WHS17

Audit Information

• Conducted on

  Date

• Prepared by

• Location
  Address

Administrative & Miscellaneous

• Are laboratory safety behaviours consistent with organisational expectations

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are SOPs or safe working rules specific to the laboratory developed and implemented?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are staff trained or instructed on the SOPs and lab safety rules?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are records kept of personnel trained or instructed, maintenance & servicing, and testing of equipment?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are all gas taps labelled?

  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, contaminated waste or rubbish?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

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

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are walkways free of obstruction?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are chemical storage facilities in good condition?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Fire

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

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are all fire extinguishers regularly checked?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are fire hose reels regularly checked?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are fire sprinklers and/or detector heads free from damage?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are there an adequate number of trained emergency evacuation officers?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Exits

• Are exits and corridors free from obstruction?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are exit signs illuminated and clearly visible?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is there an adequate number of exits?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are all exit doors unlocked?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is emergency lighting installed?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Environmental

• Are written procedures available for disposal of chemicals and regular collection of chemical wastes?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are staff trained in environmentally sound waste disposal procedures?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are all waste containers appropriately labelled with Class Diamonds?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

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

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are records of waste disposal kept in line with procedures?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is there evident that waste is not tipped down the sink? (unless approved method)

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are all lights working & 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

• Are emergency spill and clean-up kits/bins readily available, stocked properly, correct for the type of spills anticipated?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Chemical safety

• Are all hazardous chemicals in the lab entered into GoldFFX?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are chemical registers printed and posted from GoldFFX as appropriate?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Do all laboratory personnel have ready access to Safety Data Sheets through GoldFFX (or hardcopy if necessary)?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are all chemicals and containers correctly labelled?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are chemicals stored in compatible containers?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are chemicals compatible in storage areas? (FFX can assist)

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are stored chemicals bunded and not near drains?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is WHS12 completed for all laboratory processes involving hazardous 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

Flammable liquids

• Are solvents stored in appropriate containers?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are solvents separated from corrosives?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are flammables in small quantities stored in a flammables cabinet?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are appropriate warning signs on small quantities 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

• Gas name/label on shoulder of each cylinder clearly legible?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are cylinders secured by brackets or chains?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are fuel cylinders separated from oxidising cylinders?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

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

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are acetylene cylinders that are not in use stored outside of building?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are cylinder valves closed when not in use?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Does testing for gas leaks occur?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

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

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Fume cupboards

• Are electrical services located outside of chamber?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are emergency isolators accessible for electrical & 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 chamber at any given time?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are fume scrubbers installed where appropriate?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are fire sprinklers/thermal detector heads fitted where applicable?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

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

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are the fume cupboards regularly tested by FMU, 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

• Are contaminated waste procedures developed & 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 & adhered to?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are disposable gloves available & 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) & 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 & contained?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Radiation safety

• Do laboratory designs comply with relevant Aust. Standard requirements & NHMRC guidelines?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are specific areas designated for radiation procedures?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is appropriate monitoring equipment readily available?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are personal monitoring procedures in place?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is adequate & 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

Electrical installations

• Is in-service inspection, testing & 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?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are switches & power points in good condition (no cracks, loose face plates)?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

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

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are circuit breakers & main isolators clearly marked?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is excessive use of extension cords avoided?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is there any temporary wiring?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are double adaptors or piggy back adaptors avoided?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are excessive power boards being avoided?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher adjacent to the switch board?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

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

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Machinery & equipment

• Are operating instructions/safety signs adequate & clear?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are emergency stop switches accessible, red in colour?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Do interlocks on machine guards operate, with regular testing?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are safety glasses areas clearly sign posted?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

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

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are machines & equipment free from obstruction?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is there adequate distance between machines & equipment?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Personal Protective Equipment PPE

• Is the correct PPE readily available when required?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is PPE stored and maintained correctly?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Have staff been trained or instructed in correct use, maintenance and storage of PPE?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

First Aid

• Are there trained first aid personnel?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

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

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are first aid personnel identifiable?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Emergency procedures

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

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are there suitable spill kits available, stocked and identifiable relevant to the area? ie Laboratory Spill Kit, 240L Wheelie Bin

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are staff adequately trained to deal with minor spills?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are staff aware of response procedures for minor and major spills?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are emergency plans and contact numbers displayed?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are regular evacuation drills carried out?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Has an evacuation drill taken place in the last 12 months?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are emergency manifests established for the facility and available in an accessible area to emergency staff?

  Yes

  No

  N/A