Risk assessment in the Laboratory Environment

Adam Coburn

School Safety Advisor

School of Chemistry and Chemical Biology

UCD

Risk assessments

• What is a risk assessment?

• Why must they be done?

• How do I do a risk assessment?

Risk assessments

Why?

Why?

• Legal requirement

• Shows time was taken to consider hazards

• Shows how you decided to protect yourself and others from harm

Legal duties of employers

• Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act (2005)

-“Every employer shall identify the hazards in the place of work under his

or her control, assess the risks presented by those hazards and be in possession of a written assessment of the risks to the safety, health and welfare at work of his or her employees”

• SHWW (Chemical Agents) Regulations (2001)-“it shall be the duty of every employer to determine whether any

hazardous chemical agents are present at the workplace and to assess any risk to the safety and health of employees arising from the presence of those chemical agents”

• SHWW (2005)– “An employee shall, while at work”:

• “comply with the relevant statutory provisions and take reasonable care to protect his or her safety and the safety of any other person who may be affected by the employee’s acts or omissions at work.”

• “co-operate with his or her employer or any other person.”

• “make correct use of any article or substance provided for use by the employee at work or for the protection of his or her safety.”

• “report to his or her employer or to any other appropriate person any work being carried on which may endanger the safety of the employee or that of any other person.”

Duties of employees

Risk assess before commencing

• SHWW (Chemical Agents) Regulations (2001)

-“In the case of a new activity involving hazardous chemical agents, work shall not commence until after an assessment of the risk of that activity has been made and the preventive measures identified in the risk assessment have been implemented.”

Risk assessments

What?

What is a risk assessment?

Mental exercise

• Will this hurt me?

• How badly?

• Should I continue?

• How will I continue safely?

Written form

• Mental exercise but...

• Legislative requirement that:

Risk assessments

How?

How?

• Identify hazards– anything which can cause harm

• Assess the risks– risk of harm to you and others

• Identify control measures– What will keep you safe?

Hazards

• Anything that can cause harm

• Chemical

– Your knowledge of chemistry or read up on it

– Symbols:

– Hazard statements/Risk phrases

• Physical

– Heat, cold, pressure, asphyxiant gases, etc

• Biological

Hazard (contd)

• Be aware of:

– OELV (Occupational Exposure Limit Values)

– LD50 (Dermal and inhalation)

– Breakthrough times of solvents for nitrile gloves

– Carcinogens, Mutagens, Reproductive toxins

• Consider using:

– Chemical reactivity worksheet

• Available at http://response.restoration.noaa.gov

Rating the risk

• Consider the possible negative outcomes

– Injury, ill health, damage to property

• Likelihood of negative outcome:

– Low, medium or high

–UCD: Unlikely - Likely - Very likely

–How often task is done

Risk Matrix

Rating the risk

• Severity of consequence:

– How bad could it get?

– Low, medium or high

– Slightly harmful – Harmful - Very Harmful

–How many people could be affected

Risk Matrix

Moderate risk – consider further control measures

Substantial risk - further control measures must be identified

Intolerable risk - all work involving this hazard is prohibited.

Control measures

• Methods by which you will reduce the risk

– To yourself and to others

• Examples:

– Fume cupboard

– Wearing a lab coat

– Following an SOP

• Decide upon based on the hierarchy of controls

Hierarchy of controls

• Eliminate the hazard

• Substitute the hazard with one less hazardous

• Isolate the hazard/Automate the task

• Use engineering controls

• Use personal protective equipment

• Use administrative controls

Examples

• Do not use Benzene

• Use alternative to Ethidium Bromide (CMR)

• Use a glove box or automate the task

• Use a fume cupboard or extraction

• Lab coat, safety glasses, gloves, etc

• SOPs, aseptic techniques, warning signs, etc

Control measures

• Will depend on the task

• Will also depend on the location

• Will be decided on by researcher

• Notes:– Once control measures are defined they MUST be used

– Failure to do so renders the risk assessment useless

Emergency responses

• In the event of Fire, Injury, Spillage, etc

• Fire:

– Note responses (generally exacuation)

– May be specific depending on chemicals

• First aid:

– Note any special considerations

• Spills:

– Note any special considerations

Safety Data Sheets

• Not MSDS! In EU it’s an SDS

• Legal requirement

• Every chemical in the lab must have an up-to-date SDS in the lab/write-up room

• May be needed by Services, Emergency personnel or doctors

Vulnerable groups

• Pregnant

– Foetus very vulnerable

– Especially during 1st 13 weeks

– Contact Safety Office for risk assessment

• Lone working!!

Lone working

• No one can hear you:

– Collapse (overcome by fumes, oxygen depletion, etc.)

– Shout for help

• No can help you:

– Bandage a cut

– Wash out your eyes

– Put out a fire (especially if you’re on fire)

What should it look like?

• No set way

• Nothing in any legislation

• ID hazards

• Rate risk

• ID controls

Hazards Controls Risk Rating

Splashes of solvents onto skin, eyes or

mouth. (DCM – suspected carcinogen)

Solvents igniting.

Work carefully.

Chiller connected to rot .evap.

outflow

No sources of ignition in working

area.

Moderate

Hazards Controls Risk Rating

Splashes of solvents onto skin, eyes or

mouth. (DCM – suspected carcinogen)

Solvents igniting.

Work carefully.

Chiller connected to rot .evap.

outflow

No sources of ignition in working

area.

Moderate

Accidents still happen