Introduction
SESAME is committed to providing and maintaining a safe and healthy workplace for all workers, visitors, researchers, contractors, surrounding environment and members of the public as well as protecting its property. SESAME aims to ensure that all activities are carried out safely. SESAME aims to reduce and, where possible, remove all hazards to the health, safety and welfare of all who enter our premises. Safety at SESAME is overseen by the safety policy committee, which is chaired by the Administrative Director, and the safety office under the leadership of SESAME Director.
All users are responsible for their own health and safety and that of those around them. Users are required to comply fully with all guidelines and instructions pointed out in the safety training, induction, and risk assessment requirements. Users are expected to understand safety culture principles to work in a safe manner at all times, and keep the laboratory environment clean, safe and free from hazards. Users are also expected to report any incidents, hazards or concerns regarding safety.
The following processes are in place to ensure the safety of users at SESAME:
- Availability of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and engineering controls (e.g., fume hoods). There are some areas of SESAME or activities where specific PPE will be required. Users must comply with signage regarding required PPE.
- Radiation control and radiation monitoring. There are physical shields preventing the release of radiation outside the experimental hutches, and administrative controls minimising exposure to those working within the hutches. Passive radiation monitors are placed around the facility to ensure that levels do not exceed the background, and users are required to wear personal dosimeters at all times while working at SESAME, especially when in the main hall.
- Risk assessment processes. A risk assessment must be performed for all experiments that are performed at SESAME. Users must be familiar with the risks of the materials they are using and the experiments they are performing, as well as reading any relevant safety data sheets (SDS). The risk assessment will be assessed by the safety office, and users are required to provide any requested clarification as quickly as possible. Samples that cannot be brought to SESAME are: radioactive samples with dose rate > 0.5 µSv/h; chemical samples that are classified as acutely toxic, highly corrosive, highly oxidising, or potentially explosive; and biological samples with biosafety levels 1-4 that have not been appropriately treated to kill all living material.
- Hazardous waste management. Waste disposal bags will be provided for all solid waste that is generated in the course of an experiment. The safety office must be consulted regarding disposal of any other type of waste (e.g. liquid, chemical). It is expected that users will take away any samples that they brought into SESAME, unless by prior arrangement with the safety office and the relevant beamline scientist.