Laboratory safety

This page contains important safety information. All safety requirements must be met while working at the Bragg Institute. Failure to do so may result in the suspension of experiments.

Food stuffs, eating, chewing and drinking are prohibitted in the laboratories. The tea room is available for your use.

Samples must not be stored or loaded in the instrument cabins.

Smoking is prohibited except in designated areas outside buildings and away from entrances.

1. General requirements

Each person who intends to work in the laboratories must be an authorised user. To become an authorised user you must complete the online laboratory safety training module and a laboratory induction when you arrive, further details are available here.

You will not be allowed to use the laboratories if you are not an authorised user. A list of authorised laboratory users is updated daily and placed outside the biology and chemistry laboratories.

At all times, you must work in a manner that ensures the safety of yourself and others.

Enclosed shoes are required for entry to the laboratories, as well as for other areas of the facility. Please ensure that your footwear encloses the foot, has no holes and is constructed of more than one layer of thick fabric. Persons wearing inappropriate footwear will not be allowed to enter the laboratories.

2. Risk assessments

You must prepare a risk assessment for all work carried out in the laboratories. This risk assessment must be approved by the Lab Manager. Risk assessments must be prepared for your entire process, using information found in the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) of the chemicals you intend to use.

Submit risk assessments to the Lab Manager four weeks in advance. Further details on preparing risk assessments are available here. A risk assessment form is available. Assistance may be sought from your Local Contact or the Lab Manager by prior arrangement.

3. Samples and chemicals

All samples must be labelled with their barcoded label on arrival. For further detail on sample labelling click here.

All samples or chemicals that are decanted into another container must be labelled with a barcoded label or a label containing the chemical name and risk and safety phrases (extracted from the MSDS). Such labels are available for stocked reagents. Exception: measuring cylinders or other measuring containers that will be emptied immediately.

Sample or chemical waste must be collected for disposal or disposed of as per the MSDS. Contact the Lab Manager for waste containers and disposal.

You must read the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for all chemicals you intend to work with and follow the safety precautions and use the personal protective equipment (PPE) recommended. If the PPE required is not available on the stocked PPE list, please contact the Lab Manager in advance.

4. Activated samples

After a sample has been placed in a neutron beam instrument, it must be checked for activation. Your Local Contact will provide training on checking and handling activated samples on the neutron beam instrument before you begin work. Before samples leave the facility they must be cleared, training and demonstration of the clearance process will be provided as part of your induction training.

5. Glassware/plasticware

It is your responsibility to clean and return all glassware/plasticware that you use. There is no washing up service available. Faillure to do so may result in your removal from the authorised user list and from the laboratories.

6. Equipment

You must follow any user instructions that are attached to equipment.
If you are unsure how to use a piece of equipment, contact the Lab Manager.
If a piece of equipment does not function, contact the Lab Manager immediately and provide details of the failure.
In the event of an non-lab equipment malfunction contact the Area Supervisor.

7. Personal protective equipment (PPE)

For the laboratories, safety glasses (available outside each laboratory) and enclosed shoes (foot fully enclosed) are mandatory.
You must wear all other PPE as recommended by the MSDS or determined by your risk assessment. If the PPE required is not available on the stocked PPE list, please contact the Lab Manager in advance.

8. Signage

There is a variety of safety signage around the laboratories and the facility for your information. You must follow any directions given by the signage.