Environmental Engineering Group Department of Civil Engineering

1. Safety in the Laboratory Environmental Engineering Group Department of Civil Engineering • Introduction to Safety Policy • Adherence a condition of use of lab’ • This talk • Hazards in the laboratory • Rules • Vaccination • Responsibilities

2. Safety in the Laboratory • Examinable • Failure to comply = expulsion • Expulsion = failure to attend • Failure to attend = no marks

3. Hazards and risks • A hazard • The capacity to do harm that is • Something that could go wrong • A risk • The probability that a hazard will be expressed

4. Hazards in the laboratories in Environmental Engineering • Infection • Sewage • Potentially >100 viruses in wastewater • Also bacteria, protozoa • Cultures • ACDP guidelines • Acids and Alkalis • COD and TKN • Fire • Inflammable solvents

5. Chemical • Toxic by mouth, skin or respiration • Cancer and birth defects • UV light • burn, blind, mutagenic • Other Hazards • Electric shocks • Falls More Hazards

6. First Aid • Acids • Eyes - eye wash station • Body - shower • Burns • use cold water for several minutes • Cuts • pressure stops bleeding • First Aiders • Mr Paul Strong 6412 (Lab) • Mr. Martin Robertson 7834 • Dr. Peter Clarke 6351 • Dr. Steve Wright 5152

7. White coat • Wash hands • Consider Vaccination • COSHH (Control of substances hazardous to health) • No eating, drinking, chewing, smoking • No Sharps Rules: infections and chemicals Rules: fire • Hair • Volumes of liquid

8. Rules: Acids and Alkalis • Eye protection strong acids and alkalis • Eye protection at work stations Rules: UV lights • Eye protection • Locked room

9. More rules • Clean working area • Clean spillages immediately • Report breakages and accidents • Seek instruction • Work only between 6am and 9pm • Label containers

10. COSHH • Control of Substances Hazardous to Health • The Law • Assessment of risk of chemicals • Routine procedures assessed

11. 8 Contact with combustible material may cause fire 14 Reacts violently with the water 16 Explosive when mixed with oxidising substances 17 Spontaneously flammable in air 19 May form explosive peroxides 24 Toxic in contact with skin 26 Very toxic by inhalation 27 Very toxic in contact with skin 28 Very toxic if swallowed 29 Contact with water liberates toxic gas 31 Contact with acids liberates toxic gas 32 Contact with acids liberates toxic gas 33 Danger of cumulative effects 39 Danger of very serious irreversible 40 Possible risk of contact irreversible effects 42 May cause sensitisation by inhalation 43 May cause sensitisation by skin contact 44 Risk of explosion if heated under confinement 45 May cause cancer 46 May cause heritable genetic damage 47 May cause birth defects 48 Danger of serious to health by prolonged contact Hazardous Reagents

12. Microbiological Lab' • Advisory Committee on dangerous pathogens (ACDP class II). • Autoclave (disinfect) all wastes • Keep door shut • Disinfect • Read booklet • "Safe working with microorganisms"

13. Recommended • FREE • Students • University student health service • General Practitioner • Staff • Occupational Health Service • Hepatitis A (new) • Polio • Typhoid • Tetanus Vaccinations

14. You • To work safely • The technical staff • Work safely, police and enforce • The academic staff • Work safely, police and enforce, supervise • COSHH • Head of School • Personally responsible Responsibilities.

15. Safety Policy • Please sign • Discuss any doubts