A Report Of The Investigation into Health and Safety In The Workplace
Working Safely In Science
A Report Of The Investigation into Health and Safety In The Workplace
Introduction
In this report I will explain the different precautions taken to provide a safe place of work in three different workplaces. The first will be about Health and Safety at Graham School. The second will be about Health and Safety at Scarborough Sixth Form College and the last will be about Health and Safety at CP Kelco's Knowsley Plant. The aims of this report are to see which workplace has the most hazards and precautions that they have to handle.
The aim of this report is to see which workplace has the most hazards and precautions that they have to handle.
Safety in science is very important. In safety you can be pro-active or re-active. Pro-active is where you stop a hazard before it happens e.g. not throwing a can onto the field so that it does not get chopped up by a lawn mower and can cut someone. Re-active is where you see an accident and do something to prevent another accident happening. A hazard is something that could or would cause us harm.
A risk is where an activity has the potential to do us damage. A risk assessment is where you assess the risk of an activity. Every workplace has a Health and Safety representative who has to carry out risk assessments to keep the employees safe. In law, health and safety plays a big part. There is a Health and Safety executive who provides instructions and advice on how to stay safe in the working environment. They also have the ability to shut a place down.
Hazards and Risks
* A hazard is the potential that a substance, equipment or activity has to do harm
* A risk is the likelihood that a hazard will cause harm under the circumstance in which it will be used.
Accidents in the places where scientists work are rare. This is because scientists must follow strict regulations and procedures. These are aimed, successfully are reducing the risk of harming or damaging themselves or people near to them in the workplace.
Hazards and scientific place include:
* Careless behaviour.
* Not using equipment properly.
* Not using protective and safety equipment.
* Not following correct procedures.
* Using chemical substances classified as toxic, highly flammable, corrosive, oxidising, harmful and irritant.
* Using some micro-organisms.
* Using utilities, such as gas and electricity.
Hazards
Look out for these hazard symbols:
The sorts of hazards they have at Graham aren't as hazardous as the chemicals kept at the sixth form and nowhere near as hazardous as CP Kelco's Knowsley plant because the students haven't had the required training to handle the sort of chemicals or equipment used at these places.
Some of the hazards we have in the science department at Graham are:
* Harmful chemicals, e.g. hydrochloric acid and sulphuric acid.
* Glass or sharp objects have a risk ob snapping or smashing and being very sharp e.g. beakers and a scalpel.
* Electrical equipment can give you nasty electric shocks or burns.
* Flames and hot objects can give you a nasty burn and you may need medical assistance.
* Objects in the middle of the floor could lead to spills, splashes and breakages all contributing to possible injury and radioactive ...
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Some of the hazards we have in the science department at Graham are:
* Harmful chemicals, e.g. hydrochloric acid and sulphuric acid.
* Glass or sharp objects have a risk ob snapping or smashing and being very sharp e.g. beakers and a scalpel.
* Electrical equipment can give you nasty electric shocks or burns.
* Flames and hot objects can give you a nasty burn and you may need medical assistance.
* Objects in the middle of the floor could lead to spills, splashes and breakages all contributing to possible injury and radioactive materials.
Health and safety at the Central Science
Laboratory
The laboratory contains many hazards. However, if you recognise the hazards and their possible dangers you can eliminate or at least minimise the risk.
In the laboratory a bottle of concentrated sulphuric acid is a hazard. It is corrosive. The risk is high if the its left without a stopper and near the edge of the bench. The risk is less if the bottle is stopped and stored out of reach. You can minimise the risk, but only if you recognise the hazard.
I didn't put this in my introduction because I am not going to write much about this workplace apart from three different chemicals they use there which are all very dangerous.
Arsenic is very toxic and may be fatal if inhaled. The employees have to take extreme car when handling this chemical.
Hydrofluoric Acid is a possible mutagen if it comes into contact with skin. A mutagen is a chemical which has the ability to change DNA meaning that this chemical needs to also be handled with extreme care.
Diethyl Ether is very explosive. This chemical can explode from just a bit of static electricity. This chemical needs to be kept well locked away and very carefully handled.
Hazards inherent in science
The dependant may claim that use of hazardous materials and equipment are inherent in science laboratory procedures for example:
* Skin injury from acids and strong alkaline solutions in chemistry laboratory.
* Cuts from broken glassware in chemistry.
* Explosions or fires in chemistry lab.
* Electrocutions in physics lab.
Obviously, some hazards are inherent in laboratory procedures, but these hazards require that teachers use appropriate caution when designing laboratory experiments, and when supervising pupils in the laboratory room. For example, a teacher might be able to modify an experiment so that it is less hazardous without impairing the educational experience for students.
First Aid
If an accident happens and somebody is injured it's important to treat them as soon as possible. Taking immediate action help to reduce the possible harm to the person. Although, you should know how to treat some common injuries and, just as importantly, when you should do nothing apart from getting the help of an experienced first-aider.
Common injuries in laboratories are:
Heat Burn and Scalds
* Stop the burning by putting plenty of cold water on the burn or scald.
* Relieve the pain and minimise the possible infection by dressing the wound.
* Treat for the casualty for shock.
Chemical burns are caused by acids, alkaline or other chemicals coming in contact with the skin. They are not usually caused by heat the burn is a result of the chemical destroying body tissues.
You need to:
* Thoroughly wash the area with large amounts of water, for example, under a running tap or shower.
* Neutralise any chemical remaining on the affect area:
o For acids burns, use a solution of sodium hydrogen carbonate.
o For alkali burns, use a dilute solution of vinegar.
* Wash the area again with water and gently pat dry with sterile gauze. Do not rub the area.
* Take the casualty for professional medical treatment.
For medical burns to the eye:
* Flush the eyes immediately with large amounts of water or a sterile saline (salt) solution: wash for at least 10 minutes with at least 2dm-3 of water .alkali burns should be wash for at least 20minute.
* Loosely cover both eyes with a clean dressing.
* Take the casualty for professional medical treatment.
Injury from Breathing in Fume
These injuries are difficult to treat. However, anybody who has breathed in fumes should be taken into uncontaminated air as soon as possible. If somebody has swallowed a chemical rinse the mouth and then they must be taken for professional medical help immediately.
Cuts and damage to the eyes from particles or chemicals
You need to be extremely careful when treating damaged eyes. Particle may be flushed from the eyes with water. If the particles cannot be removed like this, you should seek medical help.
You should never attempt to remove particles they are embedded in the eye. Bandage both eyes and seek professional help straight away.
Fire Prevention
There are two possible causes of fire in the in the laboratory: electrical fires and flammables substances. Fires can be classified as:
Class A - wood, paper, cloth, rubber and some plastics
Class B - flammable liquids such as petrol, paint, paint thinner.
Class C - flammable gases
(No class) - Electrical equipment, including wiring, fuses boxes, machinery and appliances.
The type of fire determines how it should be treated, for example, which fire extinguisher to use.
What to do if there is a fire
Prevention is the best form of cure. Therefore, it should be taken all the possible precautions to make sure a fire doesn't start.
Fire risk assessment must be carried out in the majority of workplaces. Fire and smoke alarm must be tested regularly. Fire exits must be clearly marked and nothing should be put in the way that the fire or slow down people trying to leave. Fire drills ensure that the fire regulations work well, that people know what they must do and buildings are evacuated as quickly as possible. People should always take the drills seriously. They can save lives.
Fire Doors
Fire doors prevent the spread of fire and smoke. Many close automatically. Under no circumstances should you wedge or prop open fire doors. The manufacture must meet strict quality standards.
Fire Extinguishers
Extinguisher
Type of Fire
Water
Class A
Carbon dioxide
Classes B and C and electrical
Foam
Classes A and B
Dry powder
Classes A, B and C and electrical
Automatic Sprinklers
Automatic water sprinkler systems turn on when the temperature reaches a pre-set level. Sprinkler heads are spaced, usually on the ceiling, and each directs a spray of water on to a temperature reaches the preset value.
Health and Safety at CP Kelco's Knowsley Plant
The reason I am doing this place of workplace rather than The Central Science Laboratory is because this one had more varied hazards to the first two sections of my report than The Central Science Laboratory did.
CP Kelco is a company that specialises in making Xanthan Gum. That is a gum that is used in Fruit Pastilles and other sweets. They have lots of processes to make sure the food is sterile and the employees are safe.
Hazards and Precautions
As there are so many hazards I will go through the precautions and tell you what they prevent. Here is a list of the precautions taken and the hazards to prevent:
Shutting off the high pressure steam when working on the pipes because, the steam is so high pressure that it can easily cause serious burns. The company is currently being sewed because one of the valves was leaking after they had shut it down and an employee got burnt.
There are lots of engineers on site to fix mechanical problems as soon as they arise. This prevents further danger to employees because they are not using broken equipment.
Sterilizing the food can prevent people at the end of the chain (the people who purchase and eat the food) getting ill. To do this they free the gum in a huge freezer that can drop to really low temperatures.
They use vacuums to pick up heavy objects so that employees don't hurt their backs causing serious pain later in life.
There are warning and health signs everywhere meaning you know what to do before you actually start and you know the hazards in that particular area.
Ladders have an inspection every six months meaning that employees know that the ladders are safe for use.
Automated plant use from computers in control room, which stops people going into the plant and possibly causing themselves harm.
Micro-biologists perform checks to make sure that the finished product (gum) has no mould while chemists perform checks to make sure that no lumps of metal or plastic are in it and that it is the right consistency.
Wear long sleeves to stop your self getting burnt from acids, alkalis and the steam, Helmets in case of work over head, Goggles to stop things getting into your eyes, Safety boots with steel toe caps, thick tread and that are anti-static. Also wear ear protectors because there is a lot of noise, gloves, respiratory protection i.e. dust masks to stop glyoxal getting into the nose channels as it can irritate them, protection suits when handling powder and green chemical suits when handling acids or alkalis which can burn.
Two chemicals that are highly dangerous are IPA, which is flammable and so not to be smoked around. It is also explosive. Ammonium Nitrate is a fertiliser but is actually the main ingredient for making a bomb.
First Aid
If in contact with a chemical there are safety showers for a full body wash and also eye wash stations that have a sterile solution for cleaning your eyes.
The plant has a lot of people trained in first aid and it has first aid boxes. It has a first aid room in the Admin Building. They also have people trained in the use of a defibrillator, which is kept in the Shift Managers Office. It is used to shock people's heart back into action.
Emergency Procedure
If there ever is an emergency the staffs are all well trained and know what to do. They have a fire alarm, which is tested every Friday morning. They also have trained first aid personnel in each department who are trained in CPR. They have to fill out an Accident Report Sheet to stop it happening again. Health and Safety is always first on the agenda at morning meetings.
Conclusion
My aims for this report were to see which workplace has the most hazards and precautions that they have to handle. In conclusion I have decided that CP Kelco's Knowsley plant has the most hazards and precautions to handle out of all of the three. I think that they all handle the hazards well enough though but the only difference is that even after taking the precautions CP Kelco's Knowsley plant still has a high risk where as the others do not.
Naz Mariwan
Science Coursework - Unit 1
