Title: Risk Assessments - Ensuring a Safe Environment for Conducting Experiments
Course: BTEC-2000-301-302-303-F21

The main concern in any lab environment is safety. You will be responsible for determining what hazards you might be exposed to while conducting experiments. Filling out a risk assessment form will help you identify any hazards and determine how you should protect yourself.

From the flowchart you made, identify the experiments you will do first. Find the protocols section for your project on SharePoint and identify which corresponds to your first experiment. Also in SharePoint, find the documents titled “Risk Assessment Form” and “Risk Assessment Example”.

As you read through the experimental protocol identify all of the equipment and reagents you will be using. Fill in the Risk Assessment form according to the “Risk Assessment Protocol” found in the BTEC2000 M3 resources folder. Write the name of the equipment or reagent (in the appropriate sections) and list the hazards of each according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) diamond. You may need to find the equipment manual and Materials Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for each item. The last section of the form requires that you write how you will protect yourself from these hazards, and how you will dispose of hazardous wastes. You should talk to the InnovaBio® staff and Interns to help you identify hazards if you are unsure.

Have an InnovaBio® staff member sign the bottom of the “Risk Assessment  Form” before you begin the experiment. Each time you do an experiment for the first time, fill out the “Risk Assessment Form”. Keep a copy of all of your completed “Risk Assessment Records”  in your assigned binder.

Learning Objectives:

- 2.8 Complete a risk assessment.