3
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH SAFETY & ENVIRONMENT
GUIDELINES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SAFE WORK INSTRUCTIONS
1.
BACKGROUND
Monash University recognises that written safe work instructions are essential to ensure a safe work
environment and are an important part of an overall occupational health and safety program.
Safe work instructions provide information necessary to assist all staff and students to perform tasks
safely. These instructions also assist in the training and orientation of new staff and students in the
hazards of the tasks to be performed, as well as providing them with the rules and procedures
necessary to ensure that they can perform their work in a safe manner.
2.
SCOPE
2.1
Safe work instructions should be developed for all techniques, processes, equipment and
machinery where there exists a risk of harm to any persons at Monash University.
2.2
Definition of 'safe work instructions'
Safe work instructions are written instructions for tasks that outline the preferred method of
undertaking a task whilst emphasising ways to minimise any risk(s) of harm.
3.
4.
OBJECTIVES
3.1
To ensure, as far as practicable, the health and safety of staff and students undertaking their
work and study at Monash University;
3.2
To ensure that consistently high health and safety standards are achieved and maintained in the
work and study undertaken at Monash University;
3.3
To provide clear guidelines as to the requirements for the provision of safe work instructions at
Monash University.
RESPONSIBILITIES
(Reference: Monash University Occupational Health and Safety Policy, which can be found at
http://www.adm.monash.edu.au/ohse/document/policies/)
4.1
The responsibility for implementation of these guidelines rests with the Heads of Cost Centres.
It is expected that the appropriate zone OHS committees will provide advice and feedback to
Heads on actions needed to comply with these guidelines. These groups will be able to seek
advice from Occupational Health, Safety & Environment.
4.2
All staff and students at Monash University are expected to familiarise themselves with and
comply with the safe work instructions that exist in their area of work, including general safety
instructions to be found in departmental safety manuals.
4
5.
GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SAFE WORK INSTRUCTIONS
5.1
Development of safe work instructions:



5.2
Safe work instructions should be written by a staff member or student with sound, hands
on experience and knowledge of the tasks;
Inclusion of the experience of several staff members or students will enhance the
usefulness of the instructions;
As far as practicable, the health and safety representative of the area should be consulted in
the development of the safe work instructions.
Priorities for the development of safe work instructions:
It is recognised that, in some areas, the preparation safe work instructions for all tasks will take
some time.
The priorities for the preparation of instructions should be:



5.3
All new tasks should have safe work instructions prepared before they are put into
general use.
For existing processes, safe work instructions for high hazard tasks in use should be
prepared first, lower hazard tasks in use next and then safe work instructions should be
prepared for all other processes.
A higher priority should be placed on the tasks that are carried out by students and/or the
tasks carried out most frequently.
Safe work instructions should include:








Specific information regarding the hazards and associated risks of the task;
Precautions to be undertaken before commencing the task;
Personal protective equipment to be worn while undertaking the task;
The environment where the task should be undertaken;
Clear instructions for undertaking the task described in a safe manner;
Specific instructions regarding ways of minimising the risks of the task;
Instructions to ensure that the area is left safe for others to use;
Correct waste disposal guidelines.
5.4
When complete, safe work instructions should be reviewed, signed and dated by the area
supervisor and safety officer.
5.5
Safe work instructions should be displayed prominently or readily available in the areas in
which they are to be used:


5.6
Equipment/machinery:

Safe work instructions for each piece of equipment/ machinery should be displayed
prominently close to the location of the equipment/machinery;

Safe work instructions that are displayed prominently should be printed on standard
Monash University safety stationary (see attached example);

The manufacturer's user manual provided with the equipment/machinery is a good
resource for safety information to include in safe work instructions.
Safe work instructions for techniques/processes should be included in the safety manual of
the area, which should be readily available in each area where the techniques/processes are
carried out. An example of the headings that may be used in safe work instructions is
attached to these guidelines.
Safe work instructions should be reviewed when found to be inadequate and at appropriate
intervals
5
SAFE WORK INSTRUCTIONS FOR
Cold Mounting samples
Campus:
Clayton, VIC
Faculty: Engineering
Department: School of Physics and Materials Engineering
Building:37
Room No:
172
Investigator
1.
2.

Assessment Date :
Phone #
Signature
Authorisation
Project safety signed off
Hazards associated with equipment/machinery/technique/process:



Irritating and may cause redness and itching. Risk of sensitisation to epoxy compounds.
Irritating to eyes.
The product contains a substance which is harmful to aquatic organisms and which may cause
long term adverse effects in the aquatic environment.
Before you start work:
 Safety working instructions and risk control assessment signed off by supervisor and Dr Chris
Hutchinson.
Training by a qualified technician
Read the information about the hazards, eg material safety data sheets
Be aware of laboratory safety manual.



3.
Personal protective equipment to be used:
4.
The environment where the task is to be undertaken:
5.
Step by step procedures for task
6.
7.
8.
9.


Safety glasses/latex gloves/close toe shoes; laboratory coat
Fume cupboard, glove box, local exhaust ventilation.
-wear LabCoat, safety glasses and latex gloves
-Samples should be clean and dry in ethanol
-Plastic mounting caps need to be greased with Vaseline
-Place samples in mounting caps – face down
Struers Epofix Resin and Hardener
-weigh Epofix Resin 25 parts by weigh (highest capacity: 100 gms)
weigh Epofix Hardener 3 parts by weigh (highest capacity: 12 gms)
-Mix mixture thoroughly under fume cupboard
-Pour into plastic moulds
-Let it set over night
Clean-up procedures


Cleaning of benches with wet paper towels, storage of used materials.
If a spillage occurs, absorb spillage with non-combustible, absorbing material using spill
treatment kit located in building 37 room 179.
Waste disposal procedures



Do not discharge into drains, water courses or onto the ground.
The residue will be harden overnight and is disposed the next day into the waste bin
Use ChemSafe to dispose of old bottles
Emergency procedures


Absorb spillage with non-combustible, absorbing material using spill treatment kit located in
building 37 room 179.
Provide easy access to water supply and eye wash facilities.
6
10.
11.

After hours access procedures
Ask Dr Chris Hutchinson for after hour access
Associated Documents
Risk assessments, MSDSs
Prepared by:
Date: