“Doing great work in a great place to work“
For anyone working in a laboratory, understanding laboratory safety is a requirement that needs to be followed as part of the induction process. Contact your Departmental Safety Offer (DSO) so they can advise further on how to book a laboratory safety induction. They will need to be aware of the new joiners department, job role and the type of induction they will require.
If you are unsure who your DSO is or the type of induction a new joiner should be attending, please ask your line manager or PI.
The laboratory safety inductions take place regularly in each department and dates will vary depending on the amount of new starters at one time. The DSO will communicate to new starters a date and time the induction will take place along with the agenda via email.
Individual Safety Training Record
New joiners should be made aware of the Individual Safety Training Record. This will form part of their training and should be brought to the induction session. This record should be used to keep track of what has been covered and to make notes. Guidance for departments on the use of this record is included in the document. The record is designed primarily for those who work in a laboratory environment, but it can be adapted for any type of work.
New joiners should be made aware of all safety personnel below within the department and understand their roles and they should be made aware of the new joiner.
- Fire safety officer
- Biological safety officer
- Radiation protection supervisor(s)
- Laser safety officer
- First aider(s).
Safety Personnel
New joiners should be made aware of all safety personnel below within the department and understand their roles and they should be made aware of the new joiner.
- Fire safety officer
- Biological safety officer
- Radiation protection supervisor(s)
- Laser safety officer
- First aider(s).
Fire Safety
- The fire safety induction should be completed before the laboratory safety induction.
- It is the individual’s responsibility to book the fire safety induction. If you are unsure who the fire safety officer is in your department please speak to your line manager/PI.
- Before attending the fire safety induction, the online Fire Awareness Online Training should be completed.
Health and Safety
The DSO is responsible for reviewing the health and safety of working in a laboratory guidance/book every 12 months to ensure all new legislations and protocols are included in the induction.
Any new legislations or protocols introduced after the induction will be identified by the DSO and all lab staff will be expected to regularly review and understand the legislation/or protocol and complete a risk assessment if necessary.
The laboratory is broken up into a number of working sections and each section will have their own yellow folder full of the different legislations and protocols along with completed risk assessments. Once completed, the documentation should be filed in this folder.
Display Screen Risk Assessment
It is important that display screen equipment users complete a risk assessment to help ensure their workplace is fit for purpose and highlight any extra support that may be needed.
This assessment analyses the current working area and whether it has been adjusted to suit the individual.
Display Screen Equipment (DSE) risk assessment.
Display Screen Equipment (DSE) Risk Assessment – Message from Dr Martin Vinnell, Director of Health & Safety
Lone Working
The PI/line manager must outline the Lone working agreements with new joiners. This will include the out of hours and ‘must do’ criteria. In addition to this, a risk assessment for lone work must be completed.
More information on lone working can be found here.
Clinical School Building Safety Officer
Contact Keff Tibbles, Clinical School Safety Officer for any additional information not covered above.
