Safety Information

Safety within the department is the responsibility of each and every individual member.

First Aiders

The following are fully-trained first aiders, having completed a four-day training course.

I. Freer	ex.6581 or 6585	C5-09b  or C3-10a
L. Kearns	ex. 2323	A4-34
J. McIver	ex. 6555	A3-26c
A. Monaghan	ex. 6576 or 4941	A4-24, A4-23 or A4-11c
R. Slavin	ex. 6570	A3-25a
W. Perry	ex. 4420	B3-01

In addition, several of the departmental personnel have successfully completed an emergency first aid course, and can be called upon for assistance when necessary.  The list includes the following, as well as practically all of our post-graduate research students.

Dr. H. Flowers	ex. 5952	C5-07
Mr. R. Spence	ex. 5166	A4-28

Full List: First Aider & Emergency Personnel List

 

Safety depends on good working practices in such things as the handling, storage and disposal of chemicals, the use of protective equipment, design of experiments and equipment and proper care in the use of dangerous substances.

The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) and The Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres (DSEAR) regulations formalise this process and require that written risk assessments are made BEFORE ANY WORK IS UNDERTAKEN. Special Safety Procedures are required for work with Biological Hazards, Lasers, Radioactive Materials or X-rays and Specialist Advisers for each of these, whose names appear in the Safety Manual. These advisers MUST be consulted before any work is undertaken in any of these areas.

It is not intended that users of chemicals necessarily complete both a COSHH and a DSEAR risk assessment form. It will often be the case that the toxic hazard or the flammability predominates. That being so, the relevant risk assessment form, COSHH or DSEAR, should be completed, and a note made that other hazards have been considered. If this is not a true reflection of the situation then both forms ought to be completed; it is for the Principal Investigator (Group Leader) to decide which form(s) are appropriate in the circumstances of each case.

The Safety Manual should be kept available for consultation at all times and should be read in conjunction with the specialist texts which are available for consultation in the Safety Section of the Chemistry Branch Library