Ohsrm PART B School of Molecular Bioscience

ohsrm PART B School of Molecular Bioscience

Hazardous procedure: Gas Chromatography

Step 3. Assess the risk

Ref. # / List & describe the hazards and hazardous jobs / Priority
1 / If damaged, gas cylinders can explode, act as projectiles, or cause suffocation / 3
2 / If using hydrogen as a carrier gas, risk of explosion exists if leaks are present, or if carrier gas is flowing but FID detector is not lit / 4
3 / Sharps risk (needlestick injury) due to use of syringes for injecting samples / 5
4 / Burns from GC oven, or hot injector and detector ports / 5
5 / Possible toxic hazard or biohazard from GC samples / 5
6 / Electrical faults could lead to electrocution or fire / 5
7 / If GC is fitted with an Electron Capture Detector (ECD), this contains a small amount of radioactive isotope (Nickel-63, a beta-emitter), and thus poses a radiation risk / 6

What makes it hazardous? Consult with the workers to find out which factors are relevant:

Tick relevant boxes and record observations or comments.
X The nature of the hazard itself / Equipment uses flammable (hydrogen) and asphyxiating (helium, nitrogen) gases, equipment has several hot surfaces, samples are injected with sharp needles, the samples themselves may be hazardous (eg. dissolved in organic solvents or containing other toxic components), all electrical equipment poses an electrocution and fire risk if faulty, there is a potential radiation risk from ECD detector if this are opened.
X The individual(s) involved / Workers need to be trained in proper use of equipment by the equipment custodian.
Record the names of those consulted when assessing the risk / Date
Peter Kerr, Joe Dimauro, Jenny Phuyal, Zia Ahmad, Angela Nikolic, Robert Czolij, Craig Jackson / 22/3/2010

Step 4. Control the risk(s)

Describe the risk control(s) / Who is responsible for implementation / Due by date
Wear personal protective equipment (lab coat, enclosed footwear, safety glasses or goggles if liquid splash risk exists, gloves if handling toxic or biohazard samples) / Individual user and their supervisor / 21/4/2010
Take extreme care when handling, connecting, and disconnecting gas cylinders – see Risk Assessment form “Transport and Use of Gas Cylinders” for more details. / Individual user and their supervisor / 21/4/2010
Always leak-test gas fittings when installing the GC, changing columns, or changing detector/injectors. Be aware of the risk of a hydrogen gas leak into the GC oven or into the room. / Individual user and their supervisor / 21/4/2010
Do not have carrier gas flow switched on without the FID being ignited – this can cause a hydrogen gas explosion / Individual user and their supervisor / 21/4/2010
Know which parts of the machine are HOT (especially the injection port and the FID detector) and do not touch these parts / Individual user and their supervisor / 21/4/2010
Take care when handling samples in syringes, be aware of risk of needlestick injury. / Individual user and their supervisor / 21/4/2010
If injecting samples that contain toxic chemicals (eg. pollutants), and operating in “split” mode, ensure that the GC split vent has an activated carbon trap on it, or exhausts into a fume hood / Individual user and their supervisor / 21/4/2010
Ensure GC machine is serviced regularly and report any faults immediately to your supervisor, and/or GC service provider / Individual user and their supervisor / 21/4/2010
Do not open or tamper with the ECD detector – this can expose you to hazardous beta-radiation. If disposing of the GC machine, the ECD must be removed and disposed of separately as radioactive waste / Individual user and their supervisor
Proper training of users / Supervisor of researcher / 21/4/2010
Development of Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) / SMB Safety Commitee / 21/4/2010
Reading and following the SOP / Individual user and their supervisor / 21/4/2010
Record the names of those consulted when deciding on risk control measures
Peter Kerr, Joe Dimauro, Jenny Phuyal, Zia Ahmad, Angela Nikolic, Robert Czolij, Craig Jackson
PART B completed by: / Nick Coleman / Date: / 22/3/2010