Identifying and Evaluating Hazards in Research Laboratories

In many cases the equipment may bevery basic and a detailed instrumentdrawing is not needed. The type andcontent of photos or diagrams forexisting equipment can influencewhat-if questions selection. Fig. 10-3 isa diagram of a rotary evaporator.Some questions may arise here thatmay not have occurred to you from areview of the diagram in Fig. 10-2. Forexample: Did you consider materials ofconstruction of the supply lines in Fig.10-2? Did you consider how theconnections were made? It is possiblethat by viewing the drawing in Fig. 10-3 d you were more apt to consider thewhat-if consequences of an improperwater connection. (For example,flooding—possibly severe andFigure 10-3: A drawing of a rotary evaporatoraffecting multiple building floors ifthe apparatus does not havesecondary containment, which can be a common problem in research laboratories).If critiquing a piece of equipment which has already been constructed, a visible review of theequipment or photo, such as the one shown in Figure 10-3, may prompt additional questions andcan be used to supplement the drawings or detailed equipment diagram based review. Later in thissection we will review modifications to a simple what-if review to make it less likely to omitimportant questions, regardless of whether you are reviewing use of an apparatus alreadyconstructed, or one in the latter stages of design and yet to be constructed. A review at the designstage is preferable to an after-construction review to avoid the cost and time associated withmodification of completed equipment to add necessary safety features.Set Expectations before the ReviewProgress in moving through a team hazard review can be slowed down with debates about theacceptable level of safety. As noted earlier in this section, one may wish to defer solutions to theend of the review, so time is not lost debating the best solution to the recommendations forcorrective action. It may be helpful to include a short briefing at the outset of the review toestablish guidelines regarding those situations which will require resolution through the use ofengineering controls instead of reliance on standard practices which must be remembered by labstaff to avoid serious consequences. Based on many years of experience in the petrochemicalindustry, Trevor Kletz provides the following reminder regarding the need for engineering controlsfor certain high risk operations: “They know what they should do, want to do it, and ared Accessed from http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EauZVQxlXdM/TetVKtacmgI/AAAAAAAAADU/oPHbnAdj18A/s1600/Rotary+Evaporator.png41