Accessibility statement

Safety information for new starters & visitors

Welcome!

We aim to provide a safe and healthy work environment where all risks are well managed and reduced to an acceptable level by taking reasonable precautions. Indeed, the risks to you from working in this department should form a small fraction of the overall risks that you accept and experience as part of your everyday life!

The information below is intended to provide useful safety information for all newcomers to the Department. You should also receive safety induction information, as organised by your supervisor or line manager before you start your work activities. A link to the online 'Health & Safety Induction Checklist' is sent to all new members of staff, temporary visiting workers and postgraduate students and is intended to cover general safety issues as well as the more specific safety issues relevant to your work.

The Biology Safety Web Pages are the primary source of safety advice for the Department of Biology. There is no Biology Safety Handbook; these pages do the same job but are more efficient since web pages can easily be updated so everyone has the latest copy. Please don't hesitate to ask for more advice and guidance and remember that it is the responsibility of everyone to think about the safety of their work before they start it! There is a mass of safety information available on the Web these days hence there is no excuse for not finding out about the hazards associated with any work as you plan it.

General safety information that all newcomers should read: