Learning Aims: This Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) course will be specially designed for the workers, employees, and any other relevant bodies who are in relation with engineering, biological and chemical labs. It aims to provide all necessarily knowledge and practice information to operate a lab environment (e.g. for handling, using and storing dangerous or toxic chemicals provide effective protection of the health and safety) with high standards of OHS manner.
Course Objectives: Participants will become familiar with the principles in laboratory safety techniques, lab standards (ISO 17025), equipment safety and laboratory hazard evaluation techniques. Participants will be provided with a general working knowledge of engineering, biological, physical and chemical safety principles and the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS). It ensures that participants are fully aware of their responsibilities, right and need to know about potential hazards associated with hazardous materials in the workplace.
Advantages/Gains: This short course provides specially tailored content that is sufficient to enable delegates to understand and gain knowledge regarding laboratory related OHS activities. It also includes an overview of general health and safety practices, yet a special focus will be given to the nature of workplace hazards and hazardous materials. All the lectures will be provided in a highes possible standard by university lecturers who have been involving OHS education for many years intuitional experience.
Course Length: Education period is 30 hours in total per class/section. See Table 1.
Delegates: Laboratory workers, technicians, managers, employees, and any other relevant bodies who are in relation with engineering, biological and chemical labs are also welcome to participate. This course is also open for any technical person (e.g. professionals, students, secondary school science teachers, and other interested persons) who wants to work and study on OHS.
Couse content: Topics covered and their required education and training times are given below.
Table 1 Couse Content And Durations
| Topics Covered | Lecture Hours |
| Opening, introduction and a quick test to evaluate the level of delegates |
1 |
| Definition of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), Its history and new trend and applications |
1 |
| OHS applications and regulations all over the world |
1 |
| OHS management system and general principles |
3 |
| Risk assessment methods and applications (a specially designed section for (Lab Technicians) |
6 |
| Physical, Chemical, Biological and Physico-social Risk Factors for Lab activities and relevant workers (e.g. engineering, biological and chemical labs) |
6 |
| Risk controlling strategies, skills and knowledge necessary to assess the hazards presented by the use of chemicals or biological in their workplace |
2 |
|
Safe work principles and practices for handling, using and storing dangerous or toxic chemicals provide effective protection of the health and safety workers |
2 |
| Personal Protection Equipment (Determine suitable PPE’s at laboratory, Overview on regulation and standards that should be practiced and imposed at labs) |
2 |
| Control Principles and Documentation |
2 |
|
Hazardous waste and material management |
2 |
| Emergency plans, signs and labels |
2 |
| Total |
30 |
