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Standard operating procedure

Staff Welfare No: 018D

1. Introduction

The Health and Safety at work act of 1974 demand that local rules are drawn up in consultation with the local Health and Safety Committee in each health authority. The rules may vary within different health authorities.

2. Responsibilities

It is the duty of employers to safeguard, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of their employees. However, it is the responsibility of the employee to adhere to the specified guidelines of practice and attend regular training programmes, when instructed, to ensure that they are conforming to the health and safety regulations laid down by their health authority.

It is the responsibility of all personnel to ensure the health and safety of themselves and all other persons who may be affected by their acts.

3. Equipment

• Refer to local rules

4. Method

Fire procedures

• You must know what to do in case of fire in both your department premises and in the MRC GP practices you are working in. You must be aware of the evacuation assembly points in all of the premises you are working in.
  
  
• All members of staff must attend fire lectures regularly. These should be provided by the department you are based in.
  
  
• You must acquaint yourself with the location and type of extinguishers in your area. Be sure that you know how to use them. By Law each fire extinguisher must have the instructions for use printed on its side. You must be aware of which fire extinguisher is used for each type of fire you may encounter and you must use the correct type of extinguisher for that type of fire.

Water: for most domestic fires.

Dry powder or CO2: for solvent/electrical apparatus fires.

Foam extinguishers: for most fires involving flammable liquids.

NEVER use water or foam to put out an electrical fire.

Accidents

• All accidents and dangerous incidents must be reported to your departmental safety officer. Ensure you are aware of who this person is. Ensure to enter all accidents in the designated accident book for your department. If your department does not have one, find out who holds the book, so you know where to obtain it in an emergency. Follow your department local rules on the correct procedure following the accident/incident involved. All local rules should be provided in an accessible place, in order that everyone in the department has access to them.
  
  
• If the accident/incident has occurred as a result of a procedure needed for the study, inform either Dr.M.Caulfield or Janine Pembroke as soon as possible.

First aid

• Ensure you are aware of the exact location of first aid equipment in both your department and any MRC GP practices you are working in. This includes knowing the location of the eyewash in the laboratory, in which you will process your samples.

Protective clothing

• Laboratory coats must be worn and fastened when working in the laboratory. Ensure to be familiar with the local rules of the laboratory you are working in. Goggles, gloves, aprons and masks should be freely available.

Equipment

• You must not use any equipment before familiarising yourself with the correct operating procedure. DO NOT use equipment which is obviously unsafe, report it to whom it may concern.
  
  
• All samples must be properly labelled.

Spillage's

• All spillages must be dealt with immediately, taking the appropriate precautions. If you are unsure of what you have spilt in a laboratory, inform the laboratory Head immediately for advice. DO NOT attempt to clear away any spillage you have caused or one that you may find without knowing what the source was and what precautions are needed to deal with it.

Waste disposal

• You must be aware of the correct method of disposing waste in your department. For example, black polythene bags are usually used for clean waste including paper and plastics, and yellow bags are used for most bodily fluid, tissues and biological contaminated materials. Sharps must always be placed IMMEDIATELY in a designated sharps bin after use. NEVER resheath needles.

Biological materials

• For safety's sake, consider all biological materials as potentially hazardous.
  
  
• Wash your hands thoroughly after working with biological material and always on leaving the laboratory.
  
  
• Rubber gloves and plastic aprons are to be used when necessary.
  
  
• You must inform a laboratory worker immediately if you knock over or break anything in a laboratory.
  
  
• You must wash your hands before meals breaks and before leaving any clinical area.

Delegation of work

• If you delegate work to other members of staff, it is your responsibility to give them all the information they require to do the work safely. Essentially, no procedures for the project should be carried out by persons not directly involved with the study.

Visitors

• No visitors should be allowed to handle any subject data/material. It is your responsibility to maintain the confidentiality of your subjects.

Immunisation

• An immunisation programme is usually offered by each hospital. All members of staff should consider seriously the benefits of immunisation against tetanus, hepatitis and polio and should contact their relevant Occupational Health Department.

5. Additional Information

• Ensure you know who the Health and Safety advisor is for your department.
  
  
• Ensure you know who to contact in an emergency, if this person differs from the Health and Safety advisor.
  
  
• Ensure you are familiar with the local rules of your department and in the GP surgeries you are working in.
  
  
• Ensure you know the location of your accident book and how to document an accident correctly.
  
  
• It is your responsibility to undertake the Health and Safety of subjects in your care, for example at screening. This includes evacuating them in the event of a fire.
  
  
• It is your responsibility to ensure you attend any Health and Safety training sessions held in your department. Following on from these sessions, it is your responsibility to update your current practice to comply with any amended/new Health and Safety regulations
  

6. Reference Documents

1. Local Health & Safety rules in your department.
2. The BRIGHT Study Standard operating Procedures .