Occupational Health, Safety & Environment
Risk Control Worksheets
ASSESSMENT DETAILS
Campus:
Clayton
Faculty:
Engineering
Department:
Materials Engineering
Building:
37
Room No:
G186
Other:
Assessment Date:
Area/ Task/ Process Description:
1. Electropolishing for metallography using electrolyte containing Nitric Acid and Methanol
Assessment Team:
Investigator
Name of Researcher
Name of Project Supervisor
Name of Academic in charge
Phone #
Signature
HOW TO USE THIS WORKSHEET
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Review the identification section of each of 5 major hazard categories on the Risk Control Reference Sheets. Identify
the relevant hazards noting the Hazard Code and briefly and separately describing each hazard associated with the
work, equipment, process or work practice. (Description of Hazard)
Use the appropriate matrix to assess
 The possible outcome presented by each hazard (Consequence)
 The possibility of that outcome occurring (Likelihood)
Cross reference the consequence and likelihood to determine the risk (Risk)
Outline the preventative/corrective action (Corrective Actions/Risk Controls)
Provide a realistic date by which the actions should be completed/implemented (Timing)
Nominate the person responsible for the follow of the actions (Responsibility)
CORRECTIVE ACTION PLANNING & REVIEW
HIERARCHY OF CONTROLS
For each of the identified hazards that are assessed as an extreme, high or
medium risk a corrective action / continuous improvement plan should be
developed and reviewed as required.
Most
Effective
When developing corrective action or control strategies the HIERARCHY OF
CONTROLS should be considered. The single most important outcome of a risk
assessment is to implement effective and sustainable controls to prevent or
significantly reduce the chance of injury, illness or exposure.
4 levels of controls define the hierarchy. The top two levels Elimination/
Substitution and Engineering Controls are by far the most effective in preventing
or reducing risks because they rely much less on human behavior, are more
difficult to defeat and require much less continuing human effort than the lower
level controls.
As corrective actions are planned every effort should be made to implement the
top 2 levels of control.
Least
Effective
1
Elimination /
Substitution
2.
Engineering
Controls
3.
Training and
procedures
4.
Personal
Protective
Equipment
1. Preparation of Electrolyte – Nitric Acid
Hazard
No.
Description of Hazard
Corrective Actions/ Risk Controls
Contact with combustible material may cause fire.
C1
Consequence C1
Likelihood L5
Keep locked up.
Keep away from sources of ignition.
Risk Low
Timing All times
Harmful by inhalation.
C1
Consequence C2
Wear suitable protective clothing including gas mask, safety glasses,
gloves, lab coat and closed-toe shoes.
Likelihood L3
Risk Medium
Timing
Causes severe burns.
C1
Consequence C2
Likelihood L3
Risk Medium
All times in lab
Risk of serious damage to eyes.
Consequence C2
Likelihood L3
Risk Medium
C1
Consequence C2
Likelihood
L5
User
Responsibility
User
Wear suitable protective clothing gas mask, including safety glasses,
gloves, lab coat and closed-toe shoes.
Risk Low
Timing All times in lab
March 2010
Responsibility
Avoid contact with eyes.
Wear suitable protective clothing including safety glasses, gloves, lab coat
and closed-toe shoes.
Timing All times in lab
Inhalation and/or ingestion may produce health damage.
Responsibility User
Do not breathe gas/ fumes/ vapour/ spray.
Wear suitable protective clothing including safety glasses, gloves, lab coat
and closed-toe shoes.
Timing All times in lab
C1
Responsibility User
Responsibility
User
Hazard to due spill
Consequence C3
Likelihood
L3
Risk Low
C1
When it spills:
- Clean up all spills immediately.
- No smoking, naked lights, ignition sources.
- Avoid all contact with any organic matter including fuel, solvents,
sawdust, paper or cloth and other incompatible materials, as ignition may
result.
- Avoid breathing dust or vapours and all contact with skin and eyes.
- Control personal contact by using protective equipment.
- Contain and absorb spill with dry sand, earth, inert material or
vermiculite.
- DO NOT use sawdust as fire may result.
- Scoop up solid residues and seal in labelled drums for disposal.
- Neutralise/decontaminate area.
Timing
Immediately
Responsibility
User
2. Preparation of Electrolyte – Methanol
Hazard
No.
Description of Hazard
Corrective Actions/ Risk Controls
Highly flammable.
C1
Consequence C1
Keep locked up.
Keep away from sources of ignition.
Likelihood L5
Risk Low
Timing All times
Toxic by inhalation in contact with skin and if swallowed.
C1
Consequence C2
Likelihood L3
Wear suitable protective clothing including safety glasses, gloves, lab coat
and closed-toe shoes.
Risk Medium
Timing
C1
Toxic: danger of very serious irreversible effects through
inhalation in contact with skin and if swallowed.
Consequence C2
Likelihood L3
All times in lab
Responsibility User
Do not breathe gas/ fumes/ vapour/ spray
Wear suitable protective clothing including gas safety glasses, gloves, lab
coat and closed-toe shoes.
Risk Medium
Timing
March 2010
Responsibility User
All times in lab
Responsibility User
Risk of serious damage to eyes.
C1
Consequence C2
Wear suitable protective clothing including safety glasses, gloves, lab coat
and closed-toe shoes.
Likelihood L3
Risk Medium
Timing All times in lab
Hazard to due spill
Consequence C3
Likelihood
L3
Risk Low
C1
Responsibility
User
When it spills:
- Remove all ignition sources.
- Clean up all spills immediately.
- Avoid breathing vapours and contact with skin and eyes.
- Contain and absorb small quantities with vermiculite or other
absorbent material.
Timing
Immediately
Responsibility
User
3. Electropolishing
Hazard
No.
Description of Hazard
Corrective Actions/ Risk Controls
Risk of electrolyte flying to eyes.
Use of safety glasses.
H1
Consequence C2
Likelihood L5
Risk Low
Electrical hazard associated with electrical equipment.
Risk reduced by applying corrective actions.
H4
Consequence C1
Likelihood L5
Timing All times in lab
Responsibility User
Maintain electrical equipment tested and tagged to guarantee safety while
using it. Inspect leads, equipment, etc before using to detect any damage.
Report any failure conditions.
Risk High
Timing Before and during process
Responsibility User and lab supervisor
C1
March 2010
Cleaning samples with the spray gun, ethanol fumes are
produced which are harmful when inhaled.
Use of the fume cabinet during ethanol cleaning of samples.
Ensure good ventilation of fumes checking cabinet before use.
Consequence C5
Timing During operation
Likelihood L4
Risk Low
Responsibility User
Ethanol may cause irritation to skin and eyes. It may cause
dermatitis after long exposure.
C1
Consequence C3
Likelihood L4
Risk Low
Use of safety glasses, disposable gloves, laboratory coat and enclosed
shoes.
Clean up spills and wash hands after use.
All tasks involving ethanol should be conducted within the cupboard.
Wash hands or any other possible part exposed immediately after contact
occurs.
Timing During operation
Electropolishing process involves the use of dilute corrosive
chemicals. Splashes may result in injury requiring first aid
treatment.
H1
Consequence C4
Likelihood
L5
Risk low
No change to existing controls.
All work should be done in the fume cupboard.
Wear proper protective equipment such as safety glasses, latex gloves,
lab coat and close toe shoes.
Use minimal quantity of etchant.
Timing
H1
March 2010
Responsibility
operator
No change to existing controls. Carry out all transfer of reagents and
etching in fume cupboard. Wear disposable gloves and safety glasses.
Consequence C3
Timing
Likelihood
L5
Risk low
Consequence C2
Likelihood L4
immediately
Responsibility
operator
No change to existing controls. Wear disposable gloves and safety
glasses whilst etching. Wash hands thorough after use and before eating.
Risk low
Timing
H1
immediately
Inhalation of acid fumes during electropolishing, or transfer
between containers.
Skin absorption of picric acid. Splashes on skin.
H1
Responsibility User
immediately
Responsibility
operator
Possible spill of electrolyte when transferring between
ventilated cabinet to fume cupboard. Risk of inhalation and skin
contact.
If a spillage occurs, wash thoroughly with water until there is no residue
left. Wear latex gloves to avoid skin contact.
Call the safety instructor and leave the room, or use spill kit.
Consequence C2
Timing
Likelihood L4
Risk low
immediately
Responsibility
operator
4. Mg and Mg Alloys
Hazard
No.
Description of Hazard
Corrective Actions/ Risk Controls
Contact with water liberates extremely flammable gases
C1
Consequence C2
Likelihood L3
Risk Medium
Never add water to this product.
Keep away from sources of ignition.
Ensure that extinguisher is placed in the lab.
Timing All times
Spontaneously flammable in air
C1
Consequence C2
Likelihood L4
Risk Medium
Mg dusts, chips, or powders incurred by grinding are
flammable.
Likelihood L4
Risk Medium
All times in lab
User
Responsibility
User
When the fires occurs:
- Mg dust fires need to be smothered with sand, inert dry powders.
- DO NOT USE WATER, CO2 or FOAM.
- Use DRY sand, graphite powder, dry sodium chloride basedextinguishers, G-1 or Met L-X to smother fire.
- Confining or smothering material is preferable to applying water as
chemical reaction may produce flammable and explosive hydrogen gas.
-Chemical reaction with CO2 may produce flammable and explosive
methane.
- If impossible to extinguish, withdraw, protect surroundings and allow fire
to burn itself out.
Timing Immediately
Prepared by: … ………..Date: ……………………Signed:……………………..
March 2010
Responsibility
Never add water to this product.
Keep away from sources of ignition.
Ensure that extinguisher is placed in the lab.
Ensure that extinguisher is placed in the lab.
Timing All times
C1
User
Keep away from sources of ignition.
Ensure that extinguisher is placed in the lab.
Timing
Consequence C2
Responsibility
Responsibility User