Department of Genetics Pt II Pre-Project Health & Safety
The Genetics Department Safety Policy requires the active co-operation of everyone in the Department, each of whom has a duty to take care of his/her own safety and that of others. Everyone has a duty to co-operate, make use of training, undertake assessments, and report shortcomings in safety arrangements to the DSO/ Safety Team.
Topics to Cover Previously covered the basic rules of the house: fire, first aid, who s who, policy, etc all clear? Lab-orientated - Safe Practices, disposals Risk Assessment cornerstone of the system Notable laboratory hazards
Safety Documentation Safety Manual web Accident/Incident Form Risk Assessment Form COSHH (Control Of Substances Hazardous to Health) Biological and GM Risk Assessment Form
Safe Practices Wear PPE includes a lab coat done up Wear gloves when required Eating, drinking, storing food and applying cosmetics Absolutely Not! Mouth pipetting - Absolutely Not! Avoid taking personal items into the lab work area
Safe Practices.continued Keep your work area clean and tidy
Safe Practices.it goes on Label all bottles, containers etc and always read the labels Ensure glassware is decontaminated & rinsed before sending to Wash-up The One Glove Rule - e.g. telephones, door handles Remove lab coat and always wash hands before leaving the lab Do not wear lab coats in clean areas e.g. tea rooms, meeting rooms, offices, toilets Check chemical compatibility for storage No open vessels on the stairs
Risk Assessment Risk assess everything in the workplace Hazard = anything that may cause harm Risk = the likelihood and consequence of a hazard being realised RA is simply a document stating how you control these hazards and risks Every procedure and every piece of equipment must have one (e.g. COSHH) You may be asked by an inspector! It is a legal requirement
Prior to commencing work you MUST Read the Department Safety Manual Complete relevant risk and COSHH assessments Receive adequate training for any equipment you use or procedure you perform Safety Manual Dept Web Site Risk Assessment Form COSHH (Control Of Substances Hazardous to Health) Biological and GM Risk Assessment Form https://www.gen.cam.ac.uk/local/safety-info/safety-info-raven-protected/safety-handbook-pages/safety-handbook-index-page
Example COSHH Form
Flammables e.g. Diethyl ether, acetone, hexanes, ethanol, methanol Never use Ether with an open flame in the same room. Avoid spilling flammable solvents on a hot plate. Stay away from electrical outlets. Do NOT store Flammables and Oxidising agents (e.g. Nitric acid) together (Note: these warning symbols and similar at first glance) Store flammables in safety cabinets (yellow). Most departmental fridges are standard domestic ones and NOT sparkproof (check label). Storage of flammables in refrigerators is not allowed. University SO recommend using CO2-based aerosol dust removers for electronic equipment (others are butane-based flammable).
Corrosive Agents e.g. hydrochloric acid, sulphuric acid, nitric acid, sodium hydroxide Skin burns, respiratory and eye hazards. Do NOT store acid and alkali together (store alkali on bench) Do NOT mix acid wastes may be explosive. Do NOT mix nitric acid with other substances Phenol: CORROSIVE (severe burns) and TOXIC A component the commercial reagent TRIzol Wear labcoat, gloves and SAFETY GLASSES. Use fume hood & Keep waste separate. You can minimise the effects of small-scale skin burns with glycerol (or PEG)
Ethidium Bromide etc Known mutagen Intercalates with DNA Gels ONLY go in blue bins (with nothing else!) Neutralise buffers with de-staining tea bags Safe alternatives available, but treat with equal caution Can use UV lamp to check for contamination
Disposals.what to do DO NOT ignore notices in lab areas DO NOT tip toxic or eco-toxic chemicals down the sink DO NOT over-fill pipette and sharps bins DO NOT over-fill autoclave waste bags Sharps bins are not for gloves!
Spills DO NOT panic Inform Key Contacts (Supervisor, DSO) Familiarise yourself with location of & use of: Eye wash stations Spill Clean-up Cabinets
Liquid Nitrogen Potentially fatal (Edinburgh 1999, London 2011) Liquid nitrogen is cold = approx -1960C 1L LN2 680L N2 gas LN2 depletes oxygen as it boils off normal atmospheric O2 approx 21%, less than 18% is bad! Oxygen depletion detector PPE Don t carry it in the lift with you (NB: 1L LN2 spilled would result in reduction of O2 to 16% in our lift)
Centrifuge Safety Plan ahead esp using high speed equipment Use correct rotors and carriers Check these for wear, cracks, etc. Don t use anything that looks wrong! Use correct bottles, etc Make sure sample holders are sealed correctly if appropriate Always balance your samples & the rotor Attend until it has reached speed Stuck tubes? Don t prise them out ask! Clean up afterwards don t use Virkon or abrasives
Compressed gas cylinders Must be tethered or in a proper stand Correct gauge etc. Heavy/cumbersome get help moving them Torpedo effect
Biological Materials Work at Containment Level I (GLP) Before you start: Ensure you are familiar with the COSHH Assessment for any project / organism you work with especially correct disposal Know the difference between a Class II MSC, a Laminar Flow Hood and a Fume Cupboard
Class II Microbiological Safety Cabinet Provides protection for user and sample Good for general biological operations Avoid clutter it disturbs air flow patterns Don t block front baffles/plenum Don t wave your hands about!
Laminar Flow Hood Blows clean (HEPA) air into chamber and out into your lap! Maintains sterility of samples does not protect the operator! Use for protecting experiments (i.e. PCR)
Fume Cupboard Used to protect you & the lab from toxic or volatile chemicals Built-in or free-standing Draws air from lab into cupboard at all times Watch sash height Don t clutter the chamber as this disrupts air flow and therefore your protection NEVER use it for biologicals!
Other Notable Hazards Working with Computers Lasers UV sources Cover up face / skin / eyes
Electrical Safety Visual inspection appliance and cables Avoid overloading sockets Report failures / faults Portable items should be PAT Tested
Lone Working Don t Do It!
Fieldwork Field station safety and information manual Fieldwork safety guidelines see section in Department Safety Handbook Independent fieldwork fill in and submit a risk assessment
Summary Let s be careful out there Don t take on more than you can handle! If in doubt ASK Any questions?