Information

  • Document No.

  • Audit Title

  • Client / Site

  • Conducted on

  • Prepared by

  • Location
  • Personnel

Hazard Rating Matrix

  • For the following questions please indicate the hazard rating where applicable:

    hazard matrix.jpg

Housekeeping

  • 1. Are all aisles and doorways clear of materials and equipment?

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  • Responsible Individual:

  • 2. Are fridges, hoods, ovens reasonably clean?

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  • Responsible Individual:

  • 3. Are benches and sinks reasonably clean and uncluttered?

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  • Responsible Individual:

  • 4. Are office/work areas kept separate from laboratory areas?

  • Hazard Rating:

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  • Responsible Individual:

  • 5. Are procedures and equipment posing potential hazards identified, and have safe work procedures been developed to mitigate the hazards?

  • Hazard Rating:

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  • Responsible Individual:

  • 6. Are supplies and materials stored properly on shelves i.e. heavier material stored on lower shelves?

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  • 7. Are racks and shelving properly installed and in good condition?

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General Safety

  • 8. Food or drink are prohibited in the lab space.

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  • 9. Is the SFU, department, or lab specific Safety Manual available?

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  • 10. If biohazards or radioactive materials (including naturally occurring) are used, are required permits in place?

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  • 11. Is any other appropriate additional safety signage posted? (e.g. X-ray, laser)

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  • 12. Are personnel aware of who the safety committee members are in their area?

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Training

  • 13. Have all personnel received a laboratory-specific safety orientation with their supervisor?

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  • 14. Have all personnel attended the relevant EHRS lab safety training sessions, including WHMIS if chemicals are used or stored?

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  • 15. Is safety training documented?

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Emergency Information and Fire Safety

  • 16. Are campus emergency numbers posted by the phone?

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  • 17. Are up-to-date Chemical Hazard signs posted at/by doors leading to rooms with hazardous chemicals (need to be updated annually)?

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  • 18. Are emergency safety showers and eyewash stations available and the areas around them unobstructed?

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  • 19. Have the safety showers and eyewash stations been inspected and tested within the last year?

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  • 20. Are procedures in place for personnel working alone in evenings, or weekends?

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  • 21. Are personnel familiar with the emergency evacuation plan, including egress routes, pull stations, extinguisher locations and assembly points?

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  • 22. Do sprinkler heads have a minimum clearance of 18 inches?

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  • 23. Has the fire extinguisher been inspected within the last year?

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  • Responsible Individual:

  • 24. Are fire extinguishers accessible?

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  • 25. Are fire alarm pull stations clearly visible?

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  • 26. Are emergency exit signs functional (i.e., not burnt out)?

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First Aid

  • 27. Is there a first aid kit, and if so, a mechanism to track its use and keep it stocked?

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  • 28. Do personnel know how to access First Aid?

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  • 29. Are incident report forms being submitted for all incidents?

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Chemical Storage and Handling Safety

  • 30. Is a hazardous materials inventory maintained?

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  • 31. Are flammable liquids heated safely, with proper equipment? (e.g. not using an oil bath, or not directly on a hot plate)

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  • 32. Have personnel been trained on how to use a chemical spill kit?

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  • 33. Do personnel have access to an appropriately stocked spill kit at all times?

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  • 34. Are SDSs available, up-to-date and accessible for all chemicals in use? (either available online or printed paper copies that must be updated every 3 years)

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  • 35. Are all chemical containers legibly labeled for contents and hazard?

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  • 36. Are chemicals stored in appropriate containers?

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  • 37. Is secondary containment used when storing hazardous liquid chemicals in refrigerators, freezers and cabinets?

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  • 38. Are chemicals stored according to compatibility (oxidizers separated from flammables)?

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  • 39. Are flammable materials stored in closed containers and in approved flammable storage cabinets or refrigerators?

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  • 40. Are amounts of flammables and corrosives stored kept to a minimum?

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  • 41. Are peroxide-forming compounds (e.g. ethers) labelled and dated when opened and not stored in direct sunlight?

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  • 42. Have peroxide-forming compounds been tested every 3-6 months for peroxide formation as per SFU protocols?

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  • 43. Are safe transportation procedures and equipment used for chemicals? (e.g. chemical carriers)

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  • 44. Are separate waste receptacles for chemicals, sharps, glass, biohazards, and radioactive materials available and used?

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  • 45. Do personnel know how to request disposal for hazardous materials?

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  • 46. Are expired or unused chemicals disposed of?

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  • 47. Are waste containers labelled for contents/hazards, capped, and disposed of when full with sufficient head room?

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Fume Hoods

  • 48. Is the lab equipped with a fume hood?

  • 48a. Is the fume hood tested annually, with a sticker to show the date last tested?

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  • 48b. Are fume hood sashes at recommended height?

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  • 48c. Is the airflow monitor in the fume hood functioning? (test by raising the sash if safe to do so)

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  • 48d. Are fume hoods clear, uncluttered, and not used for storage to ensure good airflow?

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  • 48e. Is the front 15 cm of the fume hood clear?

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  • 48f. Are fume hoods used for storage labeled and ONLY used for storage?

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  • 48g. If perchloric acid is used, is a designated fume hood used?

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Equipment and Compressed Gases

  • 49. Are the operator and service manuals available for the equipment? Are emergency stop buttons operational? Do centrifuges have an interlocked lid, cover, system?

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  • 50. Do moving parts have guards installed (e.g. belt-drive vacuum pumps)?

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  • 51. Do vacuum pumps have cold traps to prevent volatile substances from getting into pump oil, or do they have a provision to purge pump?

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  • 52. Are Dewar flasks and vacuum desiccators taped or guarded?

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  • 53. Are storage tanks adequately vented and gauged?

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  • 54. Are all plastic and rubber tubes and hoses in good condition, with connections secured with wire or clamps to prevent accidental releases of hazardous materials?

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  • 55. Is a hand cart available for moving gas cylinders? (The cart must have 4 wheels)

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  • 56. Are all compressed gas cylinders properly capped or regulated?

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  • 57. Are compressed gas cylinders appropriately secured to a wall or bench with two points of contact?

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  • 58. Are flammable gas cylinders located away from doors and electrical outlets?

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  • 59. If an internal combustion engine is present, is maintenance and ventilation of the room verified and documented?

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Inspections

  • 60. Have the deficiencies from previous safety inspections been addressed?

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  • 61. Are safety inspection records kept and maintained?

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  • 62. Is a monthly safety self-inspection checklist posted and completed?

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Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

  • 63. Are lab coats available and worn when working in lab?

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  • 64. Are lab coats stored separately from personal clothing, jackets, backpacks, etc.?

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  • 65. Are safety glasses/goggles and face shields available and worn when working with hazards such as caustics, corrosives, UV radiation, cryogenic liquids, infectious materials, glass, lasers, machine tools, etc.?

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  • 66. Are appropriate protective gloves available and worn when skin contact is a risk?

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  • 67. Is fully enclosed footwear worn inside the lab?

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Electrical Safety

  • 68. Do all appliances have 3-pronged plugs for grounding?

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  • 69. Are power bars and extension cords used appropriately:<br>• One power bar can be directly plugged into a wall outlet or through a single extension cord into an outlet. It is not ok to plug one power bar into another power bar.<br>• Extension cords cannot be plugged into power bars or into other extension cords.<br>• Power bars and extension cords should not be excessively loaded.<br>• 12 outlet power bars must not be used.

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  • 70. Are all wires and plugs in good condition?

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  • 71. Are cables and cords secured to prevent a tripping hazard?

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  • 72. Are all panels and covers in place on electrical equipment?

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  • 73. Does electrical equipment have appropriate safety labeling present? (e.g. CSA certification)

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Tools, Machinery and Equipment

  • 74. Are tools, machinery or equipment used? If yes, confirm with the department that inspections of the area are being performed.

Other

  • 75. Are building materials in good condition?:<br>• Look for visible signs of water staining or water damage (i.e., bubbling paint, water damaged drywall, rotting wood).<br>• Ask area occupants or staff if there has been any recent water ingress reported/identified.

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  • Additional Items or Comments:

The templates available in our Public Library have been created by our customers and employees to help get you started using SafetyCulture's solutions. The templates are intended to be used as hypothetical examples only and should not be used as a substitute for professional advice. You should seek your own professional advice to determine if the use of a template is permissible in your workplace or jurisdiction. You should independently determine whether the template is suitable for your circumstances.