Unit 4.1 – Health and safety of science organisations
Every work environment has hazards and may also carry out activities that pose as a risk. These
hazards and risks should be recognised to reduce their danger and create a safer working
environment. Several laws have been put into place to ensure that organisations are responsible for
health and safety measures:
The Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) - 1974
The Health and Safety information for Employees regulations (HSE) - 1974
The Management of Health and Safety at Work regulations - 1999
Control Of Substances Hazardous to Health regulations (COSHH) - 2002
Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres regulations (DSEAR) - 2002
Classification, Labelling and Packaging regulations (CLP) - 2009
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences regulations (RIDDOR) - 2013
Control Of Major Accident Hazards regulations (COMAH) - 2015
To exemplify the application of health and safety at work legislation, I have analysed the precautions
taken within a pharmaceutical organisation called APBI.
Different departments within an organisation have different roles; there’s typically a department for
research and development and a department for mass production. Each department will have
different environments and involve different activities meaning the hazards/risks will vary and so
should the health and safety measures.
However, before analysing individual activities, here are some general health and safety measures
that the AstraZeneca performed which followed the COSHH regulations:
To prevent the risk of hazards; lab coats, eye protection (safety glasses/goggles) and rubber
gloves are worn whilst handling these chemicals.
They avoid using high concentrations of substances where possible.
If physical contact with chemicals does occur, they would rinse the exposed area with
distilled water. If symptoms occur, they seek medical attention immediately.
If the substance is spilt on a surface, it is wiped with a damp cloth (if it is an anhydrous
substance, they avoid lifting dust particles into the air).
They are very cautious when handling sharps; they do not hold sharps in crowded areas,
while holding a sharp they do not move hastily, and they ensure not to place sharps near the
edge of a surface or anywhere it is prone to falling.
Minor scratches/cuts are rinsed and have a small, sterile dressing applied to it. For severe
wounds, they would sit down, apply pressure to the wound using a sterile dressing and seek
immediate medical attention.
If an injury seems infected, they suggest consulting your GP.
Treat burns by rinsing it with cold water and seek medical attention for severe burns.
CLEAPSS recognises the hazards of individual substances and equipment. The organisation completes
risk assessments state the hazards, risks of hazards and prevention of hazards of typically used
substances/equipment. Here is one of them:
Substance Hazard Comment Prevention
Glassware Danger Glassware is brittle meaning it -Be delicate when handling any
can easily crack and form sharp glassware equipment.
, shards of glass. This could cause -Do not place any glassware in
scratches or more serious an unstable position.
puncture wounds such as deep -Do not place any glassware near
cuts. the edge of a surface.
Pharmaceutical companies produce a variety of drugs to treat different issues. I focussed on the
production of pills which compress drugs into a small cylindrical solid so that it can be ingested.
Within each pill, there must be an appropriate amount of the active component and all of the
components must be thoroughly mixed.
Activities carried out to Risks and hazards of the Precautions taken by workers
research and develop drugs activity to reduce the danger of the
risks and hazards
Preclinical research involves Drugs are often tested on They are cautious when
various experiments to animals to observe the effect handling sharps and do not
determine the drug’s of the drug on a living carry them in crowded rooms.
formulation, toxicity and organism. Minor scratches/cuts are
dosage. Drugs are often injected into washed and have a small,
them which means you would sterile dressing applied to it.
be handling a sharp object Injections are never re-used
which could also pierce the and are properly disposed of.
worker’s skin. If the injection Animals are handled with care,
needle is contaminated, this adequately fed and provided
can cause infection. with enough room.
Animals could respond with an Animals are obtained from
aggressive behaviour, reputable sources.
attempting to bite. The workers determine
Animals may have a disease whether they are allergic to
that can be passed onto any of the labatory animals.
humans.
Workers may be allergic to an
animal.
When a drug is approved by Volunteers can experience side Workers ensure the volunteers
preclinical trials they can be effects. These may be have regular check-ups so that
given to people (volunteers) to symptoms of organ damage. their health is monitored.
ensure that the drug is safe Before being allowed to
and effective. participate in a trial, the
volunteers must meet a
specific criteria in terms of
their medical history and
current health status.
Granulation produces granules The liquid binder varies They are cautious when
of the drug which have the because it depends on handling and placing
appropriate proportions of solubility of the drug. So, it substances. They wear gloves,
each component. There are could be an irritant or/and lab coats and eye protection to
two methods of granulation: corrosive. avoid contact with substances.
Wet granulation and dry A blender has in-running They have risk assessments of
granulation. Wet granulation transmission parts meaning the liquid binders that are
involves adding small amounts that when activated, it can typically used.
Every work environment has hazards and may also carry out activities that pose as a risk. These
hazards and risks should be recognised to reduce their danger and create a safer working
environment. Several laws have been put into place to ensure that organisations are responsible for
health and safety measures:
The Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) - 1974
The Health and Safety information for Employees regulations (HSE) - 1974
The Management of Health and Safety at Work regulations - 1999
Control Of Substances Hazardous to Health regulations (COSHH) - 2002
Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres regulations (DSEAR) - 2002
Classification, Labelling and Packaging regulations (CLP) - 2009
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences regulations (RIDDOR) - 2013
Control Of Major Accident Hazards regulations (COMAH) - 2015
To exemplify the application of health and safety at work legislation, I have analysed the precautions
taken within a pharmaceutical organisation called APBI.
Different departments within an organisation have different roles; there’s typically a department for
research and development and a department for mass production. Each department will have
different environments and involve different activities meaning the hazards/risks will vary and so
should the health and safety measures.
However, before analysing individual activities, here are some general health and safety measures
that the AstraZeneca performed which followed the COSHH regulations:
To prevent the risk of hazards; lab coats, eye protection (safety glasses/goggles) and rubber
gloves are worn whilst handling these chemicals.
They avoid using high concentrations of substances where possible.
If physical contact with chemicals does occur, they would rinse the exposed area with
distilled water. If symptoms occur, they seek medical attention immediately.
If the substance is spilt on a surface, it is wiped with a damp cloth (if it is an anhydrous
substance, they avoid lifting dust particles into the air).
They are very cautious when handling sharps; they do not hold sharps in crowded areas,
while holding a sharp they do not move hastily, and they ensure not to place sharps near the
edge of a surface or anywhere it is prone to falling.
Minor scratches/cuts are rinsed and have a small, sterile dressing applied to it. For severe
wounds, they would sit down, apply pressure to the wound using a sterile dressing and seek
immediate medical attention.
If an injury seems infected, they suggest consulting your GP.
Treat burns by rinsing it with cold water and seek medical attention for severe burns.
CLEAPSS recognises the hazards of individual substances and equipment. The organisation completes
risk assessments state the hazards, risks of hazards and prevention of hazards of typically used
substances/equipment. Here is one of them:
Substance Hazard Comment Prevention
Glassware Danger Glassware is brittle meaning it -Be delicate when handling any
can easily crack and form sharp glassware equipment.
, shards of glass. This could cause -Do not place any glassware in
scratches or more serious an unstable position.
puncture wounds such as deep -Do not place any glassware near
cuts. the edge of a surface.
Pharmaceutical companies produce a variety of drugs to treat different issues. I focussed on the
production of pills which compress drugs into a small cylindrical solid so that it can be ingested.
Within each pill, there must be an appropriate amount of the active component and all of the
components must be thoroughly mixed.
Activities carried out to Risks and hazards of the Precautions taken by workers
research and develop drugs activity to reduce the danger of the
risks and hazards
Preclinical research involves Drugs are often tested on They are cautious when
various experiments to animals to observe the effect handling sharps and do not
determine the drug’s of the drug on a living carry them in crowded rooms.
formulation, toxicity and organism. Minor scratches/cuts are
dosage. Drugs are often injected into washed and have a small,
them which means you would sterile dressing applied to it.
be handling a sharp object Injections are never re-used
which could also pierce the and are properly disposed of.
worker’s skin. If the injection Animals are handled with care,
needle is contaminated, this adequately fed and provided
can cause infection. with enough room.
Animals could respond with an Animals are obtained from
aggressive behaviour, reputable sources.
attempting to bite. The workers determine
Animals may have a disease whether they are allergic to
that can be passed onto any of the labatory animals.
humans.
Workers may be allergic to an
animal.
When a drug is approved by Volunteers can experience side Workers ensure the volunteers
preclinical trials they can be effects. These may be have regular check-ups so that
given to people (volunteers) to symptoms of organ damage. their health is monitored.
ensure that the drug is safe Before being allowed to
and effective. participate in a trial, the
volunteers must meet a
specific criteria in terms of
their medical history and
current health status.
Granulation produces granules The liquid binder varies They are cautious when
of the drug which have the because it depends on handling and placing
appropriate proportions of solubility of the drug. So, it substances. They wear gloves,
each component. There are could be an irritant or/and lab coats and eye protection to
two methods of granulation: corrosive. avoid contact with substances.
Wet granulation and dry A blender has in-running They have risk assessments of
granulation. Wet granulation transmission parts meaning the liquid binders that are
involves adding small amounts that when activated, it can typically used.
