These rules are to ensure the health and safety of everyone in the Department of Chemistry.

Golden Rules

You and I will

• Always consider the safety of everyone who could be affected by our work
• Aim for best practice in health, safety & environmental performance
• Comply with the law & workplace procedures
• Intervene in unsafe or non-compliant acts

Department Safety Rules Summary

You shall

• Leave the building within two minutes when the fire alarm sounds
• Keep all fire exit routes, corridors, doorways and stairs free from obstruction & combustible materials
• Minimize the amount of solvents, waste & gas cylinders in your area
• Keep your area tidy and clean
• Know how to respond in an emergency
• Deal immediately with all incidents, injuries, spills, unsafe acts & unsafe conditions - report as soon as practicable
• Obey all safety signs in your working area
• Wear appropriate Personal Protective Equipment as given on signs or risk assessments, e.g. safety specs, gloves and labs coats
• Label all chemicals & waste accurately
• Only use equipment that is suitable for the task, in a safe condition and within its inspection/test date
• Obtain authorization prior to working outside normal hours
• Stop if you think your work is unsafe 

You will not

• Eat or drink in labs & workshops
• Put hazardous materials down sinks
• Work under influence of alcohol/drugs
• Knowingly act in a reckless or unsafe manner
• Smoke within chemistry buildings or within Ten meters of the outside of buildings

Assessing and Minimizing Risk

• Understand the hazards of your work
• Always carry out a risk assessment for hazardous work
• Consult chemical safety data sheets
• Always consider flammability and runaway reaction hazards, as well as toxicity
• Always avoid risk if possible and, if not, minimize to an acceptable level
• Substitute harmful chemicals with non- or less harmful ones, if possible
• Minimize volume and concentrations of hazardous chemicals in experiments & labs
• Use volatile chemicals in fume hoods
• Always consider waste in risk assessments
• Always consider non-chemical hazards
• Only carry out experiments approved by your supervisor or line manager

Department Safety Policy Summary

The Department of Chemistry is committed to ensuring the health, safety & welfare of all its staff, visitors, students and others who may be affected by its activities; it fully accepts its responsibilities, and takes steps to ensure that its statutory duties are met at all times. The successful implementation of the departmental health & safety rules requires the commitment of all members of the Department & its visitors. Moreover, there is an expectation that all members will take a proactive approach to implementing the rules. Therefore, you have an obligation to take reasonable care of your own health & safety and others who may be affected by your work.