THE UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE- SCHOOL OF BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES

Transcription

1 Page: 1 of 6 1. Risk Assessment: This Risk Assessment is to be used as a general guide and as such, cannot accommodate all the varying factors that may be encountered when using this equipment. Therefore, personnel are requested to conduct their own Risk Assessment before using this equipment to include any extra hazards introduced by the task performed. TASK PERFORMED Responding to notification of alarm sounding from -80 Freezer. 1. Driving whilst tired 2. Infectious materials 3. Cold temperatures HAZARDS RISK ASSESSMENT 1. The risk of driving after being suddenly awakened or whilst tired is significantly increased. Consideration could be given to taking a taxi in this situation. Risk is considered to be moderately high. 2. The risk of infectious materials should be controlled by the containment in which materials are stored and by use of appropriate PPE. Risk is considered to be low. 3. The risk of burns from temperatures of around -80 degrees is relatively low. Appropriate protective equipment should be worn. Risk is considered to be low. RISK CONTROL 1. If it is necessary to respond to freezer incident in the middle of the night, the person notified should take sufficient time before driving to ensure that they are fully awakened and sufficiently alert to drive safely. If there is any doubt as to this, it is recommended that a taxi or hire-car be called. 2. All materials placed into -80 freezer should be contained either in a freezer box, bag or container so that there would be no risk of infection to any person moving or retrieving this material. WRITTEN BY CHECKED BY AUTHORISED BY NAME (signed) Lynn Herd Paula Jarvie Phil Dickson DATE 14 th August th August th August 2006 Distributed To: GDP Master File / GDP Lab File

2 Page: 2 of 6 3. Appropriate PPE should be worn when handling materials at low temperatures. This includes freezer gloves and warm clothing if appropriate. 2. Purpose: 2.1. To describe the appropriate response to notification of a -80 freezer alarming. 3. Equipment: 3.1. Telephone 3.2. Vehicle 3.3. Access keys to laboratories and freezers 3.4. Trolley 3.5. Freezer gloves 3.6. Other -80 freezers 3.7. Freezer racks 4. Materials: 4.1. Dry ice (if required) 5. Set Up: 5.1. Ensure that you are familiar with this procedure prior to the need to use it A copy of the -80 Freezer Emergency Contacts List (Attachment 10.1) should be available at your place of residence Become familiar with the position of other -80 freezers within the vicinity The high temperature setting on each -80 freezer should be entered so that the freezer will set off an alarm when this temperature is reached freezers must be connected to the Alarm system (or Cardax system) at the University so that an alarm is sounded on Security s emergency panel when the temperature rises to the nominated level A sign detailing the contact details of persons designated to respond to a -80 freezer alarm should be placed prominently on the outside of each -80 freezer. Security will use this information to contact persons named in the order nominated Emergency contact details of individual laboratory members should also be gathered and a list made. This list needs to be accessible for use in an emergency. Posting the list on the inside of the laboratory entrance doors is one option used by some SBS laboratories.

3 Page: 3 of 6 6. Tasks and Methods: 6.1. Notification of a -80 freezer alarm is normally made by Security personnel If the alarm is set-off during work hours Security will usually ring the laboratory involved to check that they are aware of the situation If the alarm is set-off out of normal working hours, then Security may do one of two things depending on their man-power at the time Usually Security will send a Security officer to the site of the alarm and from there attempt to contact the persons nominated on the Emergency Contact Sign, in the order in which the names are given. Once they have managed to contact one of these people (The CONTACT), they will inform them of the temperature currently displayed on the freezer display If Security are stretched for personnel, they may simply notify the Contact personnel (They have a list of contacts in the Security Office) that the alarm is sounding, and then leave it to the contact to come in and decide whether there is a problem with the freezer The CONTACT must then decide what response is appropriate based on the information which they have been given If the temperature reading is normal for this freezer, then it might be decided that this is a false alarm If the temperature is slightly hotter than required, then they might discuss with Security whether it was possible to monitor the temperature for a period of time and to see what variations occur If the temperature is significantly hotter than required, or if the freezer is found to be non-operational, then the person contacted will need to take action to save the material stored in the freezer At this stage reference should be made to Attachment 10.1 (-80 Freezers Emergency Contacts List). It will be necessary to contact personnel listed here to ascertain whether space might be available in any of their -80 units The CONTACT should then arrange a team to move materials from the suspect freezer to space available in other freezers. (The numbers on this team will depend on the urgency of the situation and available personnel) Refer to the Emergency Contacts list for your laboratory and contact as many persons as necessary to gather your emergency response team.

4 Page: 4 of There should be no hesitation in ringing people in the middle of the night if freezer contents have to be shifted - either to find available space or to ask others to come in to help The CONTACT should ask Security to meet them when they arrive at work, to open up all lab areas etc that they will need access to, and preferably to stay with them until others arrive. Often the security staff themselves are happy to help move the freezer contents under instruction. If this is the case, only allow them to help if there are no lab staff able to come in. Make sure they are aware of the risk of burns from cold temperatures and that they wear freezer gloves Freezer gloves should be worn when handling material at significantly low temperatures Trolleys to transport boxes or racks are available within the Biochemistry laboratories As a last resort dry ice may be obtained by Stores personnel from BOC (during normal working hours) to cool materials still remaining in the freezer. 7. Maintenance: 7.1. Try to maintain spare space in your -80 freezer so that you can provide reciprocal support to others in the event of their freezers breaking down Return materials to the original -80 freezer as soon as repair has been made and freezer tested for reliability Keep lists of Emergency Contacts up to date review 6-monthly. 8. Shutdown: 8.1. Report fault to Workshop personnel Notify Security that freezer alarm has been dealt with and the current situation with regard to freezer. 9. Attachments: 9.1. Emergency Contact List for -80 freezers.

5 Page: 5 of Change History: Issue Number: 1st Issue Date Issued: 15 th August 2006 Reason for Change: Issue Number: Date Issued:

6 Attachment 10.1 Biomedical -80 Freezers Emergency Contacts List Type Building Room Person Responsible Work contact Out of hours contact Chest Level 2 foyer Sean Geary Phil Dickson Lynn Herd , , , MSB 302 Manohar Garg Ed Clayton , , MSB 307 Claudia Diaz David Pow , , MSB 308 David Pow Robert Sullivan Susan Williams , MSB 311a David Pow Robert Sullivan Susan Williams , MSB311a Alan Brichta Paul Tooney , Chest Chest Life Life MSB516 Paul Tooney , LS3-26 LS3-27 Phil Dickson Lynn Herd Sean Geary Rick Thorne Kylie Ralston Gordon Burns , , , ,