1. Neil Robertson Academic Safety Officer School of Chemistry
Risk Assessment
Neil Robertson
Academic Safety Officer
School of Chemistry

2. Background
1992 “The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations”
2002 “The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations”
Accidents and ill health can ruin lives and affect your business too if output is lost, machinery is damaged, insurance costs increase or you have to go to court. You are legally required to assess the risks in your workplace so that you put in place a plan to control the risks.
Not just bureaucracy!

3. Information
Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
University of Edinburgh
School of Chemistry
Safety handbook
Risk assessment form

4. Hazard and Risk (HSE)
a hazard is anything that may cause harm, such as chemicals, electricity, working from ladders, an open drawer etc;
the risk is the chance, high or low, that somebody could be harmed by these and other hazards, together with an indication of how serious the harm could be.

5. How to assess the risks in your workplace (HSE)
Identify the hazards
Decide who might be harmed and how
Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions
Record your findings and implement them
Review your assessment and update if necessary

6. Evaluate the Risks and Decide on Precautions
Can I get rid of the hazard altogether?
If not, how can I control the risks so that harm is unlikely?
When controlling risks, apply the principles below, if possible in the following order:
try a less risky option (eg switch to using a less hazardous chemical);
prevent access to the hazard;
organise work to reduce exposure to the hazard
issue personal protective equipment
provide welfare facilities (eg first aid and washing facilities for removal of contamination).

7. Completing the SoC Risk Assessment Form
The law was not specifically written just for us – need to use some judgement (The law requires you to do everything ‘reasonably practicable’ to protect people from harm. - HSE)
Complete online or on paper (except in the most trivial of cases)
Must be signed in advance by Research Supervisor (or nominated deputy)
display a copy beside your experiment,
/send a copy to or Room 246.
Avoid generic forms that drift with time
Cu, Fe…….Cr
BF4-, PF6-…..ClO4-
Methanol…..CH2Cl ether….heating
Make sure you can defend the decisions you have taken.

11. Summary It’s the law It’s also common sense
Complete form and have signed in advance
Renew forms every year
Ask for advice whenever needed