Laboratory Safety Rules

General rules - Building

• In an emergency and during practice evacuations, move quickly and carefully from the laboratory to the external stairwell or nearest emergency exit. Proceed to the designated assembly area (tutor will advise) and wait there until permission is given to re-enter the building. Never run in the laboratory or along corridors.
• Be aware of the position of exits from all work areas and from all levels of the building;
• Smoking is prohibited in all buildings at the University of Queensland.
• Food and drink (including drinking from water bottles) must not be consumed in laboratories

General rules - Laboratory

• Students are not permitted to enter any preparatory laboratory without the permission of the laboratory supervisor or tutor.
• Unauthorised experimentation in the laboratories is strictly forbidden. Undergraduates wishing to use the laboratory out of timetabled periods must obtain their lecturer or tutor’s written permission.
• All students must be aware of the conditions required for the safe handling of substances and specimens being handled. All specimens should be treated as if infectious. If in any doubt, seek guidance from the laboratory tutor.
• Be aware of the safety facilities of the laboratory, ie location of safety showers, eyewash stations, fire extinguishers and emergency exits
• Working spaces are to be kept clean. Broken glass, sharps, and laboratory waste must be placed in the marked bins in the laboratory. No waste is to be left or placed in the sinks, and under no circumstance must waste be placed down the sink, unless authorised to do so by the tutor.
• Disposable gloves should be placed into yellow bins (Clinical waste bin) which are specifically marked for such.
• All spillages must be cleaned up immediately after they occur. No reagent, solution or apparatus is to be removed from the laboratory without approval from the tutor
• Correct and safe use of bunsen burners will be demonstrated by the tutor. Be aware of burning burner by noting a hollow burning sound and/or the absence of a blue cone of unburnt gas
• Pipetting by mouth is prohibited
• Handle dissecting equipment with care, store blades covered, secure blades inside the dissecting kit and always remove blade from handle using scalpel blade remover
• Defective equipment or broken glassware must be reported to the tutor
• Radioactive sources (e.g. laser, UV radioactive substance or arc lamp) must only be used under the direction and supervision of the tutor or supervisor.
• Bags, ports and sacks are to be placed in designated areas. Do not block passage ways or fire exits.
• Sitting on laboratory benches is prohibited. Never run in the laboratory or along corridors.
• Exercise care when opening and closing doors on entering and leaving the laboratory
• Always wash hands thoroughly before leaving the laboratory.

General rules - Laboratory dress code

• All students must wear covered footwear during practical classes. Thongs, open weave shoes, sandals etc are not appropriate footwear. Students will not be permitted to participate in practical classes unless wearing suitable footwear.
• A clean laboratory coat must be worn at all times whilst in the laboratory, except in classes where the tutor has deemed it unnecessary e.g. physiology exercise practicals. The laboratory coat should be removed when leaving the laboratory (beware that contaminated laboratory coats are potentially infectious). The use of disposal coats to be worn over lab-coats is encouraged at a cheap cost. These are available from the BACS Store (Order Code A1676 for $15.93 / box 100).
• Where hearing protection or gloves are required during the practical class, they must be worn.
• In all laboratories and designated work areas where eye protection is required, safety glasses must be worn at all times during the course of laboratory work.
• Long hair should be tied back to avoid injury.

Who pays for and supplies personal protective equipment to students is at the discretion of the School, Section or Centre. For the majority of practical classes, the supply of a lab coat, eyewear and closed footwear will be the responsibility of the student, but other items of protective clothing (e.g. hearing protection and gloves) may be required for the course.

Immunisation

• All students should be up-to-date for tetanus immunisation. If unsure, visit the University Health Service.
• Students who come in contact with human blood or blood products are strongly advised to have a course of Hepatitis B immunisation.
• Students who are in contact with sheep, goats, cattle, feral animals should have Q Fever vaccination. (this includes vaccination, skin test, & serology)
• Students who are in contact with bats should have a course of rabies immunisation.

These services and further advice on immunisation are all available through the University Health Services.

Pregnancy

The University has a responsibility to advise all students of any health and safety risks relevant to the practical class, where they cannot be eliminated or controlled out. Students who are pregnant may be at higher risk from exposure to certain chemicals and hazards.

At the start of semester, the person running the practical class should advise students to contact the course co-ordinator if they are pregnant or trying to become pregnant. This ensures that suitable arrangements or modifications can be made to minimise the student's exposure, if at risk.

The following procedures should be in place in practical classes which use chemicals:

• A risk assessment should be conducted by the tutor/lecturer/practical class coordinator for all chemicals which are to be used during practical classes;
• Chemicals which are known to have reproductive, teratogenic or carcinogenic effects should not be used in undergraduate practical classes;
• Should chemicals having effects of a reproductive, teratogenic or carcinogenic nature be used during practical classes, because there is no safer alternative, control measures to reduce exposures to acceptable levels should be employed. Further to this, all students must be advised at the start of the semester and at the start of the practical class that these chemicals are known to have these types of effects. Consideration to exclude the student from that class should be made carefully and should involve discussion with the Occupational Hygiene Adviser from the OH&S Unit and/or Dr Tony Arklay at the University Health Service.
• Any student who knows they are pregnant or are trying to fall pregnant must advise the person running the practical class as soon as they are aware.

First Aid

• Report all injuries and illnesses to the tutor. First aid will be administered by trained first aid officers.
• Eye injuries, whether caused by chemicals or mechanical injury or splash with biological material are always serious. The treatment requires immediate and prolonged flushing with water (20 minutes minimum) at the eyewash station. Medical advice should be obtained for an eye injury. MSDS should accompany student if necessary to seek medical treatment.
• In the event of chemical or biological spills on skin, thoroughly wash the affected area with copious quantities of water. Notify tutor immediately. Consult Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) to determine appropriate first aid. MSDS should accompany student if necessary to seek medical treatment.
• Sharps injuries - Notify tutor immediately. Wash the wound and encourage bleeding. Health Services should be visited.
• Animal bites - Notify tutor immediately. Wound must be rinsed well. Tetanus immunisation should be up to date;
• If you are feeling unwell or dizzy when participating in an experiment, stop immediately, sit down and notify tutor;
• All accidents must be reported to the tutor, including cuts and bruises and recorded on the Workplace Injury, Illness and Incident Report Form. Non injury causing incidents such as spills, electrical shorts etc must also be reported.