Maintain health and safety in a scientific or technical workplace
Overview
This standard covers the competences you need to
maintain health and safety in science related work activity,
in accordance with approved procedures and practices.
You will be required to demonstrate that you can use safe
working practices throughout and will understand your
responsibility for taking the necessary safeguards to protect
yourself and others in the work place. You must also know
what actions to take in case of an emergency in
accordance with the relevant workplace procedures.
The activity is likely to be undertaken by someone in a
science related work setting, including individuals working
in hospitals, scientific laboratories, schools and universities.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
P1 ensure that your work is carried out in accordance with
workplace procedures
P2 accurately assess health and safety in relation to your
work and the workplace
P3 use safe practices and the appropriate personal
protective clothing and equipment for the work
P4 identify and rectify any breaches to health and safety
procedures and report them to the appropriate person as
soon as possible
P5 maintain the security of the workplace, in accordance
with organisational requirements
P6 maintain and keep tidy your work area to a standard of
health and safety which is consistent with local policies and
legal requirements
P7 use equipment and materials in accordance with
manufacturers' instructions and local safety regulations
P8 dispose of waste materials and substances safely and
correctly
P9 take the appropriate precautions to protect yourself and
others during work activities
P10 follow the correct procedure when an emergency
arises or is suspected
P11 identify and recommend health and safety
improvements to your work area and/or environment
P12 communicate the required information about the work
done, to authorised people, in accordance with
departmental and organisational procedures
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
K1 the health and safety requirements of the area in which
you are carrying out the scientific or technical activities
K2 the implications of not taking account of legislation,
regulations, standards and guidelines when conducting
scientific or technical activities
K3 the workplace procedures, as set down in local
operating manuals and schemes of work
K4 the importance of following manufacturers' instructions
K5 the techniques and processes you must use correctly in
the workplace
K6 the importance of wearing protective clothing, gloves
and eye protection for scientific or technical activities
K7 the specific safety precautions to be taken when
working with scientific or technical equipment and
computer-based systems
K8 the identity of health and safety representatives
K9 the location and correct use of emergency equipment
K10 the organisational requirements for maintaining the
security of the workplace
K11 the lines of communication and responsibilities in your
department, and their links with the rest of the organisation
K12 the limits of your own authority and to whom you
should report if you have problems that you cannot resolve
K13 why risks in the workplace should be assessed, and
the correct action to be taken
K14 local procedures for emergency evacuation
K15 the location of fire alarm call points and how to operate
them
K16 the location of spillage kits and the procedures to
follow in the event of spillages of chemicals and/or
biological fluids and materials
K17 how to identify and recommend health and safety
improvements to your work area and/or environment
K18 the control of substances hazardous to health
(COSHH) regulations, and their application in the workplace
K19 the range of signs and symbols used for the warning of
workplace hazards and prohibited practices
K20 the types of hazards which may be present in the
workplace and how these can be minimised
K21 the correct storage and disposal procedures for
hazardous materials
K22 the hazards associated with chemicals, radioactive
substances and/or biological materials
K23 what constitutes dangerous occurrences and
hazardous malfunctions in the workplace and why these
must be reported
K24 how to lift and carry loads safely, and use the manual
and mechanical aids available in the workplace
K25 the importance of safe storage of tools, equipment and
materials
K26 the reasons for cleaning work surfaces and equipment
K27 why it is important to differentiate and segregate
categories of waste
K28 the correct procedures for the storage, transport and
disposal of waste
Scope/range
- identify health and safety workplace procedures for all of
the following:
1.1 workplace hazards
1.2 unsafe practices
1.3 spillages
1.4 manual handling
1.5 VDU & RSI policies
1.6 other (please specify) - use safe handling practices for three of the following, in
accordance with approved procedures:
2.1 flammables (liquid or solid)
2.2 radioactive material
2.3 pyrophoric material
2.4 corrosive material
2.5 water reactive material
2.6 oxidiser
2.7 equipment or tools
2.8 explosive material
2.9 unstable reactive
2.10 toxic/harmful material
2.11 extreme temperature
2.12 sensitising/irritant substance
2.13 biological material
2.14 compressed gas
2.15 manual handling/lifting loads - comply with established procedures for both of the
following:
3.1 workplace emergency (e.g. injury, spillage)
3.2 workplace evacuation (e.g. fire, gas leak) - make recommendations on, or if appropriate, take action
on both of the following:
4.1 areas where the work practices do not fully comply with
health and safety requirements
4.2 improvements to handling and/or storage of materials,
substances or equipment - record details of the work activities, and communicate
the details to the appropriate people, using:
5.1 verbal report plus one method from the following:
5.2 written or typed report
5.3 computer-based record
5.4 specific workplace documentation
5.5 electronic mail