Laboratory and Field Work Health and Safety Policy

Purpose. Sets the laboratory's commitment to health and safety in the laboratory, the materials hall and the field, and the responsibilities of managers, staff and visitors.

1.Scope

This policy applies to all staff, students on placement, contractors and visitors at the Wetherill Park and Newcastle laboratories, the Wollongong field base and any client site where Veritas staff work. It is the top document of the safety management system and each safety procedure and risk assessment sits beneath it.

2.Commitment

Veritas will provide a working environment that is safe and without risks to health so far as is reasonably practicable, in line with the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (New South Wales). Management will provide engineering controls including fume cupboards, biosafety cabinets and local exhaust, safe systems of work, personal protective equipment, training and supervision, and will consult staff on matters that affect their safety.

3.Principal hazards

The principal hazards are hazardous chemicals including acids, solvents and compressed gases, biological agents in microbiology, heat and pressure from autoclaves, digestion blocks and instruments, manual handling of sample containers, concrete cylinders and gas bottles, crush and pinch points on compression machines, glassware, and driving and working alone on client sites. Each hazard is controlled by a documented risk assessment.

• Hazardous chemicals and compressed gases
• Biological agents and cultures
• Heat, pressure and autoclaves
• Manual handling and crush injuries in the materials hall
• Driving, remote sites and working alone

4.Responsibilities

The Laboratory Director approves this policy and provides resources. Section managers must maintain risk assessments and safe work procedures for their areas, ensure staff are trained before they start a task, and stop unsafe work. Staff must follow procedures, wear the required personal protective equipment, keep their work area clean and report hazards, incidents and near misses on the day they occur. Visitors must be inducted and escorted.

5.Health surveillance

Staff who work with specified chemicals, including chromium, cadmium, mercury and isocyanates, must participate in health monitoring arranged by the Quality Manager as required by the hazardous chemicals regulations. Staff in microbiology must have their immunisation status reviewed at induction. Records are kept confidentially by the Quality Manager.

6.Consultation and review

A health and safety committee with representatives from each section meets every two months. Section safety talks are held monthly and recorded. This policy will be reviewed annually, after any notifiable incident or when the law changes.