Unit 4 Sarah Hill - 175220
Unit 4 Laboratory Techniques and their Application: Learning
Aim A: Understand the importance of health and safety in
scientific organizations.
Introduction:
In this report I will be reporting on how two different scientific departments
are following health and safety legislation, as well as describing the hazards
that are presented and how the health and safety is managed. I will be doing
this by explaining how health and safety measures in a scientific organization
comply with legislation, describing the potential hazards relevant to different
scientific working environments, comparing the health and safety measures
taken in relation to legalization for different scientific working environments
and referencing the potential hazards and finally by evaluating the measures
taken for different working environments to ensure high standards of health
and safety that comply with legislation. The scientific workplace I will be
focusing on is a microbiology laboratory and I will be comparing it to a hospital
ward, as both of these places share similar and different types of risks.
P1 –
The Oxford dictionary describes health and safety, as the regulations and
procedures put in place to prevent an accident or incident in a workplace or in
a public environment. Within the rules of health and safety, the government
comes up with laws also known as legislation that all companies with more
than 5 employees have to comply with. Once the Government has released the
legislation, it is up to the individual companies to come up with their own
policy that comply with the legislation.
The first main legislation for health and safety is the Health and Safety at Work
Act 1974, this legislation sets out the general duties which employers have
towards employees and members of the public in their workplace. Other
legislations include “COSHH”, which is the Control of Substances Hazardous to
Health Regulations 2002, “CLEAPSS”, which is also known as Consortium of
Local Education Authorities for the Provision of Science Services and “RIDDOR”,
which is Reporting of Injuries Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations
2013. Each of these legislations help with different parts of the workplace to
keep it safe.
From these legislations, employers agree policies that are more in-depth, that
the whole company has to follow, these can be different with each workplace
, Unit 4 Sarah Hill - 175220
but they all stem from the main legislation that they follow. It is important to
understand the relevant legislations to ensure minimizing the risks to oneself
or others. Measures are usually put in place to comply with the relevant
legislation especially in a scientific workplace.
The law for microbiological labs dictates measures including both general and
health and safety legislation. This is specifically aimed at controlling
microbiological agents. There are some general measures that control
exposure to the biological agents in a microbiologist lab, which include,
suitable and sufficient warning signs, decontamination and disinfection
procedures, safe collection and disposal of waste, procedure for working with
biological agents, making vaccines available and to ensure good hygiene
measures are in place. In order to make sure that the legislation is met, it is
essential that a risk assessment is carried out. The higher the risk the more in-
depth a risk assessment should be. A risk assessment should be done even if
there is a very little risk. These risk assessments may have to partner with the
infection control department, to ensure that the risk assessment has covered
all areas of danger for that organism, meaning that all measures can be put in
place to ensure everyone’s safety whilst they are working.
Risks don't only come when one is using the equipment or chemical, they can
also come when transporting such products or organisms in a microbiological
field of work, this could include a traffic accident, a spillage or any other type
of event leading to anyone or anything been exposed to the organism. In the
legislation, The Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable
Pressure Equipment Regulations (CDG 2009), they identify and manage the
associated risks. The regulations identify jobs for everyone involved in the
transportation of the dangerous organisms, this is to minimize the risk and
ensure the most efficient response, this involves not only people that are
directly involved but the people that may be involved in an emergency
situation. (1)
In a microbiological lab, rules are put in place to ensure everyone’s safety
these may include:
- No food or drink in the Lab
- Wash hand regularly
- Wear the correct PPE
- Wear appropriate clothing and shoes
- Keep everything sterilized where necessary
- Dispose of all broken equipment or waste materials properly (2)
Unit 4 Laboratory Techniques and their Application: Learning
Aim A: Understand the importance of health and safety in
scientific organizations.
Introduction:
In this report I will be reporting on how two different scientific departments
are following health and safety legislation, as well as describing the hazards
that are presented and how the health and safety is managed. I will be doing
this by explaining how health and safety measures in a scientific organization
comply with legislation, describing the potential hazards relevant to different
scientific working environments, comparing the health and safety measures
taken in relation to legalization for different scientific working environments
and referencing the potential hazards and finally by evaluating the measures
taken for different working environments to ensure high standards of health
and safety that comply with legislation. The scientific workplace I will be
focusing on is a microbiology laboratory and I will be comparing it to a hospital
ward, as both of these places share similar and different types of risks.
P1 –
The Oxford dictionary describes health and safety, as the regulations and
procedures put in place to prevent an accident or incident in a workplace or in
a public environment. Within the rules of health and safety, the government
comes up with laws also known as legislation that all companies with more
than 5 employees have to comply with. Once the Government has released the
legislation, it is up to the individual companies to come up with their own
policy that comply with the legislation.
The first main legislation for health and safety is the Health and Safety at Work
Act 1974, this legislation sets out the general duties which employers have
towards employees and members of the public in their workplace. Other
legislations include “COSHH”, which is the Control of Substances Hazardous to
Health Regulations 2002, “CLEAPSS”, which is also known as Consortium of
Local Education Authorities for the Provision of Science Services and “RIDDOR”,
which is Reporting of Injuries Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations
2013. Each of these legislations help with different parts of the workplace to
keep it safe.
From these legislations, employers agree policies that are more in-depth, that
the whole company has to follow, these can be different with each workplace
, Unit 4 Sarah Hill - 175220
but they all stem from the main legislation that they follow. It is important to
understand the relevant legislations to ensure minimizing the risks to oneself
or others. Measures are usually put in place to comply with the relevant
legislation especially in a scientific workplace.
The law for microbiological labs dictates measures including both general and
health and safety legislation. This is specifically aimed at controlling
microbiological agents. There are some general measures that control
exposure to the biological agents in a microbiologist lab, which include,
suitable and sufficient warning signs, decontamination and disinfection
procedures, safe collection and disposal of waste, procedure for working with
biological agents, making vaccines available and to ensure good hygiene
measures are in place. In order to make sure that the legislation is met, it is
essential that a risk assessment is carried out. The higher the risk the more in-
depth a risk assessment should be. A risk assessment should be done even if
there is a very little risk. These risk assessments may have to partner with the
infection control department, to ensure that the risk assessment has covered
all areas of danger for that organism, meaning that all measures can be put in
place to ensure everyone’s safety whilst they are working.
Risks don't only come when one is using the equipment or chemical, they can
also come when transporting such products or organisms in a microbiological
field of work, this could include a traffic accident, a spillage or any other type
of event leading to anyone or anything been exposed to the organism. In the
legislation, The Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable
Pressure Equipment Regulations (CDG 2009), they identify and manage the
associated risks. The regulations identify jobs for everyone involved in the
transportation of the dangerous organisms, this is to minimize the risk and
ensure the most efficient response, this involves not only people that are
directly involved but the people that may be involved in an emergency
situation. (1)
In a microbiological lab, rules are put in place to ensure everyone’s safety
these may include:
- No food or drink in the Lab
- Wash hand regularly
- Wear the correct PPE
- Wear appropriate clothing and shoes
- Keep everything sterilized where necessary
- Dispose of all broken equipment or waste materials properly (2)
