What are the key points about health and safety?
- Hazard symbols warn about the dangers of a substance.
- Risk is the chance that a hazard will cause harm.
- Risk assessments describe how to reduce the risk of harm when carrying out an experiment.
A quick overview of health and safety in a workshop
The first thing to consider with health and safety in the workshop is your PPE or Personal Protective Equipment. The most common bits of PPE found in the workshop are firstly your safety glasses. These are very important and ensure that nothing can break off and hit you in the eye.
Next we have our aprons. These not only keep your cloths clean, they also act as an extra protective layer between you and anything dangerous. These should be worn at all times when doing anything in the workshop. Tying back any loose hair, removing jewellery as well as rolling up your sleeves is also advised.
Certain machines in the workshop need some extra pieces of PPE. Here are some examples of these, as well as the warning symbols that should accompany them.
You should also only use a machine that you have been taught how to use safely, and even then only when you are being supervised. Only one person should be using a machine at one time, and of course all guards on the machine should always be in place.
Other hazards that can be found in the workshop will also have different warning symbols on or near them. Here are some examples that can be found around the workshop.
These warning symbols will tell you about the hazardous material or machine you are about to work with. You can then decide on what safety precautions you should take to mitigate any chance of injury.
The final symbols that you should look out for in the workshop are these.
If something does go wrong, knowing where the emergency stop buttons are is very important. You should also always know where the first aid and emergency eye wash stations are situated.
Hazard symbols
A hazard is something that could cause:
- harm to someone
- damage to something
- adverse health effects, either straightaway or later
For example, concentrated acids are Able to damage metal, stonework, clothes and skin. Strong acids and alkalis are corrosive.. This is a hazard because acids can damage skin and clothes if they are spilt.
Using hazard symbols
Hazard symbols are used on containers. They are there to:
- indicate the dangers associated with the substance inside
- give information about how to work safely with the substance in the laboratory
Hazard symbols are designed to provide a warning, even if a person cannot understand the writing that goes with them.
Safety signs are divided into four categories:
- Hazard Signs
- Prohibition Signs
- Mandatory Signs
- Safe Condition Signs
What is a hazard sign?
Hazard signs indicate a specific source of potential harm. Examples are:
What are prohibition signs?
Prohibition signs indicate behaviour that is forbidden. The prohibited activity is represented in black on white, with a red circle and diagonal stripe superimposed.
Examples:
What are mandatory signs?
Mandatory signs identify a particular course of action that must be taken. They are represented in white on a solid blue circle. Examples:
What are safe condition signs?
Safe condition signs indicate the presence of a safety facility and are usually represented in white on a solid green square. Examples:
The sign used to indicate the location of an emergency stop button is represented in white on a solid red square:
How to evaluate risks
It is important to evaluate the risks in a practical procedure, and to suggest suitable precautions to reduce the risk of harm.
Risk
Hazards and risks are connected. A risk is the chance that a hazard will cause harm.
When evaluating a risk, think about factors such as:
- the way the hazard causes harm
- how likely it is that someone or something will be exposed to the hazard
- how serious the effects of the hazard could be
How to take precautions
A precaution is something that can be done to reduce a risk of harm. Different substances and different practical procedures need different precautions. A describes the hazards and risks of harm, and what suitable precautions are needed to work more safely.
Possible precautions include:
- using less hazardous substances
- wearing eye protection, protective gloves or other protective clothing
- choosing different apparatus or a different method
When suggesting suitable precautions, make sure the suggestions are appropriate to the particular procedure. For example, the risk of harm from hydrochloric acid is reduced if the acid is diluted with water, and if eye protection and gloves are worn.