Unit 4: Laboratory Techniques and their Applications
Unit 4A: Understand the importance of health and safety in scientific organisations
Vocational scenario:
I am working as part of Birmingham government health and safety inspectors. My team leader has
allocated the team to visit a range of different science organisations, e.g. a school laboratory, and a
medical laboratory and report on the health and safety practices within these organisations. I need
to select a suitable organisation to inspect. I will inspect their blood and transfusion lab. I will also
research the school laboratory.
I will produce a report that provides information on how the two departments in the selected
organisation are following relevant health and safety legislation as well as describing the hazards
present and how health and safety is managed.
Introduction to report:
In my report I will be looking at two different science organisations and provide a report and review
on their health and safety practices within these organisations as well as observing their legislations
to see if they are following and complying with everything, they say they do correctly. I am going to
be investigating an educational laboratory and comparing my findings against medical laboratory in
the NHS.
Task 1:
You must produce a report that:
Describes of the main activities of the organisation. Describes the potential hazards in each
department selected and link these to the health and safety measures used. This provides evidence
for A. P2
Describe the main activities of the organisation:
One of the organisations that I am discussing is an educational institution named King Edwards VI
Handsworth Wood Girls Academy, it is an academy that starts from 11-16 as well as continuing from
16 and providing post 16 education. In HWGA Sixth Form, they cover many A-levels and BTECS, many
of which are science related course and therefore multiple practicals are performed. These
practical's that are performed are not only reduced to just Sixth Form/KS5, but all other year groups
also perform practical's depending on the intensity of them. The school has various numbers of
science laboratories that the students are able to perform their experiments in. In the school there
are two science lab technicians that prepare and set up the practical's as well as disposing of
chemicals after the experiment.
The main activities of the second organisation I am investigating is a medical laboratory in the NHS,
which is the healthcare service of the UK. I am specifically looking at the blood and transplant
laboratory department. Due to its typical duties involving blood transfusions, analysis, and testing,
, this department is crucial to the healthcare system. Along with carrying out procedures including
cross-matching, antibody screening, processing, and preparing blood products for transfusion,
compatibility testing, and blood grouping. In addition, they may work on quality assurance and
control procedures, handle blood product storage and management, and assist with clinical decision-
making concerning patient care.
Describes the potential hazards in each department selected and link these to the health and
safety measures used.
Handsworth Wood Girls Academy:
Biological agents:
Biological agents are various microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Biological agents
are used in some biology experiment. An example is when we perform dissections such as sheep's
heart and kidneys. These are experiment where bacteria are prevalent. The risks of these biological
agents are that they can lead to infection and illness in us if we are exposed through inhalation, cuts
and touching an area that is contaminated without our knowledge.
To mitigate these risks, health and safety measures are crucially implemented:
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) 2002:
Under Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, employees are required to label
dangerous substances and stored correctly as well as proper handling and disposal procedures for
the substances. Autoclaving is performed at our school by the lab technicians before disposal in
order to destroy the harmful microorganisms and eliminate the risk of potential contamination from
biological waste. The process of autoclaving is a form of sterilisation that uses steam. Also, a risk
assessment is produced in order to determine the control measures needed to lower the hazards of
handling biological agents as discussed above.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE):
Personal protective equipment is essential in labs for protection from potential hazards and harm.
There are multiple types of items that come under personal protective equipment, but the common
ones used in schools are goggles, gloves, lab coats and aprons. These items help with reducing
exposure to harmful substances as they create a barrier from the person wearing it and the hazard
that is being used. The personal protective equipment worn must be properly fitted for it to work
effectively and provide proper protection as well as reducing exposure and potential cross
contamination. When working with biological agents, students wear goggles, gloves, and aprons to
avoid exposure and infection.
Chemical agents and labelling the chemical agents:
Many chemicals are used in practical's more specifically in chemistry, sometimes the chemicals that
are used could potentially be corrosive, toxic, flammable or reactive. This means that they can cause
