Laboratory Safety

Laboratory Safety Guidelines (DOC, 1636.5 KB) (opens in a new window) have been produced in consultation with technical and academic staff to provide practical WHS guidance on laboratory safety management for all who are required to visit, work or learn in UWS laboratories or associated facilities. The guidelines are intended to complement the following:
  • Australian Standards
  • WorkCover NSW publications and codes of practice
  • CCH Australian Laboratory Safety Manual
  • other legislative documents applicable to safety within laboratories.

The UWS Laboratory Safety Guidelines are not intended as a replacement for these documents, but rather as a guide for the safe management of laboratories and associated facilities. They provide information and advice about:

  • Areas of risk management that are not covered in the CCH Australian Laboratory Safety Manual and relevant Australian Standards such as accountabilities, experiment design, local practice etc.
  • How risk assessments within laboratories and associated facilities will be undertaken by UWS.
  • Emergency management at UWS.
  • A range of wider issues that impact upon safety within laboratories and associated facilities at this University.

The guidelines will be regularly updated as required to incorporate newly introduced or revised legislation and/or UWS policies and procedures. The UWS community will be advised of future updates to the guidelines.

In keeping with the spirit of the NSW Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (WHS Act) and to continue to facilitate the widest possible consultation within schools and units, ongoing feedback on the information and advice contained in the guidelines is welcomed and can be directed to the Technical Coordinators, Laboratories, within the WHS Unit.

Submit feedback

Laboratory Safety Documents and Forms

Radiation Safety Guidelines

The UWS Radiation Safety Guidelines (PDF, 2096.89 KB) (opens in a new window) have been developed as a guide for UWS staff and students involved, either directly or indirectly, with the use of ionising radiation or radioactive material in teaching and/or research.

The guidelines will assist staff and students to achieve radiation safety compliance at UWS and as such are to be adopted by all schools and departments where radioactive substances and/or sources are used.

The guidelines contain specific responsibilities, procedures and information for specific applications, and provide general information about reducing the risks associated with work involving the use of radioactive substances and sources.

These guidelines are intended as a 'stand-alone' document so that a section(s) can be read independently of other sections. This means that in some cases information contained in one section may be repeated in another to avoid the need to refer to another section(s) of the guidelines.

Additional information about radiation, radioactive substances and sources can be obtained from the Occupational Health, Safety and Information Services Unit (OHS&IS) or the Radiation Safety Officer (RSO).

The guidelines will be regularly updated as required to incorporate newly introduced or revised legislation and/or UWS policies and procedures. The UWS community will be advised of future updates to the guidelines.

In keeping with the spirit of the NSW WHS Act 2011 and to continue to facilitate the widest possible consultation within divisions/departments, colleges and schools, ongoing feedback on the information and advice contained in the guidelines is welcomed and can be directed to the Technical Coordinators, Laboratories, within the WHS unit.

Submit feedback

Ethics (Human Ethics, Animal Ethics, and Biosafety and Radiation Safety)

Please refer to the Ethics webpage for further information regarding any research or teaching laboratory activities involving the use of the following:

  • Biological hazards (e.g. specimens of human origin (including blood products), recombinant DNA, micro-organisms of Risk Group 2 or higher, in vivo use of imported biological products).
  • Ionising radiation sources.
  • Human participants.
  • Animals.

Checklists for OGTR certified Physical Containment Facilities provided in the "Laboratory Safety Documents and Forms" section above.

These checklists have been based on the requirements of certification as detailed in the relevant Gene Technology Regulator's Guidelines and AS/NZS 2243.3 Safety in laboratories: Microbiological safety and containment.

Hazardous Chemicals

The health and safety risks of the many chemicals used throughout UWS must be managed so they are used, handled, stored and disposed of safely. Prior to the implementation of the WHS Regulation 2011, chemicals were regulated under separate instruments for hazardous substances and dangerous goods.

The WHS Regulation will see the phasing in of a single framework for classification, labelling and Safety Data Sheet (SDS) requirements for hazardous chemicals, based on the Globally Harmonised System (GHS) of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (DOCX, 58.38 KB) (opens in a new window).

Transition to the GHS from the current classification and hazard communication systems for workplace hazardous substances and dangerous goods will occur between 01 January 2012 and 31 December 2016. During this 5 year transitional period both systems may be used concurrently. As of 01 January 2017, all workplace chemicals must be classified according to the GHS and labels and SDS must be updated.

Until 31 December 2016

From 01 January 2012 and mandatory from 01 January 2017

Hazardous Substances

Approved Criteria for Classifying Hazardous Substances [NOHSC:1008(2004)]
 (opens in a new window)

Dangerous Goods

Australian Code for the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road and Rail (ADG Code) (opens in a new window)

Hazardous Chemicals

Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals 3rd Revised Edition (opens in a new window)

Labels

National Code of Practice for the Labelling of Workplace Substances [NOHSC:2012(1994)] (opens in a new window)

Labels

National model Code of Practice for the Labelling of Workplace Hazardous Chemicals (2011) (opens in a new window)

MSDS

National Code of Practice for the Preparation of Material Safety Data Sheets 2nd Edition [NOHSC:2011(2003)] (opens in a new window)

SDS

National model Code of Practice for the Preparation of Safety Data Sheets for Hazardous Chemicals (2011) (opens in a new window)

Existing requirements for the transport of dangerous goods do not change under the new WHS Regulation. The transportation of dangerous goods is subject to NSW laws based on the requirements of the Australian Code for the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road and Rail (ADG Code).

Specific requirements for working with chemicals in the workplace are detailed at:

Training in the changes to the requirements for safely managing hazardous chemicals under the WHS Regulation will be offered from 2013.

Information about using hazardous chemicals at UWS is available from the following links:

Working safely in a Class II Biological Safety Cabinet - Video

Get the Flash Player to see this video.

Video produced by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing 2007

More Information

For any queries/questions, suggestions or feedback relating to laboratory safety or any other information provided on this page, please contact the Technical Coordinators, Laboratories, within the WHS unit.

^ Back to top