Laboratory Safety Manual

Laboratory activities include the handling of chemical products and gases, such as flammable goods, biological agents and ionizing radiation sources. A laboratory also contains technical equipment, pressurized vessels, and machines that pose risks when they are handled.

Laboratory work is governed by many national and international laws and regulations, such as the Swedish Work Environment Act, the Swedish Environmental Code and the EU regulations REACH and CLP. The laboratory activities at Örebro University (ORU) are notifiable, and in many cases specific permits are also required.

The Laboratory Safety Manual is a university-wide document containing a summary of the laws and regulations that we are required to comply with. There are also specific local procedures that describe in detail how specific tasks or equipment should be managed safely.

If you perform laboratory activities, you must be familiar with and comply with relevant laws and regulations, and are required to find out about the relevant local procedures. The manager is responsible for work environment management, and for ensuring that employees and students have adequate knowledge.

The information in the Laboratory Safety Manual is designed to support laboratory work within teaching and research activities at Örebro University. Laws and government regulations and rules always take precedence, followed by the university’s regulations and local procedures. It is up to the staff and students to find out and comply with the rules applicable to planned activities, even if a specific work task is not included in the Laboratory Safety Manual. If you have questions, please contact the laboratory safety coordinator.

If you work and study in a laboratory, you must be familiar with:

1. The risks and safety aspects associated with your work activities, and any specific tasks that could entail risks
2. Other risks present in your workplace and how you can avoid them
3. Procedures for ensuring safety, such as keeping things tidy, decontamination and activity instructions
4. What points you should consider before starting a new task
5. Where personal protective equipment is located, when and how to use it, how to maintain it and what its limitations are
6. The meaning of different labelling symbols
7. Existence and storage of the documents required, such as risk assessments and safety data sheets
8. Legislation and rules regarding the handling of existing risk sources
9. Evacuation plan in accordance with the Swedish Work Environment Authority's provisions on workplace design and what to do if an alarm goes off
10. Emergency plan in the event of accidents or incidents
11. How to use fire extinguishing equipment and who can perform first aid and related procedures.