3 Commissioning
a Ensure that equipment is commissioned and checked by a competent member
of staff before permitting students to operate it.
4 Operation
a Ensure that students are fully aware of the potential hazards when operating
equipment.
b Students should be supervised by a competent member of staff at all times
when in the laboratory. No one should operate equipment alone. Do not leave
equipment running unattended.
c Do not allow students to derive their own experimental procedures unless they
are competent to do so.
d Serious injury can result from touching apparently stationary equipment when
using a stroboscope to `freeze´ rotary motion.
5 Maintenance
a Badly maintained equipment is a potential hazard. Ensure that a competent
member of staff is responsible for organising maintenance and repairs on a
planned basis.
b Do not permit faulty equipment to be operated. Ensure that repairs are carried
out competently and checked before students are permitted to operate the
equipment.
6 Using Electricity
a At least once each month, check that ELCBs (RCCBs) are operating correctly
by pressing the TEST button. The circuit breaker must trip when the button is
pressed (failure to trip means that the operator is not protected and a repair
must be effected by a competent electrician before the equipment or electrical
supply is used).
b Electricity is the commonest cause of accidents in the laboratory. Ensure that
all members of staff and students respect it.
c Ensure that the electrical supply has been disconnected from the equipment
before attempting repairs or adjustments.
d Water and electricity are not compatible and can cause serious injury if they
come into contact. Never operate portable electric appliances adjacent to
equipment involving water unless some form of constraint or barrier is
incorporated to prevent accidental contact.
e Always disconnect equipment from the electrical supply when not in use.
b
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