Workplace Health and Safety

The school is committed to provide staff, students and visitors with a safe working environment.

The school has implemented a proactive approach to WHS which follows University guidelines. However, safety is up to all of us, so please make sure that before you start a new staff member, student, or visitor, start a research project or modify an existing rig, you follow these steps:

1. All new staff and students must attend a safety induction . Refer to safety committee or general office for booking a session.
2. All visitors and maintenance/service personnel must sign in at the general office before commencing any work in the School and read the safety information sheet for visitors.
3. Any visitors or maintenance/service personnel before doing any work in the School unattended must undergo a site induction which identifies all local risks and details the evacuation procedure.
4. All staff and students working in laboratories must display a current work permit at the entry to the laboratory.
5. A risk assessment must be completed before any lab work is commissioned.
6. A full HAZOP and CHAZOP must be carried out for large equipment, complicated process or large scale operation such as pilot plants, before commissioning.
7. Additional School policy and procedures can be found below.
8. If you are not sure about any WHS issue consult the safety committee:
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9. You can also contact the general office on:
   T +61 2 9351 2455.

Safety Procedures

This area of our website is intended to provide all the information that you need to operate safely in the School. While we make every effort to ensure that the individuals here are well informed, we do rely on everyone to keep safety at the forefront of their minds.

Please note that:

• All staff and students must attend induction sessions prior to commencing any laboratory or experimental work.
• All visitors and contractors must sign the visitors book from the General Office, located on level 4, room 443 (T +61 2 9351 2455).
• Contractors should contact the Safety Officer upon arrival M +61 0411 449 522
• Materials Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) information is available online. ChemAlert

WHS Legislation

The University adheres to all WHS legislation, for further details please visit the University of Sydney's WHS site sydney.edu.au/whs/index.shtml

Safety Staff

The safety staff for the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering are as follows:

Safety Committee
All work in laboratories must be assessed by the Safety Committee before proceeding. The Committee meets each Wednesday afternoon to assess all applications and issue certificates that must be displayed on laboratory doors. Work permit forms should be sent to Nancy by email () or in the marked mailbox by Friday 5pm.

Floor Wardens

Evacuation Procedures

In the event of an emergency (fire, criminal act, major spill or leak of toxic materials, etc), please observe the following:

• Keep calm
• Activate alarm system/break the glass and leave the building
• Shut down equipment if necessary/safe to do so
• Go to your assembly point. Grass area between the Chiu building and the old School (sand stone building on Maze Crescent)

Fire egress plan and floor plan can be found at each level.

Wardens have been appointed for each floor and coordinate the evacuation of the assigned areas. If asked to evacuate the building, always assume that the alarm is real and that the person requesting evacuation is acting as a warden. You may be asked to assist in this duty; please listen carefully and act promptly. The process of clearing a floor is rapid and will not pose a danger to those carrying out the task.

Instructions for wardens are found in the Emergency Evacuation Procedure Document.

If the alarm sounds, never stand around waiting to see if someone is undertaking the role of warden - there may be times when appointed wardens are not at hand and you should take the responsibility yourself to ensure the rapid evacuation of the floor. This is especially true after hours.

It may be necessary to evacuate the building after-hours. Both front doors, the trap-door in the iron gate, and the small gate between Chemical Engineering and Chiu buildings can be opened from inside.

If evacuating after-hours, the responsibility for the evacuation process falls on the occupants at the time and they must check that all other occupants leave the building. All offices and rooms on each floor should be checked quickly – hammer on the door and shout if necessary. This process is much simplified if the occupants deliberately make themselves aware of the other persons in the building.

After evacuation, all personnel should assemble in the emergency evacuation assembly area which is the grassed area between the Old School and the Biochemistry Building, across Maze Crescent.