ACCIDENTS AND DANGEROUS OCCURRENCES
The following accidents and dangerous occurrences are required by law to be reported to the
Health and Safety Executive within 7 days of the incident. Failure to do so is a criminal offence.
The College Safety Adviser is responsible for the statutory reporting of accidents and dangerous
occurrences and it is essential, therefore, that he is notified as quickly as possible after any
incident which may be reportable.
Reportable accidents and dangerous occurrences include:

Fracture of the skull, spine or pelvis;

Fracture of any bone in the arm or wrist, but not a bone in the hand;

Fracture of any bone in the leg or ankle, but not a bone in the foot;

Amputation of a hand or foot, or a finger, thumb or toe, or any part thereof if the joint,
or any bone is completely severed;

The loss of sight of an eye, a penetrating injury to an eye, or a chemical or hot metal
burn to an eye;

Either injury (including burns) requiring immediate medical treatment or loss of
consciousness, resulting in either case from an electric shock from any electrical
circuit or equipment whether or not due to direct contact;

Either acute illness requiring medical treatment or loss of consciousness, resulting in
either case from the absorption of any substance by inhalation, ingestion, or through
the skin;

Any other injury which results in the injured person being admitted into hospital for
more than 24 hours, or the person injured being absent from their place of work for
three or more days (Saturday and Sunday are included in this period whether they
are normally worked or not);

Any ignition or explosion of explosives where the ignition or explosion was not
intentional;

Electrical short circuit or overload accompanied by fire;

Explosion or collapse of any pressure vessel where the pressure inside the vessel
was above or below atmospheric pressure;
The full list of reportable accidents and dangerous occurrences is contained in the Reporting of
Incidents, Diseases, and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985. The College Safety Adviser
has a copy of these regulations available for inspection.
When a reportable accident or dangerous occurrence has occurred, the site of the
incident (other than for purposes of making the area safe) must not be cleared, tidied up,
or in any other way disturbed until both the College and School Safety Advisers have
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Queen Mary University of London
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carried out an initial investigation.
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