Who is responsible for laboratory safety?
Every person working in the laboratory is responsible for their own personal safety and the safety of others working around them. On a day-to-day basis, the laboratory manager is responsible for ensuring all laboratory users adhere to all health and safety procedures applicable to the laboratory. The PI(s) is responsible for identifying the safety measures that should be in place and that the laboratory manager is correctly enforcing these measures.
What safety measures must be present in a laboratory?
What safety measures must be present in a laboratory?
Training
Training Every person working in the laboratory should have completed a safety induction and be competent to carry out the activity they are undertaking. See Safety training.
Training records
The safety training history of every person working in the laboratory must be recorded.
What safety measures must be present in a laboratory? 2
Risk assessment
All activities and equipment in the laboratory must be risk assessed. See Risk assessments.
Control of substances hazardous to health
Any hazardous materials in the laboratory, such as chemical, should be risk assessed and stored correctly. See Risk assessments.
What safety measures must be present in a laboratory? 3
Equipment maintenance
All equipment and safety equipment must be regularly maintained and inspected. This includes fume hoods, eye wash stations etc
Permit to work control
Engineers and support staff must be provided a permit to work prior to accessing the laboratory. This will list any risks the staff member may face while working in the laboratory. Permit to work form
What safety measures must be present in a laboratory? 4
Access control
Only authorised persons should be allowed in the laboratory. See access control.
Correct disposal of waste materials
Any waste material created in the laboratory should be risk assessed and disposed of correctly. See waste disposal. See chemical waste disposal.
What safety measures must be present in a laboratory? 5
Personal protective equipment
All laboratory users should be provided with and use all necessary personal protective equipment (PPE). See Personal protective equipment All laboratory users should be provided with and use all necessary personal protective equipment (PPE). See personal protective equipment.
Any other necessary safety measures
The safety measures on this page are not exhaustive. Risk assessments may identify mitigation strategies that are required but are not described here.
ESE Health and Safety
Due to the complex mix of risks within the department, finding out what procedures to follow and how to apply them can be a little daunting.
Visit the ESE Health and Safety guidance pages.
ESE Fieldwork Information
- Visit ESE’s Fieldwork Requirements page to plan your offsite activity with our step-by-step guide
- Visit ESE’s Fieldwork Safety page to access information on health and safety policies and responsibilities for fieldwork