SRC Equipment Risk Assessment 2013Hazard Identification Risk Evaluation Risk Controls

Equipment Hazard Risks Severity Likelihood RiskLevel

Measures to reduce the risks posed by hazards

( Lab coat and gloves must be worn at all times when working in lab )

-80 Freezer Frostbite

Laceration

Fire

Frost burns to skin and eyes

Fire

3 3 9 Dry cold protection gloves must be worn Do not put glassware in the freezer Do not store flammable liquids in the

freezer The freezer is locked and is accessible

only to authorized lab staff.

3D Printer Extruder and platform are hot

Sharp tools and support material

ABS plastic waste

Burns

Hand Injury

Eye Injury

3 2 6 Wear gloves when working around this area

Wear gloves when using sharp tools to remove support materials

Wear safety goggles to prevent flying plastic waste get into eyes

Ashing Furnace Hot surface or materials

Explosion by overheating

Burns Injuries

3 3 9 Only to be operated by trained lab staff. Thermal gloves must be worn Tongs must be used when removing

materials from the furnace Do not exceed the max heating limit No flammable materials are allowed for

ashing

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Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer

Hazardous radiation from flame/hollow cathode/D2 lamp

Acetylene explode Heat from burner head

Eye damage Burns Gas leak

3 3 9 Students must be guided by trained lab staff

Never directly view the flame/hollow cathode/D2 lamp.

Acetylene gas pressure should not exceed 15psi

Perform periodic gas leak test If removing burner head ,allow

sufficient time for the burner head to cool

Preventive maintenance should be done yearly

Atomic Force Microscope

Laser Radiation Eye damage 3 3 9 Do not stare into the beam or view directly with optical instruments (Magnifiers)

Users must be guided by trained lab staff

Autoclave Heat/Steam Contamination with

bio-hazardous substances

Explosion

Burns

Infections

Eye/body injuries

3 3 9 Only to be operated by trained lab staff Thermal gloves must be worn The chamber lid must be properly closed

before operation. Never use autoclave for

explosive/combustible/oxidizing /flammable substances.

Daily maintenance is essential. Preventive maintenance should be done

annually

Biosafety Cabinet Exposure to UV light Burns 3 3 9 Users must be trained and strictly follow

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Exposure to Microorganisms

Infections safety laboratory practices Do not stand near when the UV is on. Turn off UV before use Do not use flammable/combustible/

explosive substances in the unit. Preventive maintenance should be done

annually

Bunsen burner Heat/Flame Gas leak

Burns Fire

3 3 9 Wear thermal gloves if necessary If gas is smelt, turn off tap and report

immediately Do not have or use

flammable/volatile/explosive substances near the flame.

Centrifuge Samples leaks

Samples imbalance

Aerosols, chemicals and microorganisms contamination

Machine malfunction

3 2 6 Users must be trained Never fill the centrifuge tubes above the

max limit Never exceed the max speed Centrifuge tubes must be balanced

Digital Force Gauge Flying test substance

Eye/body injuries

3 3 9 Use appropriate protective shield/mask ( depending on the test substance) to prevent injury caused by flying test substance.

Users must be guided by trained lab staff

Drilling Machine Flying Chips Eye/body injuries

3 3 9 Always secure the workpiece on the vice Wear goggles Student must be guided by trained lab

staff

Electrophoresis System Electric shock Short-circuiting

Injuries Protein gel is

3 2 6 Polyacrylamide gel can only be casted by trained lab staff or to purchase

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Toxic chemicals used toxic commercially. Metal components should not be

touched. Electrodes must be connected to their

respective sockets. Student must be guided by trained lab

staff

Fractional Distillation/Reflux System/Rotary Evaporator

Release of evaporating content

Flask falling off or cracking of glassware

Inhalation of toxic fume.

Injuries

3 3 9 Student must be guided by trained lab staff

Do not operate near flammable vapour or exposed flame.

To be done in fume hood with the front door down

Heating mantle is used instead of naked flame.

The equipment should not be left unattended when the process is going on.

Greater care should be exercised when handling ignitable or organic substances.

Check setup before starting the process.

Fume Hood flammable liquids

hazardous fumes/substances

Fire/Explosion Exposure to

hazardous substances

3 3 9 Ignition sources to be kept out of fume hood

Containers of flammable liquids to be kept sealed except during decanting.

Preventive maintenance should be done annually

Gas Cylinder(Flammable)

Gas leak

Falling Gas cylinder

Fire Body injuries

3 3 9 Store outside the laboratory and well ventilated place

Must always be firmly secured with

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clamp and never left unsupported. No chemicals are allowed to store

together with the gas cylinders Proper pressure limits for the

compressed gas system must be observed to prevent leaks and explosions

Correct pressure regulator to be used Check gas leak regularly Always use smaller cylinder if possible

Heating Mantle High temperature Risk of burns due to touching hot surface

Low risk of electrocution due to spillage of water or solvents on heating mantle

3 2 6 Do not leave heating mantle switch on when unattended.

Do not place near flammable/volatile/explosive substances.

Ensured the apparatus is electrically checked on regularly.

High Voltage DC Power Supply for Electro-spinning

High voltage Electric Shock 3 2 6 Student must be guided by trained lab staff

Do not touch metal parts of the setup when the equipment is turned on

Always discharge the load after each operation

Homogenizer Contact with rotating shaft, homogenizer head

Irritating noise

Cuts/Injuries Elevated noise

affect hearing Exposure to

3 3 9 Training in safe operation and guided by trained lab staff

Protected goggles must be worn. Chamber must be fully closed when in

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High power hazardous materials

use. Switch off when cleaning. Hearing protection is required for longer

time or higher speed. Reduce operation time and speed if

possible.

Hot Bead Sterilizers Heat Burns 2 2 4 Metal ware must not be left too long in the hot bead sterilizer.

Hot plate High temperature Risk of burns due to touching of hot plate

Low risk of fire due to ignition of oil or chemicals being heated

Low risk of electrocution due to spillage of water or solvents on hot plate.

3 3 9 Thermal gloves must be worn if necessary

Do not leave hot plate switch on when unattended.

Do not place the hot plate near flammable/volatile/explosive substances.

Avoid heating oil bath or chemicals to too high temp

Ensured the apparatus is electrically checked on regularly.

HPLC Hazardous substances including flammable, irritant solvents used and testing materials

Exposure to hazardous substances

Fire can occur

3 3 9 Student must be guided by trained staff Awareness of possible exposure to

hazardous substances No ignition sources or hot plate near the

equipment.

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in the present of ignition sources

Routine maintenance should be done Preventive maintenance should be done

annually

Incubator Heat Danger of fire with

low flash points chemicals

Burns Fire

2 2 4 Do not place incubator near volatile/flammable/explosive substances

Thermal gloves should be worn if the temperature setting is above 45 deg C

Infrared Lamp Heat Explosive if it contacts

with water as the lamp tends to be very hot when in use.

Burns Injuries

3 3 9 Do not allow contact with water and place away from the water sources.

Switches should turn off after use.

Laminar Flow Exposure to UV light Microorganisms

Burns Infections

3 3 9 Users must be trained and strictly follow safety laboratory practices.

Do not stand near the hood when UV light is on

Turn off UV light before removing the front covers

Do not use flammable/volatile/explosive substances in the unit

Daily maintenance by lab staff is essential.

Preventive maintenance should be done annually

Laser Laser Radiation Eye Damage 3 3 9 Wear laser safety Eye goggles. Class 3b laser users to be guided by

licensed lab staff The laser apparatus when not in use

should be locked and is accessible only to authorized lab staff.

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Microscopes Exposure to microorganisms

Broken slides

Infection Cuts

3 2 6 Users must be trained When focusing at high power, only use

fine adjustment. Do not use coarse adjustment, it may break the coverslips, slides and lens and cause contaminations and injuries

Microwave Oven Burns Leakage of Microwave

radiation

Burns Pose hazard to

health

3 3 9 Thermal gloves must be worn. Bottles/containers should not be closed

tightly. Seals to be checked regularly Stay at least an arm’s length away from

the front of an operating microwave oven

Milling Machine Hazardous voltages Cutters

Electric Shock Injuries

3 2 6 Student must be guided by trained lab staff

Materials to be milled must be held securely.

Eye protection must be worn After switching off the machine, always

wait at least 5 minutes before removing the rear cover to access the electrical panel

Optical fibres Broken fibres pieces are sharp and could penetrate the skin

Injuries 3 2 6 Handle optical fibres as glass. Fibres should be disposed carefully and

not left lying on the bench.

Optical Tweezers Laser Radiation Eye Damage 3 3 9 Wear laser safety Eye goggles. Student must be guided by trained lab

staff

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Oven –Dry Heat High temp Burns Fire

3 3 9 Wear thermal gloves when removing hot items from the oven

Never use oven to evaporate flammable or combustible chemicals

Do not place the oven near volatile/flammable/explosive substances.

Pump Electric shock Injuries 3 2 6 Strictly follow the instructions. Lab staff guided is essential

Scalpels/Blades/Syringe needles

Sharp objects Cuts Puncture

3 3 9 Lab staff supervision is essential To emphasize the danger of sharp

objects to students. Used sharps should not be bent or

broken, and must be disposed into sharp waste container

Syringe with needle is only allowed to use when necessary and lab staff supervision is required

Issue to students only when necessary Only lab staff are accessible to the

storage box.

Scroll Saw Flying object eg. sharp chip Chuck key, wrenches &

workpiece

Eye/body injuries

Inhale dust

3 3 9 Student must be guided by trained lab staff

Ensure the chuck keys and wrenches are removed before operating the machine

Use clamps or vices to secure workpiece

Goggles and mask must be worn

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Shaking Incubator Spilling of Chemicals or Microorganisms

Broken glass

Chemicals or microorganism contamination

Cuts

3 2 6 Flasks or bottles should not be over-filled or over-tighten.

Ensure the flasks or bottles are secured Place objects on the platform in a stable

condition Do not overload the shaker or exceed the

equipment’s specification.

Soldering irons Electric shock Heat from melted

component.

Burns Injuries

3 3 9 Lab staff should ensure the equipment and cables are maintained in good conditions

Suitable eye protection should be worn Students are not allowed to operate this

processSonicator Vibration Hearing

impairment3 2 6 Student must be guided by trained lab

staff Minimize sample sonication time Perform in fume hood if necessary Ear protection if needed

Thermometer Mercury vaporized from broken thermometer.

Broken pieces

Toxic vapor inhalation from broken thermometer

Cuts

3 3 9 All breakage, accidents and spillage must be reported immediately to teachers or lab staff.

Follow mercury spillage SOP

UV-Vis Spectrophotometer

Exposure to microorganisms

Exposure to chemicals

Exposure to UV

Infection

May be hazard to skin or eyes

Burns

3 2 6 Users must be trained The lid must not be open during

operation

UV transilluminator UV radiation Harmful to eyes Skin burns

3 3 9 Lab staff supervision is essential. Full face shield should be worn UV lamp must be off after use

Vacuum Concentrator Toxic or flammable Inhalation of 3 2 6 The equipment must not be used to

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vapours toxic vapours Fire if presence

of ignition sources.

evaporate low flash points substances. When evaporating flammable

liquids,volatile liquids or explosive liquids , a cooling trap should be used to ensure condensation and separation of the vapour

Student must be guided by trained lab staff

Vacuum Oven Heat Broken glass Toxic volatile

substance Implosion

Burns Cut Hazardous fume

evolved Intoxication Explosion

3 3 9 Lab staff supervision is essential Thermal gloves must be worn Do not place or dry explosive,

flammable, corrosive and combustible materials around or in the oven.

Do not seal the glassware Door gasket will degrade at high temp

after some time, check frequently. Check Vacuum pump frequently

Vortex mixer Samples leak Exposure to hazardous substances

2 2 4 Users are to ensured tubes sealed properly

Water-Bath Electric shock Heat

Injuries Scalding

2 2 4 Fill the bath with water to the recommended height.

“HIGH TEMP, DO NOT TOUCH” sign should be displayed if the temperature setting is higher than 60 deg C.

Off the water-bath if not in use.

Emergency procedures and first aid kit must be in place. Lab users to be aware of where nearest firefighting equipment is located & emergency phone number.

Experiment Risk AssessmentEquipment Chemicals Possible Risk Measures to reduce the risks posed by hazards

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and Processes hazardous Level1. Experiments assessment

Risks of operating equipment

Lab coat and gloves must be worn at all times when working in lab To modify the experimental procedure if higher risk is involved. Students must read and understand the safety rules before doing experiment All students users must be trained before commencing of their experiments. Proper operation of equipment should be followed. Users must always follow safety regulations strictly

2. Use of biohazardous substances

Exposure to infectious substances

Acute or chronic Infections

Lab coat and gloves must be worn at all times when working in lab Restrict work to the BSL-1 microorganisms. Tissues, blood or body fluids

from human or vertebrates are not allowed to use. Microorganisms of unknown pathogenicity or from unknown sources must

not be used All used apparatus contaminated with microorganisms and culture media

must be autoclaved after the experiment Students must be trained ,strictly follow safety laboratory practices and

guided by trained lab staff Associated signs use to demonstrate hazards. Work to be done in biosafety cabinet Washing of hands after process is completed Disposal as per Laboratory Safety Manual.

3. Use of Hazardous chemicals

Exposure to hazardous chemicals

Acute or chronic Health effects from chemical exposures

Lab coat and gloves must be worn at all times when working in lab Assessment prior to use if this chemical must be used or if a less dangerous

chemical can be substituted. Students must be trained and strictly follow safety laboratory practices MSDS must be accessed prior to usage Associated signs use to demonstrate hazards. Prepare chemicals in the appropriate work station e.g. fume hood Washing of hands after process is completed Disposal as per Laboratory Safety Manual

Prepared by : Lim Cheng Fui ( Senior Manager of SRC)

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Vetted and Approved by : Mrs Sow-Peh Yoke Keow (PC of Chemistry Research) Dr Yip Cheng Wai (Senior Consultant of Biology & Research)

Updated on : 5th March 2013

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