Assignment 1

Science at Work

Introduction

Many things which we do as part of our everyday life can be dangerous if not carried out carefully. For example, crossing the road can be hazardous. The hazard is being hit by a vehicle and this hazard is always there whenever we cross the road. However, the risk of being hit will not be very great if we look both ways and use a designated pedestrian crossing. We can control the risks of most activities by carrying them out sensibly and by taking precautions to reduce the effects of the hazards.

A hazard is a substance or piece of equipment which is capable of causing harm to the user or other people around them.

A risk is the likelihood or chance that the hazard will cause harm to the user or other people around them.

There are many hazards in a scientific laboratory:

• some chemicals are hazardous and so are the experiments in which they are used
• micro-organisms are hazardous and some can cause diseases
• using electricity is hazardous and many people are killed each year from electric shocks

Practical work in science and industrial processes which use science almost always brings us into contact with hazards, so scientific workers must take sensible precautions to reduce the risks of accidents. The most important precaution is to carry out a Risk Assessment on the procedure before we start, so that we are aware of potential hazards and can assess the risk involved in carrying out the process. This process is required by law and we therefore also need a knowledge of the Health and Safety Regulations which are in force.

A Risk Assessment involves:

• finding out what the hazards are in the process
• considering how much of the hazardous substance you will need to use
• considering how long you and others around you will be exposed to the hazardous substance
• identifying the safety equipment and procedures that you will need to use

A Risk Assessment will tell you what the risk of the experiment is and will be graded as high risk, medium risk, or low risk. An experiment graded high risk should not be carried out in College, but may need to be done in industry. Most of the practical work you will carry out in College will be graded low risk but you need to check this before you start work.

The assessed work for this Topic is a series of Tasks which will enable you to demonstrate that you are aware of the hazards and risks involved in your practical work, that you can work safely in a laboratory, and that you also know how these procedures are carried out in industry. On completion of this Topic, you will have achieved Criteria (a) for Unit 1.