Prevention guidelines

Accident Prevention

In order to reduce accident risks in general, everyone shall:

• Keep from performing actions that are likely to jeopardise their own safety and that of others;
• Collaborate with Safety Officers and Laboratory Managers by duly reporting any accident or particularly hazardous situations;
• Comply with non smoking regulations in any of the marked areas, classrooms, and laboratories;
• Not enter laboratories where hazardous chemicals are used, unless duly authorised by the Lab Manager

Fire Prevention

Proper behaviour and strict compliance with applicable rules are key to prevent fires (or limit their damage). In particular, everybody shall:

• Keep escape routes, and emergency exits in particular, clear at all times
• Keep fire doors closed
• Never use waste bins as ashtrays
• Strictly comply with posted prohibition signs
• Limit the fire load

Fire load refers to the amount of flammable material and the amount of heat that can be generated by a substance if ignited within a given area. It is most commonly used to refer to the amount of heat that can be generated by the materials in an enclosed area. 
Max fire loads set by applicable regulations are specified in the following table:

In the case of stacks of paper (which in our specific case is the most common flammable material), the fire load is to be calculated by multiplying the weight of paper by 2.5, or by assuming the weight of each linear meter of occupied shelf to be 75 Kg, divided by the overall room surface.

DSE

Ionising and non ionising radiation released by Display Screen Equipment is not ‘harmful to the health of workers’ using such equipment: at a 5 cm distance from any point of the device surface, dose intensity never exceeds the 0.5 mR/h threshold specified by Presidential Decree No. 1428/68. 
Conversely, problems may be caused by wrong device positioning, prolonged static posture and/or poor room lighting. 
Vision and musculoskeletal problems are mainly due to prolonged static working postures. In other words, DSE users should change their posture regularly, every hour or so, and take full breaks from work with DSE every 4 hours. Under applicable OH&S regulations, employees constantly using DSE over the week for more than 4 hours a day, should take 15-minute breaks every 2 hours.

Even when DSE is not constantly used, the following recommendations should be followed:

• Adjust your chair, screen, keyboard and mouse so as to maintain a comfortable posture;
• The orientation of the video screen should be perpendicular to the light;
• Try and alternate DSE work with other tasks, also for a few minutes, just to change the static posture required when working with DSE;
• during breaks, get up and avoid straining your eyes to read, watch TV, etc.;
• every now and then during work with DSE:

1. Close your eyes for 1-2 minutes,
2. Follow the ceiling perimeter with your eyes,
3. Look at items that are 6 or more metres away.