Health and Safety Management in the Institute of Molecular BioSciences
This procedure describes the manner in which safety issues are managed in IMBS, and the groups and individuals that are available to provide assistance with safety issues.
Authorities and Responsibilities
Academic Staff are responsible for the day to day management of safety within their Research Laboratories. The Institute Technical Manager is responsible for the day to day management of safety within the teaching laboratories. This is undertaken with Safety Representatives and assistance and advice from the Safety Committee.
The Safety Committee is responsible for coordination of Institute wide safety issues including providing information on what IMBS heath & safety policies, guidelines and resources are available.
Laboratory Safety Representatives
Academic Staff will appoint a laboratory Safety Representative for their research laboratories. Where possible this person should be a member of staff, or a senior Post Graduate Student. The Institute Technical Manager will appoint a safety representative in each of the teaching laboratories, and the associated preparation rooms. Appointment will be on a yearly basis. It is the responsibility of each Academic Staff member and the Institute Technical Manager to inform the secretary of the Safety Committee of the identity of the representative for their lab at the beginning of each year.
Laboratory Safety Representatives, and the Institute Technical manager, are responsible for identifying and communicating day to day safety issues to Academic staff. He/she will be the first person that staff or students will approach when a safety issue arises.
The Research Laboratory Safety Representatives are expected to monitor laboratory safety, hazard identification and management. Specific duties include:
- Ensuring staff and students use safe working practices
- Ensuring good housekeeping practices are followed within the laboratory.
- Identifying and or reporting any safety issues raised in the lab to the person responsible for the laboratory along with recommendations to resolve the issue(s)
- Undertaking regular informal workplace inspections
- Identifying hazards caused by any changes to the working environment e.g. new equipment, new procedures etc.
- Ensure that each person working in the laboratory does not carry out hazardous procedures without being trained.
- Maintaining the training log.
- Ensuring that the induction and exit forms are completed as appropriate.
The Teaching Laboratory Safety Representatives are responsible for the overall safety of the laboratory facilities. The supervisors of the undergraduate practical classes are responsible for the safety of the students, experiments and procedures, and the safe use of equipment for the experiments that they supervise.
Academic Staff
Academic Staff are responsible for coordinating and managing safety in their research laboratories by:
- Monitoring and maintaining a safe workplace for staff including provision of the appropriate protective equipment in the laboratory.
- Consulting staff and students in their research laboratories about the safety issues pertaining to that laboratory.
- Working towards achieving any safety objectives that have been recommended by the safety committee.
- Resolving any safety issues that are raised by staff, students, or workplace inspections.
- Coordinating formal workplace inspections at 6 monthly intervals following consultation with the laboratory safety representative
- Ensuring safety inductions are undertaken for new staff, students and visitors to the laboratory.
Paper Coordinators
Paper coordinators are responsible for the undergraduate practical classes by:
- Ensuring that any hazardous procedures have been identified for each experiment and recorded where appropriate, such as the student laboratory manuals and the laboratory hazard management folder.
- Ensuring that practical class supervisors (if different from the paper coordinator) and demonstators are aware of the hazards and are trained in experimental procedures and the safe use of equipment.
Safety Committee
The Safety Committee is responsible for coordination of Institute wide safety issues including providing information on what IMBS safety Policy, guidelines and resources are available. 
The Safety Committee's specific duties include:
- Provision of safety advice and expertise to all staff and students in IMBS
- Monitoring and maintaining a safe workplace for staff including provision of training and protective equipment.
- Monitoring accident and Incident reporting and setting in place procedures to prevent, where possible, the reoccurrence of similar accidents.
- Resolving any safety issues raised that have been identified and or reporting by Academic Staff, Institute Executive, staff, students or workplace inspections
- Liasing with safety reps from each laboratory.
- Undertaking regular informal workplace inspections
- Complete a self assessment audit to ensure continued compliance with the ACC Partnership tives
Related Documents
Date
8th March, 2005
Undergraduate Lab Safety Rules
To minimise the risk of accidents in laboratories you must obey a few simple rules:
Bags and outdoor clothing must not be brought into the laboratory Mobile phones must be switched off before entering laboratories or lectures Wear a fastened laboratory coat and safety glasses at all times in the laboratory Do not eat, drink, smoke or apply cosmetics in laboratories Obey instructions given by hazard warning signs Follow all experimental instructions closely and read the section in your laboratory manual dealing with the properties of any hazardous materials to be used before commencing experiments Never pipette by mouth
If an accident occurs in a laboratory, summon the assistance of a demonstrator immediately, so that appropriate action can be taken without delay
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