SAFETY BOOKLET - School of Life Sciences - Heriot-Watt University

12Supervisors cannot be held responsible for unreasonable behaviour putting people at risk. It is assumedthat each person is sufficiently responsible to act with a degree of competence in keeping with their priorexperience and qualifications.OUT-OF-HOURS WORKING IN THE SCHOOL OF LIFE SCIENCES.Employees and Postgraduate workers. The hours from 8.00 am – 6.30pm Monday - Friday shouldbe regarded as hours available for normal working in the School. These times may alter duringvacations, and on Public Holidays and other days on which the buildings are closed. Outside theseworking hours entry to the buildings and hence the School are restricted.Entry to the John Muir Building at Riccarton is via the MAIN DOOR (at top of 1st GAIT) and a key tothe building may be obtained from the Facilities Manager subject to a financial deposit. At all out-ofhourstimes the outside doors of the John Muir Building must be closed and locked after use. Onentering and leaving the building it is essential that all personnel sign legibly with their full names theOUT-OF-HOURS log book, which is located on the west wall immediately on entry to the John MuirBuilding. Personnel already in the building, between 8 am - 6:30 pm and wishing to remain after 6:30pm must also sign the OUT-OF-HOURS book. Note that after 6.30 p.m. on week-days and at theweekend the internal door to Chemistry is locked and should remain so.No person shall work alone in a laboratory (or workshop) outwith normal working hours in conditionswhere there is any reasonable possibility of an accident. Experimental work involving fire, flood risk orelectrical hazard must not be attempted. Non-hazardous work, e.g. writing, reading, computing/wordprocessing, observations using optical microscopes and simple adjustments to equipment will bepermitted but MUST have initial written permission from a supervisor. Any other experimental workMUST have further written permission from a supervisor for EACH occasion.Forms (green) for this purpose are available from Stores and must be carried and shown on request asproof of authority to work.Visiting workers must contact the Facilities Manager in the first instance to obtain authority to work.Undergraduate students are not normally given access to the laboratories outside the hours of 8.00a.m. to 5.30 p.m., Monday to Friday. However, access to the computer rooms by Honours and thirdyear students in the evenings until 9.00 p.m. is allowed provided the following conditions are met:the "Out-of-Hours" Book must be signed;a yellow "Undergraduate Non-Laboratory Authorisation Form" signed by a member ofstaff must be held; (obtained from Stores)departure from the John Muir Building must be by the Main (east) Door.In exceptional circumstances where access to laboratories is essential for non-hazardous activities for ashort period after 5:30 and before 9:00 p.m. on week-days, the following further conditions have to besatisfied:the "Out-of-Hours" Book must be signed;the student is supervised preferably by the Supervisor, or by another member of school19/08/02