(66c) Application of Process Safety Management to Laboratory Safety Management

The laboratory facilities and equipment in Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) are centrally managed by the Professional Officers Division (POD). As such POD develops central policies and processes for the safe and smooth operation of laboratories. The diversity of laboratories range from engineering workshops, mechanical testing to chemical and biological laboratories with the hazards exposed to students equally wide ranging; similar to industry except for their quantities. Therefore, a good Laboratory Safety Management System is required to ensure the safe operations.

Process Safety typically focuses on prevention of incidents involving loss of containment (e.g. toxic release, spill, fire or explosion) by ensuring facilities are well designed, safely operated and properly maintained. It also involves ensuring that facilities are designed for safety through good engineering and incorporating safety systems to monitor and control process hazards. Whilst Process Safety is commonly applied in the process industry, its principles may be extended to Laboratory Safety Management to prevent incidents in teaching as well as research laboratories.

As all laboratories are centrally managed by POD, application of process safety management elements can be extended to laboratory safety management to achieve similar outcomes, prevention of incidents in the context of laboratory operations and activities.

Key principles of process safety that can be replicated in laboratory safety management are Employee Participation, Process Hazard Information, Process Hazard Analysis, Management of Change and Emergency Planning, Procedures etc. In the hybrid laboratory model at the SIT where teaching and research activities share the same space, it is imperative that hazards are adequately identified, and concurrent activities managed.

To build a good safety culture, it is important to actively engage laboratory users (staff and students) on the hazards in the laboratory, controls in place, hazard identification, safety promotion, continual safety improvement projects, training, etc. similar to Employee Participation.

Preventive maintenances are also scheduled to ensure the mechanical integrity of equipment. The Management of Change process is implemented when change is intended such as laboratory redesign involving structural alterations. Changes in laboratory configuration may affect emergency response procedures and structurally designed fire safety features. Fire compartmentalization could be compromised resulting in fire spreading instead being contained.

Whilst effective control measures help prevent incidents, an effective Emergency Planning can limit the extend of asset damage or human injuries. Consequences from deviations from anticipated outcomes in research activities should also be considered. These will form a collection of credible scenarios and be the basis of emergency response drills that should be conducted. An effective investigation process after laboratory incident to identify root causes and laboratory safety improvement opportunities. As proactive measure, risk-based laboratory inspection is conducted like compliance audits. Procedures are established to manage high risk activities (work permits) and contractors who are unfamiliar with the laboratory environment.

The process safety principles can be an effective tool in laboratory safety management when dealing with laboratory infrastructure. These will have to be supplemented by a robust training and effective communication of safe laboratory practices considering the transient nature of laboratory users.