Audit time

[cheltie]

Hi everyone,
Can anyone help me please?
I have just found out the school is being audited next month and they are concentrating on the chemicall safety area.This a departmental audit not workcover.
What a surprise- I seem to be the one expected to have everything in order.
Last time our chemical register failed because we didn't include the detergent, cleaning products and liqid paper. I am still not sure how to include these. Do I have to know which chemicals are in them or do I just add them on as liquid paper or what ever it is?
I also can't remember how old the MSDS forms are allowed to be. We have one set of full ones in science and a mini set at the front office - does any one know if this is ok or do I need two full sets?
Any help would be much appreciated.
Helen

[sunray18]

We went through this last year - horrendous. I had to do EVERY area in the school.. yes, everything is included, hand wash, detergent, liquid paper, air freshener, it goes on and on.. even to the makeup used in the Drama Dept! the chemwatch site does have most of these in its base.. so enter the product and it should come up in the list.. i got to the stage that if they didnt have the particular brand of hand wash or such in chemwatch i chucked the product out! I still havent completed it because chemwatch has been waiting for MSDS from france for some art materials, and there are some TAS stuff that they are still looking for -
the funniest thing was going through the cupboards in the kitchens in that faculty area... just for a huge laugh enter tea on chemwatch and do a search...
We have a set of full MSDS and a set of mini-MSDS in every Science prep room. I printed up the MSDS and mini-MSDS for each faculty Coordinator and advised them where they should keep them. I also did the same for the cleaners - each cleaners cupboard has MSDS and mini-MSDS for every product they have there. maintenance and groundsmen also.
THEN: there is a full MSDS and a mini-MSDS of every product in the entire school kept in the Principal's office AND in the Main Administration office!
MSDS must be replaced every 5 years minimum...

[Labbie]

Taken from CSIS 1.4.7 records Volume 1 section 1 page 15 The Hazardous substances regulation 1996.

A chemical register is a list of all hazardous substances int he workplace. A copy of the MSDS for each Hazardous substance must be kept with the register. The chemcial register must be updated annually. Schools are required to establish and maintain a register of all chemcials in each storage location, and in the school as a whole. The systems proposed in section 1.7 for carrying out a chemcial stocktake int he school will allow this information to be collected with the minimum of effort. A blank computer file (Appendix C1/C2) is provided so that the information can be recorded on a computer spreadsheet. Copies of Appendices B and I and copies of the summary computer files must be kept in a central location which can be access by all members of staff. Multiple backup of computer fiels should exist in different location int he school." End of quote.

Hope this helps,

[cheltie]

Thanks everyone.
I think chucking out some stuff sounds like a good idea and then I will just add the others to the register.
I am now only doing science which is good for me but it will be interesting to see how they go getting the GA to do a list.
Helen

[bindi]

Im busy trying to get things in order we are being inspected next week.
Any other tips besides MSDS & labelling?

[Labbie]

Make sure you dots are on lemonade, lemon juice, etc. It is some thing I always forgot, until, this chap told us all off, very loudly. Good luck

[judygee]

Dear Bindi - We were inspected lasr year and the woman that came to the prep room insisted that the Bromine water must live in the Corrosive cupboard not in the Fridge as I had read in the SCIS manual!!! So it would appear that you can get into trouble just by following the instructions in the Manual!!! Try not to stress too much!!! Good luck. Judy

[bindi]

Funny you should mention that, we had this discussion yesterday as well. That Br & Br water are better in a colder environment. I then double checked the appendix with it refering to it being cold will release less vapours.
We decided that this was the better option than the corrosive cabinet.

[kazam]

Dear Helen,
I was told by Alan Smith from asset management in the city that MSDS should not be older than 12 months old.
We have made chemwatch and chemical safety in schools available online on our intranet page at Epping Boys.
Diane

[Labbie]

Their was a problem with some thing being stored in a fridge. And due to the light going on and off when you open the door. Our network meeting instructer said not to store any chemicals in the fridge for that reason. A cool place does not mean a fridge.

[kmk]

Hi everybody, I need some help also.
Three years ago I did a Chemical Register for the whole school. I did this register on Chemwatch, but, it is not user friendly and I think it is geared more to industry than school laboratories.
I would like to know: How all of you do your register. If you use Chemwatch. If so, how other departments access MSDS and labels without being able to access your Manifest. It seems to me that once you get into Chemwatch you can access everything.
Looking forward to hearing from you
Kath

[Labbie]

We do ours on spread sheet. excel name of chemcial , amount, class, and packing group. I do each faculty one, after they have done their own stock take. we then present all the spread sheets, also well as science to the audit. The GA has his own MSDS which are updated and checked by me once a year. If any faculty like Industrial Arts, or Creative arts, and TAS have their own, again updated by me once a year. THey all have their own little red book with their own MSDS in. I then keep a copy of their MSDS in the big lot down here in science.

[sunray18]

We use Chemwatch - and I do the whole school - which includes the Library, Canteen, Maintenance Shed, Cleaners, Staff Room... Chemwatch isnt user friendly and it is SO SLOW - but we had a training In-service here 2 weeks ago and learnt lots of short-cuts... but also learnt that we are also expected to do a Risk Assessment on EACH chemical .. not the MSDS - an actual RA , which you do on the Chemwatch site - but takes time...
and who has spare time???????

[Ocean Breeze]

Cheltie.. my suggestions
1) Theres a magic shop down in Diagon Ally.
They sell invisible cloaks. Buy an extra large size, and drape it over the entire scince dept on the day of the inspection.
2) Schedule in your holidays for those days, my suggestion is somewhere far, far away... like the Maldives.
Sorted.

[lada]

Rainbow-sky, love your suggestions
lada

[bindi]

Well the panic is over
Im not sure what the difference between an audit and inspection is but we were 'inspected by the bored of studies' yesterday.
This is what they asked me personally.
* how long I had worked at the school?
then they wanted to look at the chemical storage. They look at shelfing, labelling, coloured dots.
* What improvements had been done since I started? we improved ventalition and a corrosive cabinet had been purchased.
* How was the chemical waste removed?
* Was a chemical register kept and could they have a look?
* Where else are the registered kept?
They scanned the preproom looking at baskets, trolleys everything off floors and signage.
They then proceeded to walk through the labs looking at glass bins, first aid kits, emergency showers, spill kits. I have alot of signs in the labs eg no food or drinks, think before you pour it in the sink, first aid posters etc and they asked the students if they have always been there?
'Yeah!' said one Y10 girls 'they have been here forever'
They were happy and congratulated me on my organisation

It took a whole 10minutes!! I spent weeks reprinting MSDS
SO a great long weekend ahead Boss has given me a nice red to enjoy tonight!!

[kmk]

Hi all,
Can you please tell me who does the "Chemical Register" for your school (that is the whole school) and how often it needs to be done.
Thank you Kath

[J]

I do the chemical register for the science dept., which I update once a year, and I hand around blank forms for the other faculties to fill in. What they do with them is their responsibility, not mine.

J

[Carolyn]

SAFETY EQUIPMENT
What do you have in each lab as safety equipment in case of spillage etc ?
I have been told I can purchase some as well as personal gear. What do you advise that I go for??
Carolyn

[Labbie]

In DET schools it is the head teacher job, but being his/hers assistant it often comes to us.

I do the Science one, I have a record of want each faculty has on a seperate sheet, I re-print the Faculty's ones each year, and ask them to up date it. THey come back to me for updating, and any new MSDS they may need. I do this once a year.