Australia's Science Forum

Hi All,

I am trying to get RiskAssess up and going. Been using the system about a year and is going well.

However, I would like to know whether we have to do a risk assessment for anything that we (labbies) do in the preproom. e.g. making agar, mixing solutions etc.

Is this a legal requirement? If not, is it something worthwhile doing?

Dave

Hi Dave,
we use riskassess and on page 2 where they have the level of risk is certification by lab technician.
I do the risk assessment in that column so it often differ from teachers.
In case if using 2M Hcl I would assess the actual dilution from conc HCl. so my risk factor would be higher than students who will get dropper bottle with 10Ml of dilute solution. Same goes for physics prac where I will put out cathode ray. But teacher would plug it in and run it, so her risk would be higher than mine. Does it make sense?
Lada

I do some RA for specific things I do eg. Diluting acids and making up bases. Making agar etc. I figured it didn't hurt to have them and covers me if something happens while I'm doing these things.

Thanks everyone.

I thought the same as Rae, it cant hurt doing them, it doesn't take long and it shows that we are reviewing the risks of the tasks we perform. I was thinking of doing risk assessments for the following:

Making agar
Making gels for Electrophoresis
Diluting/ preparing solutions
etc

Basically I am going to do risk assessments for anything that is not included in the risk assessment from the teacher, anything that needs to be prepared before the practical. The only question I have, Do we sign both the teacher and lab tech part or is it best to get the HOD to sign off on them?

Dvae

Since most of what I do is in response to a specific experiment request, I just list/acknowledge the hazards associated with preparation for that specific experiment. For example if I have to use Conc. HCl then I'd make a comment, and list what PPE I'll be using.

Only time I'd do a RA just for what I'm doing in the Prep Room would be, like Rae, when I'm doing a general lab task like preparing reagents that aren't specifically for a class per se.

So...aren't you making gels for a specific prac? If so, then just include your Mitigation comments in your section of it. And yes, get your HOD to sign off. It's good practice for him

Thanks K,

Makes a lot of sense. Ill start to follow that. So anything related to a prac goes with that risk assessment, anything that I do that poses a risk and isn't directly related to a prac e.g stock solutions, do my own risk assessment and get the HOD to sign off.

Thanks Everyone..

Dave

Also, have a look on Science Assist as they have posted some SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for some of our activities. Can only imagine that there will be more to come. In the real world, these are the sort of documents that you would be expected to have for every task you perform, especially high risk tasks. The SOPs are certainly worth having a look at.

Hi Merilyn1, could you please give us the web address for Science Assist SOP's as I can't seem to find it.Thanks heaps, Kerrin

In the DET schools it is not necessary for us to do risk assessments,to me it is just another unnecessary job for us lab techs.(I am busy enough as it is!!!!).
So I am interested to know...... Is it a requirement from the powers that be to do this in all Catholic and Independant schools,or has someone just decided that it is a good thing to do without proper consultation?
Cheers
Mother

So right Mother, Phil Crips has a lot to answer for. Their was a DEC school and the labbie was told NO need to do that, but she went head, talk about time on your hands.

This is the link to ScienceASSIST....

http://assist.asta.edu.au/

Risk assessments are a requirement of Workcover (in NSW) for all work places. I don't work in a DET school, so am not aware of their system. We use Risk Assess in my current school and it meets our needs for prac ordering and risk assessments. I'm still finding my way around the system of my current employer, for my tasks outside of the pracs that are covered by Risk Assess, so am not sure just how much I should have in place. I agree with Smiley, though, when signing off the risk assessment, I consider what all my risks are to prepare the materials that have been ordered.

Yeah, I've worked in industry (aka the real world. ) risk assessments/ SOPs are pretty standard out there.

So why is the DEC not doing RA, and every one else Have too? It just does not make sense.

Sue,
I attended one WHS seminar a few years ago by AIS (independent schools) and was told that as long as you are following CSIS it gives you generic RA and do not need to do separate RA. So I do not know how and where it all got out of control and now we pay a lot of money to get riskassess not just for teachers but students as well.
So point I am making is that CSIS is your RAs.
Lada

You'd have to ask DEC that one