Safety Statement
Employers have a legal responsibility for ensuring that the locations under their control are safe for their employees to work in. They must ensure their employees' health and safety at all times while at work. Every employer is obliged to prepare a written Safety Statement and bring it to the attention of their employees.
Preparing a Safety Statement and keeping it up to date is considered a most important step in managing health and safety in the Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering. Our Safety Statement is based on the principle that safety can be managed because most accidents are foreseeable and can usually be prevented. The Statement must be prepared after hazards have been identified and an assessment of the risks in the workplace has been carried out. It must also include a list of the control measures that are taken to remove these risks and where that cannot be done, to reduce the risks, to the lowest possible level.
The terms hazard and risk are often used interchangeably but have separate meanings. A hazard is anything at work which might cause you harm (e.g. electricity, hot surfaces, slippery floors, lifting heavy loads) while risk is the likelihood that harm could occur from a particular hazard and its consequences. Assessing the risk is the process of evaluating the risks in your laboratory, office or lecture room, or any other work area, and putting in place the most appropriate controls or safety devices in order to prevent accidents.
In the Statement you will find an outline of the employer's duties and the duties of employees. Employees have responsibilities as well. They must take reasonable care of their own safety and not endanger their own or colleagues' safety by their actions or failure to act. We also have duties of care to any students and visitors in the Department buildings.
The primary law that governs safety at work is the "Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005." Among other things, this Act defines all the relevant terms, sets out the responsibilities, deals with the Safety Statement and details the penalties for noncompliance with the law.
Below is a link to the Department's Safety Statement plus a collection of safety related guides and other safety information.
- EE Department Safety Statement
- EE Department Lone Working and Out-of-hours Working Policy
- University Safety Office
- Health & Safety Authority
Safety Act 2005
Guide to the Safety, Health and Welfare 2005 Act
A Short Guide to the 2005 Act
The 2005 Act document
Regulations 2007
Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007
Summary of relevant 2007 Regulations (120 pages)
[Chapter 1 Part 7] Safety Signs at Places of Work
[Chapter 2] First Aid Guidance
[Chapter 4 Part 2] Manual_Handling of Loads
[Chapter 5 Part 2] Display Screen Equipment (VDU)
Booklet providing General Applications Checklist
Guide to the 2007 Regulations concerning the Workplace
Guidance for the Regulations concerning Electricity
Guidance for the Regulations concerning Personal Protective Equipment
HSA Guidelines relating Pregnancy Employees
Chemicals
Chemical Legislation
Guide to the Use of Chemicals
Short Guide to Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (chemical agents) Regulations.
Risk Assessment of Chemical Hazards
The 2008 Chemical Act
2007 Code of Practice for Chemical Agents
Safety Guide to Cryogenic Chemicals
REACH
Safety Data for hydrofluoric acid.doc
Safety Data for Hydrogen Peroxide.doc
Safety Data for Isopropyl.doc
Safety Data for Nitric Acid.doc
Safety Data for Phosphoric acid
Safety Data for Propanone
Safety Data for Silicon Dioxide
Safety Data for Sulphuric Acid.doc
Chemical waste protocols (may06)
Electrical
Guide to Electrical Safety in general
Safety issues when repairing domestic appliances
Safety issues when repairing audio or TV equipment.
Guide to using portable equipment.
Safety issues with Portable Equipment
Solder Fumes
Safety in Electrical Testing
Electric magnetic fields in the environment.
Electrical Waste Protocols(May06)
Forms
Chemical Risk Assessment Spreadsheet (from College Safety pages) Form
Accident Report Form
MTLAB Safety Form
Compressed gas permit
Unattended Apparatus Form
Guides
HSA First Aid Guide
HSA Guide to Noise
Safety for office workers
HSA guide to Risk Assessment
HSA guide to Safety Signs
2010 update to guide about Safety Signs
Guide concerning slips, trips, and falls.
Booklet about Stress
Regulations concerning VDU's.
Regulations concerning employment of young persons