PROCEDURE FOR ENTRY AND WORK IN LABORATORIES (Revision 2 – 29 th March 2011) Toolbox Talk

HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH WORK IN LABORATORIES Laboratories may contain any of the following hazards: Chemicals Biological agents - infectious material (e.g. bacteria and viruses) that can cause diseases if you come into contact with them. Note: Chemicals and biological agents can enter the body through skin contact, through inhalation, through the blood (by injection or through cuts) or through the mouth (e.g. putting dirty hands near the mouth or touching food or cigarettes with contaminated hands). Radiation Strong magnetic fields. Lasers

GENERAL RULES FOR ENTRY INTO AND FOR WORK IN LABORATORIES Note: refer to the current list of technical staff who are authorised to permit access to laboratories. Estates Section staff and contractors must not enter or carry out any works in a laboratory without first obtaining permission from the authorised member of technical staff in charge of the lab. The authorised member of technical staff in charge of the lab will ensure that the lab is made safe prior to the works being carried out. Estates Section staff and contractors should contact the Estates Section representative commissioning the works if they are in any doubt who is in charge of the lab. The only exceptions are laboratories that have been certified as being de- contaminated and handed over to Estates Section control. The authorised member of staff will advise of any precautions which need to be taken (e.g. PPE to be worn).

Entering a lab without permission from authorised person Entering a lab with permission from authorised person 

PROCEDURE FOR WORK ON EXTRACT SYSTEMS FROM FUME CUPBOARDS Hazards and risks The extract ventilation system from fume cupboards protects staff and students working with chemicals from being exposed to potentially harmful fume and vapours. Any interruption to the extract ventilation could expose staff and students to staff working in these areas to potentially harmful fume and vapours. Estates Section staff and contractors working in plantrooms on extract ventilation systems could be: (i)Exposed to harmful chemical residues on ductwork or fans. (ii)Exposed to harmful fumes from staff or students working with chemicals in fume cupboards in labs below who are unaware that Estates Section staff or contractors are working on the extract ventilation.

RULES FOR WORK ON EXTRACT SYSTEMS FROM FUME CUPBOARDS Note: refer to appendix 3 for the current list of technical staff who are authorised to issue a Permit to Work for work on the extract systems from fume cupboards. A Permit to Work – Fume Cupboards must be obtained from the authorised member of technical staff in charge of the lab prior to carrying out any work that will affect any part of the extract system from the fume cupboards. Examples of work that could affect the extract system include work on ductwork, fans and motors or the electrical supply to any of these. Has a fume cupboard PTW been issued first? !

The permit to work should be cancelled by the person who issued it. In the event of the permit issuer being unavailable to cancel the permit, the Estates Section staff or contractors carrying out the work must contact the Estates Section representative commissioning the works who in turn will make enquiries as to who is charge of the lab (an authorised member of technical staff) in the absence of the permit issuer. The Estates Section representative commissioning the works will discuss the works with this person and subject to both parties agreeing that the works have completed satisfactorily the person in charge of the lab may cancel the permit on behalf of the permit issuer.

When work is carried out on any part of the extract system from fume cupboards the extract system must be electrically isolated and locked off as per the Estates Section Electrical Procedures. A warning notice must be placed on the fume cupboard by the authorised member of technical staff (note: not by Estates staff or contractors) to alert potential users that the cupboard is out of service and should not be used.

PPE TO BE WORN FOR ALL WORKS WHICH INVOLVE BREAKING INTO THE EXTRACT SYSTEM Disposable coveralls with hoods Disposable gloves Disposable half mask respirator (P3 Type). Note: staff must have been face fit tested for that particular type of respirator. Contractors should make their own arrangements regarding face fit testing. Safety glasses. The above items are minimum requirements – the authorised member of technical staff in charge of the lab will inform Estates Section staff or contractors of any other items of PPE required.

ACCESS TO ROOFS WITH FUME CUPBOARD DISCHARGE STACKS Staff and contractors will occasionally require access to the roofs where discharge stacks from fume cupboards are located. In many cases these stacks have been designed so that fumes are discharged at a height well away from anyone accessing the roof. There are however a number of older discharge stacks which are not high enough, the fume cupboards below need to be turned off below so that anyone accessing the roof is not exposed to any potentially harmful fumes. Signage has been posted on the access points to the roofs where discharge stacks are not high enough. Staff and contractors must obtain a Fume Cupboard Permit to Work from the authorised member of technical staff in charge of the lab before accessing the roof.