Tishk International University Faculty of Science

Medical Analysis Department

Personal carrier & Lab Security

2nd Grade‐Spring Semester- 2020‐2021

Instructor: Dr. Ramiar Kamal

An Introduction to the

CoSHH

Introduction to Personal carrier & Lab

Security

• The laboratory environment can be a hazardous place

to work.

• Laboratory workers are exposed to numerous

potential hazards including chemical, biological,

physical and radioactive hazards.

• Laboratory safety is an important aspect in laboratory

working.

Course Aims

• This course covers the importance of the laboratory safety for

students whom will be working in the labs during their

undergraduate study and in the future.

• This course is intended to provide an overview of the basic

concepts of the lab safety and the international Laboratory

Safety Rules such as Control of Substances Hazardous to

Health (COSHH) and Occupational Safety and Health Act

(OSHA).

Course Objectives

Students who successfully complete this course will be

able to:

• Describe the basic concepts of the laboratory safety;

• Explain general rules of the laboratory safety OSHA

and COSHH;

• Describe substances that are hazardous to health and

measures for protecting safe working.

Teaching Methods

• Weekly two hour large whole-group lecture

• Lectures will be uploaded online (Lecture Note)

• Engaging students in the lecture

• Group work, seminars and quiz

Student's obligation

The student's should:

• Attend all the lectures, if possible.

• Perform quizzes

• Perform midterm exam.

• Perform Final exam.

Breakdown of overall assessment and

examination:

The overall mark (100 marks) will be distributed on the

followings:

• Attendance

• Quiz, seminars & group work

• Midterm exam

• Final exam

An Introduction to the CoSHH

Aim: to prevent exposure hazardous

substances

Objectives: To understand

What is a hazardous substance

What forms hazardous substances take

How you can be exposed

The effects of exposure

How to identify hazardous substances

Control measures

Risk assessments

Control of Substances Hazardous to Health

Regulations 2002 (amended 2004)

COSHH is the law that requires employers

to control substances that are hazardous to

health.

What is CoSHH?

You can prevent or reduce workers exposure to

hazardous substances by:

•Finding out what the health hazards are

•Deciding how to prevent harm to health (risk

assessment)

•Providing control measures to reduce harm to health

•Keeping all control measures in good working order

•Providing information, instruction and training for

employees and others

•Providing monitoring and health surveillance in

appropriate cases

•Planning for emergencies.

What must an employer do?

Eliminate or reduce

risks from hazardous substances

This is achieved by:

-Risk assessment

-Control measures

-Monitoring health & exposure if

necessary

-Information, training and

supervision

What must an employee do?

-Take reasonable care of

own safety and not

endanger others

- Cooperate with his/her

employer

-Make full and proper use

of control measure

Substances can take many forms and include:

• Chemicals

• Fumes

• Dusts

• Powders

• Vapours

• Mists

• Gases

• Biological agents (germs).

• Germs that cause diseases such as leptospirosis or legionnaires disease.

What is a ‘substance hazardous to health'?

Routes of entry:

Inhalation - breathing in gases, fumes, mist or dust

Absorption - contact with the skin

Ingestion - swallowing

Injection - skin puncture

Contact with the eyes - vapours, gases, dusts, fluid splashes.

How might workers be exposed?

Routes of Entry

Some substances can cause asthma or other diseases,

including cancer. Many can damage the skin, and some

can cause serious long-term damage to the lungs and vital

organs

The effect can be immediate, such as dizziness or

stinging eyes, or can take many years to develop, such as

lung disease. Many of the long-term or chronic effects

cannot be cured once they develop.

What are the hazards?

What are the hazards?

Target organs

Lungs

Liver

Kidneys Skin

Nervous

system

Main sources (product information):

Safety labels (CoSHH symbols)

Material safety data sheets or MSDS (supplied with the product or

on manufacturer’s/suppliers website)

Other sources:

Ask the supplier, sales representative a trade association

Look in the trade press for health and safety information

Checking on the Internet, eg HSE’s website pages.

How do we find out if a substance is

harmful?

Safety labels (CoSHH symbols)Old style symbols

New style symbols

Elimination

Substitution

Engineering Controls

Administrative Controls

Personal Protective Equipment

Hierarchy of controlsEmployers should choose the most effective and reliable control

options for the circumstances and direct these at the main sources

and causes of exposure.

Eliminate or remove the hazard from the workplace

Replace with less hazardous

Isolate from worker or introduce protective measures e.g local

exhaust ventillation

Change the way people work

Protect the worker with P.P.E

Risk Assessment5 Steps of risk assessment

1. Identify the Hazard.

2. Who could be Harmed?

3. What Control Measures are in place?

4. Record Your findings

5. Review Risk Assessments.