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Safety in Laboratories

Safety in Laboratories. Department of Chemical Engineering University of Sydney. Safety is compulsory. NSW O ccupational Health and Safety Act 1983 Occupational Health and Safety (Hazardous Substances) Regulation 1996 Penalty for breach: $550 000 for a corporation

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Safety in Laboratories

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  1. Safety in Laboratories Department of Chemical Engineering University of Sydney

  2. Safety is compulsory • NSW Occupational Health and Safety Act 1983 • Occupational Health and Safety (Hazardous Substances) Regulation 1996 • Penalty for breach: • $550 000 for a corporation • $ 55 000 for an individual

  3. Locations • Corridors and stairs • (Emergency) Exits • (Emergency) Telephones • Fire extinguishers • Fire alarms • Evacuation assembly point

  4. Telephone numbers (935#-####) • Security (emergency) 1 3333 • Security (non-emergency) 1 3488 • Fire, police, ambulance 0 000 • Chemical Engineering administration office 1 2455

  5. In an emergency • Keep calm • Tell someone about it: the Floor Wardens, fellow Workers, your Supervisor, others in the area • Call the Security Emergency Centre (1 3333) and/or Police/Fire Brigade/Ambulance (0000) • Be ready to describe where you are and what is wrong (fire, medical or criminal) • Leave the building if the type of emergency warrants it, or if directed by Wardens/Security • Go to your assembly point

  6. Forms • Occupational injury, illness or incident report • Request for disposal of hazardous waste • Laboratory work permit • Permit to operate unattended equipment

  7. Laboratory hazards • Biological, e.g. pathogenic micro-organisms, biological tissues, animals • Chemical, e.g.corrosives, flammables, toxics • Physical, e.g. noise, radiation • Electrical/mechanical, e.g.high voltage apparatus, machinery with moving parts • Psychological, e.g.emotional stress

  8. Industrial hazards • extremes of temperature • extremes of pressure • noise • machinery • dangerous materials • slips, trips and falls • over exertion • fire and explosion • electricity • “hostile” environments • systems of work

  9. Laboratory organization • Tidy workplaces • Moving parts • Electrical safety • Physical containment • Protective equipment • Separate storage areas for different classes of dangerous goods

  10. Dangerous goods classes • Explosives • Compressed gases • Flammable liquids • Flammable solids and reactive substances • Oxidizing agents • Toxic and infectious substances • Radioactive substances • Corrosive substances

  11. Safe handling of chemicals • Order through: • your supervisor • Safety Officer • Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) • Labeling

  12. MSDS • Identification codes • Health hazards • Precautions • Protective equipment • Emergency • First aid • Safe handling • Physical and chemical properties

  13. Chem Alert II • MSDS may be downloaded from the University Risk Management Office website: Chem Alert II http://www.usyd.edu.au/su/ohs/haz-subs/chemalert.html

  14. Labeling Staining solution Methanol 5 % v/v Acetic acid 7 % v/v Water 88 % v/v Your Name Date/Month/Year

  15. Waste disposal • Wastes should be segregated: • Non-hazardous waste • Hazardous waste • Hazardous waste should be segregated: • Store in an approved dangerous goods container available • Label the container

  16. Mercury spillage • Contain the area of the spill • Pick-up droplets using pasteur pipette, eye-dropper, suction bottle, or strips of adhesive tape, avoiding skin contact • Sprinkle sulphur powderor proprietry products like Mercurisorb, HgX on contaminated area, using at least twice as much powder as volume of spill • Leave for 24 hours • Use sodium thiosulphate (photographic fixer) solution to further decontaminate area once mercury has been collected • Place mercury and other agents in a container and deliver to safety officer

  17. Smoking prohibited Smoking is completely banned in University occupied buildings and University owned vehicles

  18. Department of Chemical Engineering safety policies • This may be accessed from the Department of Chemical Engineering homepage http://www.chem.eng.usyd.edu.au/ourdept_index.htm

  19. University of Sydney safety policies • Guidelines on laboratory safety http://www.usyd.edu.au/su/ohs/labsafety.html • Guidelines for working with hazardous substances http://www.usyd.edu.au/su/ohs/haz-subs/hazsubs1.html • Clinical and related wastes: Guidelines for management http://www.usyd.edu.au/su/ohs/clnwaste.html • Guidelines for hazardous waste disposal http://www.usyd.edu.au/su/ohs/hazwaste.html • Decontamination and disposal of biological wastes http://www.usyd.edu.au/su/ohs/course-notes/biosafety/decontamination.html

  20. Occupational Health and Safety • University of Sydney Occupational Health and Safety Policy http://www.usyd.edu.au/su/ohs/policy/policy.html • The Risk Management Office maintains a manual http://www.usyd.edu.au/su/ohs/ohsindex.html

  21. Australian Standard 2243: Safety in laboratories • AS 2243.1 - 1997 General • AS 2243.2 - 1997 Chemical aspects • AS 2243.3 - 1995 Microbiology • AS 2243.4 - 1998 Ionizing radiations • AS 2243.5 - 1993 Non-ionizing radiations • AS 2243.6 - 1990 Mechanical aspects • AS 2243.7 - 1991 Electrical aspects • AS 2243.8 - 1992 Fume cupboards • AS 2243.9 - 1991 Recirculating fume cabinets • AS 2243.10 - 1993 Storage of chemicals

  22. Security • Front door and back gate remain closed at all times • Never leave the building alone after hours • Ask identification of strangers • Never leave valuables unattended • Security bus available after hours

  23. Security bus route

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