Guidance for completion of Faculty of Natural Sciences Laboratory /
hazardous area local induction record
All areas where hazardous activities take place require those individuals using the area to have local training. The
training provided must reflect what actually occurs in that area and is essential to ensure those working in the area
have an appropriate level of competence so that they are aware of any related hazards and the measures to be taken
to protect against them.
The Faculty Safety Managers have provided a laboratory / hazardous area induction template which can be used by
all groups operating in these types of areas. The template covers a wide range of generic issues associated with
hazardous areas.
Anyone working in the hazardous area for more than 5 days needs to be given an induction using this template (or
another if more appropriate). The induction needs to be given by either the supervisor or another competent member
of the group who works in that area.
Once complete a hardcopy record of the document must be retained and kept on file by the group.
The aim is to ensure best practice and local rules concerning various issues are communicated to new staff and
students entering and working in the areas. In turn this should reduce the risks associated with accidents and bad
practice and ensure the area runs smoothly.
It is considered best practice that approximately one month after induction the new user is asked relevant questions
about issues raised in the induction so that it can be determined if they have understood and can apply the information
given during the induction.
Specific guidance – General safety issues
Good lab practice (GLP)
GLP is essential to minimise the risks associated with exposure to hazards particularly via ingestion, skin or sharps
and eye injuries. Also it helps prevent contamination of surfaces and areas outside the work space (offices, lifts,
toilets etc).
Examples of GLP are:
Personal hygiene
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No Eating, drinking, storing of foods, applying of cosmetics etc.
Do not take personal belongings into laboratory (e.g. coats, bags)
Laboratory coats must be worn when in the lab to prevent your own clothing becoming contaminated. Additional
safety equipment may also be required. This may include appropriate gloves, safety goggles/glasses, ear
protectors etc.
Lab coats and gloves must not be worn in any “clean areas” such as the SAF atrium, kitchens or any seminar
room/lecture theatre or toilet, or for handling items such as phones and door handles.
If your labcoat is contaminated, change it as soon as is possible.
Any cuts or grazes, dermatitis or other forms of open wound, especially on the hands, should be covered by a
waterproof dressing before you start work. The cover should be adequate to prevent contamination.
Wash your hands before leaving the laboratory or if they become contaminated during bench work.
Housekeeping
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Keep the labs in a clean and tidy state at all times. This includes personal bench space as well as communal
areas.
Clear up spillages immediately using the appropriate protocol and inform others working in the area of the spill.
Dispose of used consumables and waste safely. Do not leave waste to overflow in bins or build up in the
laboratory.
Label equipment left running unattended (especially overnight) with date, hazards identified and emergency
contact details
Risk reduction
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Plan work and identify significant hazards before carrying out lab procedures
Minimise the use of glass and sharps wherever possible.
Store heavy bottles or items at bench height
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Use luer lock syringes and filters for filtration
Remove caps from bottles when microwaving
ALL accidents must be reported and recorded using the College accident / near miss report form.
If in doubt, ask your supervisor, manager or health and safety advisor.
Normal working hours and lone working
When working in a hazardous area it is essential to ensure you can call on assistance if there is a emergency. Some
work involving chemicals, ionising radiation, high powered lasers, gases and cryogenics and certain types of
equipment must not be carried out alone as it may be difficult to get help if you are affected such that you cannot call
for help. This will be in the risk assessments associated with the work.
If you require to work beyond 11pm you must apply for extended hours access. Please refer to the section
‘Requesting extended hours access’ on the Life Sciences webpage for further information.
Safety signs
A hazardous area will have many associated signs on the entry and exit points as well as on equipment and other
items within the lab area.
Broadly signs can be placed into the following categories:
Yellow signs with a black trim signify a hazard. These are commonly seen on
lab doors or storage cupboards.
Red signs are prohibition signs – do not do. Commonly no eating or
drinking, no smoking etc
Blue signs are mandatory signs – you must do.
Commonly seen as ‘wear labcoats’, ‘wear safety glasses’ etc on lab door
entry points or in specific area of the hazardous area.
Green signs indicate a safety information – fire exit this way, eye wash
station, first aid box etc
The College also has specific signs associated with access control. These need to be explained where they are
present. See ‘Access control’ on Safety Dept webpages for more information.
Local Safety Information
This includes:
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Risk assessments
Standard operating procedures
Codes of practice
Local training records
People being inducted need to be shown the relevant documentation and trained in the relevant points – i.e. control
measures identified in the documents and emergency procedures.
It is essential that those carrying out hazardous activities are trained appropriately. The local training needs to include
information on emergency procedures and correct use of control measures (fume cupboards, microbiological safety
cabinets, enclosed centrifuge rotors, low oxygen alarms etc). Once an individual is considered competent to do some
work unsupervised this needs to be indicated with relevant sign offs on the appropriate documentation and kept on file
by the research group.
Shared equipment / areas
A number of areas and pieces of equpment in Life Sciences are shared between groups or other Depts. It is essential
that all those using the items of areas are shown the common work practices to ensure that equipment or area is kept
in a good working condition.
Any problems need to be reported to the relevant individual as soon as possible to ensure it can be rectified.
First aid and emergency arrangements
Service
Contact number
Occupational Health (Sth Ken)
020 7594 9401 (09.00 – 17.00)
Imperial College health Centre
020 7584 6301 or 020 7594 9375/6 (08.00 – 18.00 –
except Tuesdays 08.00 – 13.00)
Security – Emergency (including first aid assistance)
Ext 4444 from internal phone / 020 7589 1000 from a
non College phone (24hr)
Security control room – non emergency
0207 594 8910
Chemical spill kits and other emergency equipment
It is essential that all those working in a hazardous area know how to react before an incident occurs. For example if
an individual came across a spill hydrochloric acid they would need to know how to react and who to tell to ensure any
exposures are minimised.
Labs will have specific spill kits (for example Trivorex) and chemical exposure facilities (eye wash hoses, commercial
formulations like Diphoterine etc). Make sure new users know where they are, when to use them and how to use
them. This information will also be available in assessment and SOPs associated with the work.
Experimental procedures
Good glove practice is essential to reduce the spread of contamination outside the hazardous area. This involves not
touching items outside of the hazardous area with gloves as you cannot be sure they are not contaminated due to
minor splashes and other material which may be contaminated within the hazardous area which you may inadvertently
come into contact with.
A common problem is when transporting samples – generally the samples (no matter what they are) should be within
a secondary container to prevent escape if dropped or during an incident and the person transporting them should
remove their gloves and wash their hands before leaving the hazardous area. Even if a individual ‘knows’ their gloves
are clean they cannot be worn outside of the hazardous area as this illustrates bad practice to others outside the
hazardous area.
Remember that disposable gloves are very thin and should not be worn for more than one hour at a time to prevent
minor holes and tears which may allow contamination through. Generally they also have limited ‘breakthrough’ times
for chemicals particularly those that are corrosive (generally a few minutes) so make sure you change them
immediately if you suspect chemical contamination.
Also one type of gloves will not be suitable for all applications – ensure you have the correct glove for the correct
application!