Laboratory Safety

All work with biological agents or material in the University must be carried out in accordance with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended). This includes both work with biological agents such as hazardous bacteria, viruses or fungi which may cause infection, allergy, toxicity or otherwise create a hazard to human health, or working with materials which may contain such material, for example human or animal blood, tissue or biofluids and cell cultures.

All activities involving biological agents or material must be risk assessed, and where appropriate approved by the Biological Hazards and Genetically Modified Organisms Sub-Committee.  Further information is available in the biological policy arrangements, guidance and templates.

Supporting Documents

Biological Safety Policy Arrangements

Biological Risk Assessment Template

SOP - Use of Class II Microbiological Safety Cabinets

Biological Safety - Disinfection and Sterilisation

Classifying GM Activity with Lentiviral Vectors

Local Training Record (Laboratory)

Taking and Using Clinical Samples Information Sheet

Laboratory Equipment - Extraction and Containment Guidance

There is an array of chemicals and materials at the University, some are perfectly safe, others could cause harm to you, an unborn child or harm the environment. Before carrying out any experiment at the University, you must always undertake a COSHH Assessment. 

To ensure that hazardous substances do not cause harm to health, or the environment, consideration must be given to the safe, responsible, sustainable and economical use of substances throughout their lifecycle – from procurement, storage, use, transport and through to disposal.

If you have any queries in relation to hazardous substances speak to you H&S Lead or Scientific Safety Advisor.  Alternatively contact the Health & Safety Team/Sustainability Team for advice and support. 

Chemical Safety Templates & Guidance

Chemical Risk Assessment - Pre-purchase Form

Chemical Risk Assessment - Safe Operating Procedure

Chemical Risk Assessment Guidance

Safe Storage and Labelling of Chemicals Information Sheet

Safe Operating Procedure - Lithium Battery Storage and Disposal

Using Ethidium Bromide Guidance Note

Laboratory Equipment - Extraction and Containment Guidance

Compressed gas cylinders are a convenient way to transport and store gases under pressure. A number of different gases are used in laboratories across the University for a variety of scientific purposes. However, hazards are not just from the gas itself but also because of how the gas is stored - under pressure. Compressed gas cylinders may pose a particular hazard during a fire, and the Emergency Services often require information as to the location of gas cylinders within a building in order to protect themselves and others.

The H&S Advisor in your Faculty/ Department will provide advice and guidance on compressed gas systems. However, day to day management of compressed gases will be handled within the Faculty/ Department by a competent person(s).  

No work is to be undertaken with compressed gas which may expose employees, students or visitors to risks from the use, handling and storage of compressed gases, unless the risks have been managed via a risk assessment process. Only persons that have completed the appropraite gas safety training are authorised to use gas, and/ or change/ move a compressed gas cylinder. Details of the gas safety training are outlined in the training document below. 

All users are to follow the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the changing of gas cylinders outlined in the policy arrangements. It also includes detail on selecting a regulator and the replacement programme (every 5 years). Faculties must have a register of each gas cylinder they have, including if they are in use or in the store.

All new installations must be in accordance with the policy arrangements. For new projects and installations the project co-ordinator will be responsible for ensuring a written scheme is in place (where applicable), and notifying Health, Safety and Resilience Team of any compressed gas installations that will require future testing under the PSSR 2000. Older systems are to be reviewed and where required, brought into compliance with the policy arrangements.

If you require further clairifcation, contact the Health and Safety Team by email: healthandsafety@swansea.ac.uk

Supporting Documents

Compressed Gas Policy Arrangements

Gas Cylinder Safety Training - Control Measure

Compressed Gas Risk Assessment Standard

Gas Cylinder Manual Handling Information Sheet

Gas Cylinder Manual Handling Risk Assessment Template

Gas Deliveries and Collection by Supplier Standard

Gas Cylinder Storage

Gas Equipment Checks and Inspections

Monitoring, Detection, Ventilation and Alarms

For more information, go to Pressure Systems.

Liquid Nitrogen is a colourless, odourless liquid similar in appearance to water and is used in biological sample preservation, vacuum pump systems, cooling samples in electron microscopes, cryostats for low temperature research and superconducting magnet systems.  If not handled properly it can cause serious injuries and even death so it is imperative guidance is followed.

Training is available on the safe use of cryogenics.  To access the training please email the Health and Safety team.

Policy

Cryogenic Liquids Policy Arrangements

Supporting Documents

Oxygen Depletion Calculator

Cryogenics - Bilingual Safety Signs

All work with genetically modified organisms at the University must be carried out in accordance with the Genetically Modified Organisms (Contained Use) Regulations 2014.

The GM policy arrangements outlines the University policy and procedures for working with Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) including the requirement for all activities involving GMOs as part of University activities to be risk assessed using the University  ‌and all activities classified into one of six activity classes based on the risk to human health and the environment.

Risk assessments are reviewed and approved by the Biological Hazards and Genetically Modified Organisms Sub-committee who act as the University Genetic Modification Safety Committee and provides advice on risk assessments relating to genetic modification activities. 

 All University staff, students and visitors who work on University Class 2 or 3 GMOs must register with the Health & Safety Team.

Workers on higher risk projects (Class 2 or 3 projects with organisms identified as hazardous to human health) must also complete the Occupational Health medical questionnaire. This must be sent to the University Occupational Health Service and workers must not start working with GM materials until a letter of fitness to work has been received.

For additional information on working with biological hazards please see the Biological section.

Policy

Work with Genetically Modified Organisms Policy Arrangements

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) Risk Assessment Template

Local Training Record (Laboratory)

Ionising radiation has many uses in industry, such as energy production, manufacturing, medicine and research and produces many benefits to society. However, it is important that the risks of ionising radiation are managed sensibly to protect workers and the public.

Ionising radiation used includes: x-rays, gamma rays, radiation from radioactive sources and sources of naturally occurring radiation such as, radon gas.

Ionising Radiation protection at Swansea University is concerned with satisfying three interconnected objectives;

• protection of the environment, and therefore protection of the public at large;
• protection of persons working with radioactive substances;
• protection of the patient (or volunteer) being exposed to radioactivity for therapeutic, diagnostic or research purposes.

Contact our Health and Safety team for more information.

SOP-10101 Safe Use of Ducted Fume Cupboard

SOP-10102 Liquid Nitrogen: Decanting from Pressurised Dewars

SOP-10103 Biological Spillages

Working with lasers at the University is very diverse and is at the forefront of research activities.

All lasers are potentially hazardous, however, the degree of the hazard is related to the laser’s characteristics and use.

Colleges that undertake laser work with Class 3B/ 4 lasers, will have a Laser Protection Supervisor (LPS). The LPS supervises the general day-to-day control of use of lasers and the laser safety standards within the College. The LPS also monitors and advises the College on compliance.

The Laser Safety Officer (LSO) advises on the use of lasers and performs executive duties to ensure that the University procedures relating to laser safety are followed and are compliant with legislative requirements. The LSO reports to the Health & Safety Team.  Contact your College LPS for further information on laser safety procedures.

All members of staff and students wishing to work with lasers - with the exception of undergraduates participating only in supervised teaching/ demonstration activities - must be registered as Laser Workers. The register of Laser Workers is compiled by the LPS.  All Laser Workers are required to sign a declaration that they have read the local rules. Registration must always be completed before work with lasers commences.

Laser Workers should not leave laser experiment running unattended unless a risk assessment has established that it is safe to do so. Laser Workers have responsibilities for their own safety and others who may be affected by their work. All Laser Workers are required to attend training as required.

If you have any queries or would like additional advice on laser safety procedures contact the Health and Safety Team.

Workers who intend to use Class 3B/ Class 4 lasers must have a general eye examination before commencing work.  The purpose of the examination is to screen out those workers who, through an existing serious defect in eyesight, may be more sensitive to or more affected if an adverse event occurred with the laser. The examination can be arranged with Occupational Health.

PPE is equipment that will protect the user against health or safety risks at work. It can include items such as safety helmets, gloves, eye protection, high-visibility clothing, safety footwear and safety harnesses. It also includes respiratory protective equipment (RPE).

Making the workplace safe includes providing instructions, procedures, training and supervision to encourage people to work safely and responsibly.  Even where engineering controls and safe systems of work have been applied, some hazards might remain. These include injuries to:

• The lungs, e.g. from breathing in contaminated air
• The head and feet, e.g. from falling materials
• The eyes, e.g. from flying particles or splashes of corrosive liquids
• The skin, e.g. from contact with corrosive materials
• The body, e.g. from extremes of heat or cold

PPE is needed in these cases to reduce the risk.

Policy

Work activites may result in harmful substances contaminating the air in the form of dust, mist, gas or fume. For example:

• cutting material e.g stone, concrete or wood
• using liquid containing volatile solvents
• handling a dusty powder

RPE is designed to protect the wearer from these hazards when they cannot be controlled by other means.  Selection of respiratory protective equipment should form part of the risk assessment for the activity or substance.  RPE should be worn:

• When you might still breathe in contaminated air, despite other controls you have in place e.g. extraction systems;
• When there is short-term or infrequent exposure and using other controls is impractical;
• Whilst you are putting other controls in place;
• When you need to provide RPE for safe exit in an emergency (e.g. air-supplied escape hoods);
• When you need to provide RPE for emergency work or when there is a temporary failure of controls;
• When emergency rescue by trained personnel is necessary.

Any user of RPE which relies on a tight-seal to the face to provide protection requires face fit testing to ensure a proper fit.  For further advice on face fits testing contact your H&S Lead/ Advisor or email the Health & Safety Team.

Supporting Documents

Information Sheet - Respiratory Protection Equipment (RPE) Face Fit Testing

Information Sheet - Qualitative Face Fit Testing

We offers a range of qualifications for health care and allied services professionals, undertaking studies and clinical trials involving human participation and providing Wellbeing services. 

We are committed to upholding the regulations in all activities involving sharps in our laboratories and health-care related facilities.

The definition of ‘Sharps’ relates to needles, syringes, edged instruments, broken glassware, trocars, phials, scalpels, scalpel blades, razors, scissors, lancets, bone fragments or any other item which may cause laceration or puncture wounds and are contaminated in use by blood, body fluids or other harmful biological hazards or chemicals.

Sharps instruments in the health care setting represent a specific risk due to the possibility of contamination with blood or other biological material where there is the potential of transmitting infectious agents such as hepatitis B or Human immunodeficiency viruses.  Similarly within laboratories sharps can be a way of introducing hazardous microorganisms, cell lines or chemicals into the body.

Support staff who may enter teaching and research areas, such as cleaners, porters, maintenance staff, or waste operatives may also be exposed to injuries from sharps which have been disposed of in-correctly by the primary user.

The policy arrangements are intended to provide guidance on the safe use of sharps and should be read in combination with other relevant health and safety policy arrangements, including policy arrangements on phlebotomy, immunisation and biological hazards, and the risk assessment for that particular activity.

Policy

Sharps in Laboratories, Healthcare and Allied Practices Policy Arrangements

Supporting Documents

Sharps Audit Checklist

We recognise the need to ensure the health, safety and welfare of young persons (defined as anyone under 18 years of age) and children (someone below the minimum compulsory school leaving age of 16) engaging in activities organised by the University such as outreach activities, work placements or as foundation or undergraduate students.

The policy arrangements outline the additional consideration that needs to be given when young people are participating in activities within scientific (wet) laboratories, workshops or events held in other premises involving the use of chemical, biological, radiological or other hazards.

Young people engaging in these activities may be at increased risk due to: 

• Psychological factors - inexperience, maturity and lack of awareness of existing or potential risks.
• Physiological factors - physical capabilities and physiological development, greater risk from certain hazards as well as the suitability of uniform / personal protective equipment fit.

Supporting Documents

Young People in Scientific Labs and Related Activities - Police Arrangements