CRB Health & Safety Audit

Geoff Carlson

Description

Centre for Reproductive Biology, Queen's Medical Research Institute (QMRI), University of Edinburgh th rdHealth & Safety Audit of ground floor laboratory and office areas, 19 June 2008. Last updated 23 June 2008 The audit took the form of a walk-through inspection of all laboratory and office areas on the ground floor of the QMRI. The principal objectives of the audit were: 1. To assess lab areas for appropriate practices including radioactive monitoring. 2. To check that all RA1, BA1 and COSHH Risk Assessment documentation was up-to-date. 3. To confirm that items flagged for ‘Review and Re-audit July 2008’ had been completed. Inspection Team: Pamela Brown (PB) Biological Safety Officer - HRSU Geoffrey Carlson (GC) Business / Laboratory Manager - RDS Lindsay Murray (LM) Little France Health and Safety Manager Moira Nicol (MN) Amicus Health & Safety Representative - RDS Robin Sellar (RS) Deputy BSO, Deputy RPO – HRSU Rhona Stephen (RS) Child Life and Health Overall impression from inspection: The members of the CRB are yet again to be congratulated on their thorough and professional approach to Health and Safety within the workplace. Laboratories are, with the exception of the odd box placed on the floor rather than on a shelf, in a good state of tidiness, however there is starting to be the inevitable accumulation of mothballed scientific equipment especially in E1.54 and W1.39, and it is possible that some rationalisation and a ...

Informations

• Publié par: Phewyur
• Nombre de lectures: 55
• Langue: English

Extrait

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Centre for Reproductive Biology, Queen's Medical Research Institute (QMRI), University of Edinburgh

Health & Safety Audit of ground floor laboratory and office areas, 19

th

June 2008. Last updated 23

rd

June

2008

The audit took the form of a walk-through inspection of all laboratory and office areas on the ground floor of the

QMRI. The principal objectives of the audit were:

1.

To assess lab areas for appropriate practices including radioactive monitoring.

2.

To check that all RA1, BA1 and COSHH Risk Assessment documentation was up-to-date.

3.

To confirm that items flagged for ‘Review and Re-audit July 2008’ had been completed.

Inspection Team:

Pamela Brown

(PB) Biological Safety Officer - HRSU

Geoffrey Carlson

(GC) Business / Laboratory Manager - RDS

Lindsay Murray

(LM) Little France Health and Safety Manager

Moira Nicol

(MN) Amicus Health & Safety Representative - RDS

Robin Sellar

(RS) Deputy BSO, Deputy RPO – HRSU

Rhona Stephen

(RS) Child Life and Health

Overall impression from inspection:

The members of the CRB are yet again to be congratulated on their thorough and professional approach to Health

and Safety within the workplace. Laboratories are, with the exception of the odd box placed on the floor rather than

on a shelf, in a good state of tidiness, however there is starting to be the inevitable accumulation of mothballed

scientific equipment especially in E1.54 and W1.39, and it is possible that some rationalisation and a subsequent

uplift by an approved contractor may be necessary in the near future.

Risk Assessment / COSHH documentation was up-to-date and in good order; signage was good throughout with

the exception of the occasional out of date waste disposal notice – up to date copies can be downloaded from the

Little France safety website

http://www.mvm.ed.ac.uk/LittleFrance/Health%20and%20Safety%20manual/Manual18.pdf

- and some

inconsistencies in labelling radioactive areas and spark proof fridges are detailed below.

Items highlighted last year as being for re-audit were looked at and any progress on building-related issues during

the last year was noted; however some of these items have still not been completely resolved, and have been

marked for re-audit in 2009.

The following items were marked for Re-audit in 2008

Positioning of Fire Blankets

Problem

:

Concern was expressed that fire blankets at the end of bays could not be reached easily if

equipment was placed in front of them.

Responsible persons

: GC, Ian Swanston (IS)

Comments

:

There seems to be no problem reaching the blanket with the equipment presently being

placed on the bench in front of the fire blankets, this item can be integrated into the general

audit next year.

Action status

:

Integrate as a general item in the 2008 audit

Radioactive monitoring records:

Problem

:

A robust scheme of radioactive monitoring and management in the controlled laboratory

and all individual supervised areas was instigated in 2007 this was marked for re-auditing

in 2008

Responsible persons

: IS, GC

Comments

:

This generally this seems to have worked well; there is a signage issue in Room W1.37

where a notice is required indicating that the records relating to this area are not kept in

this room but in room W1.02. Bench coat is also required in the demarcated area. There is

also a related problem with inconsistent labelling; some freezers have radioactive trefoil

labelling on the door rather than having a label on the radioactive substance and a notice

on the door. In one case (Room E1.35) there is an area marked off with radioactive tape,

but no sink in the room marked for radioactive disposal.

Action status:

Integrate into the annual audit as an item on the general inspection list

Non spark-proof notices on fridges freezers:

Problem

:

There still seems to be an inconsistent use of ‘non-spark proof’ notices on fridges / freezers

Responsible persons

: IS, GC

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Comments

:

Some fridges and freezer are unlabelled, and it is unclear to the occasional user if this

implies they are spark-proof or just unlabelled, an audit of all fridge / freezers should be

considered and those that are definitely non-spark proof - for example those that have an

internal light - should be marked accordingly. Stickers have been produced by

reprographics and will be put on non spark-proof fridges.

Action status:

Re-audit in June 2009

Door Hinges on metal Solvent Cabinets

.

Problem

The hinges on the door are corroded and new hinges need to be ordered / unit repaired.

This was a problem with one cabinet last year, but another one in room W1.20 now seems

to have developed the same problem, this will need replacing.

Responsible Persons

: PB, IS, GC – PB and GC to contact Andy Kordiak as this seems to be a procurement

issue.

Comments

:

Repair needs to be carried out as a building / furniture repair. It looks increasingly likely

that there is a general problem with the plastic hinges used on these cupboards. It was

agreed to raise this problem again with the building committee.

Action Status

:

Re audit in June 2009

Solvent cupboards under fume hoods – not vented.

Problem

:

Balfour Beatty has confirmed that fume cupboards were installed as specified. Cupboards

are therefore unlikely to be vented unless additional funds are made available. This was

also raised at the SCSCH School H&S meeting, but no further progress has been made.

Responsible persons

: GC, IS, Sharon Hannah (SH)(Chair of Building Committee)

Comments

:

This has been brought up again at a Building meeting but no progress has been made.

Action Status

:

Ongoing

Corridor services doors marked ’fire door keep locked’ are unlocked.

Problem

:

Doors are unlocked by Estates and Building staff .to carry out maintenance work but left

unlocked, floor managers do not have keys to these doors and if unlocked they often swing

open into the corridor as they only have a deadlock and no catch.

Responsible persons

: GC, IS, SH, Estates and Buildings

Comments

:

This will be brought up again at a Building Committee meeting.

Action Status

:

Report progress at next audit in June 2009

Management of training for health and safety

Problem identified:

Training records are being maintained, both by individual workers and centrally, but it was

recommended that a simple matrix be prepared showing all personnel working within or

otherwise attached to RDS and all those training courses that have been recommended for

them, indicating when each training event has been attended.

Responsible persons:

GC, IS

Comment:

Action status:

Ongoing Review and Re-audit June 2009

Business continuity planning

Problem identified:

Unlike the HRSU, RDS do not at present have a fully documented Business Continuity

Plan. Although not strictly a health and safety issue the University's Director of Corporate

Services and our insurance brokers have been actively promoting this, and it has been

proposed that the next round of Aon audits will test such plans by audit in the form of a

round of table-top exercises. It is recommended that RDS commence business continuity

planning by conducting a threat assessment and considering how to best to react to a

number of plausible scenarios. LGM has offered to help with this.

Responsible person:

GC, (LM)

Comment:

Action status: Ongoing. Review and Re-audit June 2009

Points for Action relating to specific locations or Groups

E.1.54

Problems:

(1) Door being held open by ‘Harmful’ tape, (2) accumulation of old equipment, (3) ‘special

waste’ bin has no bag in it but contains discarded gloves

Responsible persons

: Users / IS

Comments

:

(1) If the door needs to be open a different means needs to be found to hold the door open,

otherwise the door should be closed. (2) It might be worth doing an equipment audit of the

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equipment stored in this room to see if any of it can be disposed of or recycled. (3) Bin

should be removed if not being used for special waste or a bag put in it if it is.

Action Status

:

Most of this can be easily rectified, but progress should be checked, especial

regarding the disposal of equipment, as part of the general 2009 audit.

W1.37

Problems:

Coat hooks required for laboratory coats in this room.

Responsible person

: GC

Comments

:

Lab coats are presently left on a bench as there are no coat hooks.

Action Status

:

Coat hooks have been ordered through Estates and Buildings ref 544391

W1.20 Clin Biochem:

Problem

:

Out of date GM forms for Clinical Biochemistry

Responsible persons

: Ian Mason / Steve Morley

Comments

:

Forbes Howie to coordinate.

Action Status

:

Revision and consolidation underway at re-audit, but a few RAs still to do. This must be

completed before 2009 audit.

Re-audit in June 2009

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