WHS17 - STEM/FII Laboratory Inspection

Audit Information

• Conducted on

  Date

• Prepared by

• Location

Administrative and Miscellaneous

• Have the current corrective actions been reviewed for this lab prior to commencing this inspection?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• If there has been any known incidence in this area, have the corrective actions been completed?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are records kept of trained equipment operators?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are records kept of equipment maintenance and servicing/testing of equipment?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are all gas taps labelled appropriately?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are the safety showers and eye wash stations being tested monthly?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is the signage on the lab door correct, adequate and up to date?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is work with open flames in the lab (eg. Bunsen burners) appropriately controlled and risk assessed?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are occupants in the area aware of correct manual handling techniques and carrying aids?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Housekeeping

• Are floors clean, dry, and free from slip/trip hazards?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is the workplace free from accumulation of equipment, redundant chemicals, boxes, contaminated waste or rubbish?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is shelving stable, free of extraneous material and not too high?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are racks labelled with weight limits, safely installed and not overloaded?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are walkways, exits and corridors free of obstruction?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are chemical storage facilities in good condition?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are suitable trolleys, lifters and steps available for the tasks performed in this lab? If yes, are they free from wear and damage?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is all flexible hosing securely fixed in place and in good condition?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are engineering controls being adequately maintained?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Fire

• Are all fire extinguishers/equipment suitable, appropriately located, mounted and identified?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Have all fire extinguishers been checked within the last 6 months?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Have fire hose reels (if present in the lab) been checked within the last 6 months?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Visually, do the fire sprinklers and/or detector heads appear free from damage and obstruction (i.e. items that could restrict water spraying from sprinklers)?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Exits

• Are exit signs illuminated and clearly visible?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are all exit doors unlocked?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Environmental

• Are waste manifests and disposal procedures followed?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is chemical liquid waste segregated and stored correctly bunded away from drains?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is the sink in the lab in good working order (condition, drainage etc)?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are all lights working and lighting levels suitable for tasks?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is ventilation adequate?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are there acceptable atmospheric contamination levels (fumes, dust, vapours)?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Interactive and Virtual Environment

• Are there any interactive and/ or virtual Environment in this area?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is there enough clear space around for users to safely work while in an interactive environment?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are trip hazards from tethered VR like cabling, furniture or other obstacles adequately controlled?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is a guard rail set up to alert users when they are close to leaving the safe play area?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is there adequate space and furniture for users to sit and recover?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is there adequate railing around the project space?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are hygiene measures adequately carried out?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are light switches adequately accessible?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are exit signs clearly marked and illuminated?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are users notified of side effects such as seizures, disorientation and dizziness?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Chemical Safety

• Are chemicals used and/or stored in this laboratory?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are there any flammable solids (Class 4.1) or substances that are liable to spontaneously combust (Class 4.2) in the lab? If yes, are they labelled appropriately with opening and expiry date? Please identify using Chemwatch and clearly identify with coloured stickers.<br>

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Has the annual chemical stocktake for this lab area been completed in the last 12 months? (All chemicals in the lab MUST be present in the Chemwatch manifest)

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are all chemicals and samples in the lab correctly labelled with legible chemical name, date and owner?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are chemicals stored in compatible containers?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Has a chemical incompatibility check been performed within the last year to check if all chemicals located in storage areas compatible? (ChemWatch GoldFFX Incompatibility Report filter)

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are permits obtained to store and use controlled substances?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are stored chemicals bunded and not near drains?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is the base section (bund) of chemical cabinets free of stored chemicals?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is the area free of any leakage of hazardous chemicals?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is storage of chemicals in fume cupboards avoided?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are refrigerators in laboratory environments free of any foods, drinks or other human consumables?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are all chemical waste containers appropriately labelled with Class Diamonds?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Liquid Nitrogen

• Is liquid nitrogen used in this laboratory?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are only compliant purpose built liquid nitrogen dewars used in this lab (no modified thermos' or plastic containers)?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Have all small (<30L) pressurised liquid nitrogen dewars in the lab been inspected for signs of external damage and ice build-up? (any identified concerns please contact the FII Technical Team immediately)

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Flammable Liquids

• Are there flammable liquids stored in this laboratory?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are solvents stored in appropriate containers?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are solvents separated from corrosives?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are appropriate warning signs placed on the flammables cabinet?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are dry powder fire extinguishers accessible?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are flammables, if kept in refrigeration, only stored in suitable purpose-built laboratory fridges or freezers (not in domestic fridges)?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Compressed Gas Cylinders

• Are compressed gas cylinders located in this laboratory?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are cylinders secured by brackets or chains?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is the gas name/label on the shoulder of each cylinder clearly legible?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are fuel gas cylinders (eg. hydrogen, acetylene) separated from oxidising gas cylinders by a minimum of 3m (connection to connection)?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are gas cylinder regulators and manifolds free from damage and functioning correctly?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are empty cylinders separate from full cylinders and clearly identified?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are flammable gas (i.e. Class 2.1 acetylene) cylinders that are not in use stored outside of the building?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are gas cylinder valves closed when not in use?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Does testing for gas leaks occur when regulators are connected to the gas cylinders?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are all gas cylinders stored in a well ventilated area?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Fume Cupboards

• Are fume cupboards located in this laboratory?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are electrical service outlets (i.e. power points; power boards) located outside of the fume hood?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are emergency isolators accessible for electrical and gas and are they clearly marked?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are there warning signs indicating a maximum of 2.5 litres of flammable liquid in the fume hood at any given time?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are fume scrubbers installed where appropriate?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Do fume cupboard scrubbers have sufficient supplies (1/3 at least) of the neutralising solution?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are fire extinguishers located within 4 metres of fume cupboard?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are the fume cupboards regularly tested, including for a face velocity of 0.5 metres per second?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are fume cupboards and surrounds kept tidy with no disturbances to airflow?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Biological Safety

• Is biological work conducted in this laboratory?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are contaminated waste procedures developed and implemented?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are sharps (needles, syringes, pipettes, scalpels, razors, etc) stored appropriately?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are risk group category and containment procedures in place and adhered to?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are disposable gloves available and used when specimens are handled?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is appropriate decontamination of work surfaces in practice?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are recombinant DNA project work assessed and certified by the University’s Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) and by the Human Research Ethics Committee (if needed)?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are recombinant DNA laboratory areas inspected and certified by the University’s Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is aerosol production minimised and contained?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Radioactive Materials, Ionising Radiation, Non-Ionising Radiation and Laser Safety

• Is work with radioactive materials conducted in this laboratory?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are specific areas designated for radiation procedures?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is appropriate monitoring equipment readily available and operational?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are personal monitoring procedures in place?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is adequate and sufficient shielding provided?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is radioactive material securely stored?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are absorbent materials available to contain spills?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are radioactive waste/storage procedures in place?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is appropriate licencing obtained for the use and storage of radioactive sources?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are personnel using radioactive materials adequately trained?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is work with ionising radiation conducted in this laboratory?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are specific areas designated for radiation procedures?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is appropriate monitoring equipment readily available and operational?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are personal monitoring procedures in place?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is adequate and sufficient shielding provided?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is appropriate licencing obtained to operate ionising radiation apparatus?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are personnel using ionising radiation apparatus adequately trained?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is work with non-ionising radiation conducted in this laboratory?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are specific areas designated for radiation procedures?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is appropriate monitoring equipment readily available and operational?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are personal monitoring procedures in place?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is adequate and sufficient shielding provided?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is work with lasers conducted in this laboratory?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are specific areas designated for laser procedures?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is appropriate monitoring equipment readily available and operational?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is adequate and sufficient barriers provided?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is appropriate PPE available to carry out work with laser?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are personnel appropriately trained for using the applicable class of lasers?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Electrical Installations

• Is in-service inspection, testing and tagging of portable electrical equipment done in accordance with the procedure for Electrical Equipment Inspection and Testing?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are adequate power points available, unobstructed and in good condition?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are power leads in good condition, no trip hazards?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are emergency shutdown switches in the area clearly marked and checked within the last 12 months?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• If there is a distribution board in the area, is it locked?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are temporary wiring and piggyback adaptors avoided? AND are excessive use of extension cords and power boards avoided?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• If power boards are being used, are they of high quality possessing individual switches for each plug and are they surge protected?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Have all hotplate power cables been set-up correctly and mounted in a way that will prevent them from contacting the hotplate surface?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is an appropriate fire extinguisher (ie. CO2 or dry powder), adjacent to any electrical switchboards in the area?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Have electrical ignition sources been controlled in flammable environments (eg intrinsically safe fittings/equipment)?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Have electronic timers been fitted to all items that are required to be charged afterhours or for prolonged periods of time?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Plant

• Are plants used in this space?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are emergency stop switches accessible and red in colour?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Have plant interlock/E-Stop test records been sighted?<br>

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are moving parts, belt drives, shafts, fans appropriately guarded?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are plants free from obstruction?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is there adequate distance between plants to allow good ventilation and servicing?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are operating instructions/safety signs adequate and clear?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Equipment

• Are equipment used in this space?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are equipment free from any visible damage (i.e. centrifuge rotors/buckets)?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are emergency stop switches accessible and red in colour?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Have equipment interlock/E-Stop test records been sighted?<br>

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are equipment free from obstruction?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is there adequate distance between equipment to allow good ventilation and servicing?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are operating instructions/safety signs adequate and clear?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

• Is all correct PPE readily available when required?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is PPE stored and maintained correctly?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

First Aid

• Are there trained first aid personnel?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are first aid personnel identifiable?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are there first aid kits available and adequately stocked for the types of hazards and level of risk ie chemical, thermal and abrasive burns?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Have the first aid kit contents and expiry dates been checked against the WHS10 first aid kit form in the past 12 months? If you need any assistance, please contact the Technical Team.

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Emergency Procedures

• Have emergency procedures been established for specific hazardous circumstances including spills?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are lab users aware of response procedures for minor and major spills and is there an adequate and suitably stocked spill kit available in the lab for the types of spills anticipated?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are emergency plans and contact numbers displayed?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are Chemwatch manifests and UniSA Emergency Response Booklets available in accessible areas for staff, students and emergency personnel?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Alarms and Testing

• Is a local response protocol in place for specialised alarms, eg: O2 depletion; CO2?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Miscellaneous

• Has this inspection checklist covered all WHS questions required for this laboratory? If No, please type what has been missed

  Yes

  No

  N/A