1. Health & Safey issues for dissertation students Peter Shaw

2. Introduction I cannot stress too strongly how seriously we have to take this subject. If something goes wrong and an accident occurs there will be formal investigations by at least 2 bodies - the school, and the Institute. Maybe also the H&S executive and the police. You, your supervisor, and even the Institute could be prosecuted.

3. Common sense? Most H&S matters are best regarded as a deadly serious exercise in creating a paper trail, whose connection with common sense is at best rather tenuous. Put issues of day-day sense out of your minds and follow the procedures!

4. What you probably do not need to know: There is a complex set of legislation, notably the Health & safety at work act, laying down the responsibilities of employers when assessing the safety of employees (this includes you). There is a chain of responsibility, roughly as follows: you - tutor - head of school - Institute safety officer

5. What you DO need to know Things to be covered –project planning –fieldwork –labwork –ethical issues the paperwork for doing so

6. Project planning You need to discuss project H&S with your project supervisor, and include safety in your project proposal. The tutor responsible should have a copy of your plans - after all, their head is on the block! Your proposal will include identification of all safety issues, and lay out steps to control hazards.

7. Fieldwork There are special problems associated with fieldwork: injury/ physical hazards –adequate protective clothing, footwear etc. –inform people of your departures and ETA –assess the safety: climbing on cliffs would not normally be acceptable. –Mobile phone and 1st aid kit are essential Assault –working alone is very inadvisable.

8. Paperwork for fieldwork You supply a “bespoke” risk assessment of your proposed work, as part of your project proposal. In this you identify each potential hazard, and the steps taken to control it. Yes I know that the car journey there is the biggest risk - sorry, but you have to consider sprained ankles, snake bite, falling off cliffs etc.

9. Lab work Most lab work is not hazardous, but all lab work must be assumed to be potentially risky. (A few operations, notably acid digests, are VERY hazardous and will need careful supervision). There are 2 sets of forms you will meet wrt lab work: –blue forms, used to define operations. These are completed by a member of staff. –yellow forms, used to define risks of individual chemicals. These are completed by a member of staff, and tend to the over-cautious!

10. The key is to liaise! I cannot stress too highly the importance of keeping all staff involved in your plans as you go along. Key staff: –your supervisor- supplies academic input. –Lab staff (Katharine Lankey / Mary Mackenzie etc), who sign out equipment and help with lab procedures. –Staff WILL refuse to help if you turn up without warning, or if you want to do a lab procedure for which no blue form has been completed.

11. Ethical issues The same legislation requires an ethical analysis of any projects which impinge on people. This is especially vital for any project in which people are affected (doing psychological tests, donating blood samples etc) - shouldn’t affect you. But how about questionnaires? If doing a questionnaire, you must complete an ethical analysis form with your supervisor. This may (probably will) come to the conclusion that no action is needed, but my recommend referring the question to the University ethics committee.

12. Conclusion - what you MUST DO!!! For your project proposal: Perform an analysis of the safety implications of your planned work - identify each hazard, give an indication of its severity and likelihood, and how you are going to control it. Are there ethical issues? For your actual work: plan work with all relevant staff, then stick to the plans. Turn up on time for appointments. Consider sample storage where appropriate - frozen or fresh? Are they hazardous?