Safety Guidance
Undertaking Hazardous Tasks in the Dyson Centre
The Dyson Centre workshop is a place where you can undertake practical work that wouldn't be safe to do at home. We have experienced technicians ready to assist, and safety procedures that keep these risks under control.
Our Primary Rules Are
- Wear safety glasses when you or anyone near you is doing
- Cutting
- Filing
- Soldering
- Chemical work
- Using machines (except for Laser Cutters and 3D Printers)
- No running
- No kneeling or sitting on the floor
- Turn drills off at the wall when changing the bit
- Turn off equipment and clear away tools and materials before you leave
__________________________________________
Risk Assessments
- Each module that runs in the Dyson Centre will send you a risk assessment to read and sign
- To use the laser cutter, mill and/or lathe, you'll need to read and sign the appropriate risk assessment. Find the details via our equipment page.
- Societies need to write a risk assessment for any hazardous processes they undertake. Any society members undertaking hazardous activities must read and sign the society's risk assessment for that activity. See the next section for guidance on how to do this.
- Society Presidents are advised to book onto the in-person risk assessment training course
- Anyone writing a risk assessment should complete the 30 minute online risk assessment training
How to Write a Risk Assessment
- Open the CUED Risk Assessment App and log in with your university account
- Click 'Add a New Risk Assessment' in the top left
- Fill in the first page
- Supervisor is your society president or project lead
- Division is W (workshops), Divisional Safety Coordinator is R Roebuck
- The Dyson Centre is in the Inglis building
- Add Hazards
- Fill remaining fields
- Further control measures required usually doesn't require anything.
- Save and submit for approval
- Get your society president or safety officer to open the CUED Risk Assessment Approval App read and approve the risk assessment
- It will then go to the divisional safety coordinator to check
- Anyone in your society carrying out that task must be invited to read and sign the risk assessment by the author. They can send an invite by opening Invited Agreements tab within the risk assessment and entering the relevant CRSID
For further information, see the department's general risk assessment procedure page or contact the Dyson Helpdesk
__________________________________________
Chemical Use and Storage
The Dyson Centre has a range of chemicals you can use for personal and society projects. Email dyson-helpdesk@eng.cam.ac.uk to see if we have what you need, or ask at the desk. Technicians will advise you of precautions when using that chemical.
When you buy chemicals to use in the Dyson Centre, you will need to write a risk assessment and fill out COSHH form before using or storing them here.
- Download the COSHH form here
- Search online for the product safety data sheet as this will provide a lot of the information you need.
- Read the guide above to fill out a risk assessment for your activity.
- Email the COSHH form, the safety data sheet and a link to your risk assessment to dyson-helpdesk@eng.cam.ac.uk
Hazardous chemicals cannot be stored in the general cupboard space in the Dyson Centre. Ask a technician to place it one of our flame proof cabinets.
Any students carrying out tasks involving hazardous chemicals are advised to complete the chemical safety training 1 hour course
__________________________________________
Chemical Disposal
When hazardous chemicals that are owned by societies expire, or are no longer needed, they need to be disposed of using the following process
- Fill out a COSHH disposal spreadsheet. Search for the product safety data sheet online and you will find this process much easier
- Email the completed sheet to uk.uoc@tradebe.com and copy in dyson-helpdesk@eng.cam.ac.uk
- They will reply with a 4 digit number, usually called the WO number.
- Print the spreadsheet, write the WO number on it, put it with the chemical(s) your disposing of
- Place the chemicals and spreadsheet inside a protective container, like a cardboard box or airtight bag, and ask a technician to take them down to the chemical disposal cabinet.
Email dyson-helpdesk@cam.ac.uk for assistance, or ask at the desk
__________________________________________
General Waste Disposal
4 Bins
Grey polypropylene bins around the workshop
- Paper and Cardboard - nothing wet or with excessive tape on
- Food Waste - Anything that was living including bones, but not wood / timber
- Metal, Glass and Plastic - only cans, bottles and food containers
- General Waste - Anything else non-hazardous
Metal and Wood Bins
Small square metal bins around the workshop. Most are labelled metal, but some are labelled wood.
Electronic Waste
- For restorable computer waste including printers, please download the Restore IT waste disposal form, fill it in and email it to Stephen Borbas smb58@cam.ac.uk
- For miscellaneous electronic components, download the Mountain Waste WEEE form, fill it in and email it to Stephen Borbas smb58@cam.ac.uk
- For small batteries that you'd buy in a supermarket, use the battery bin in the Design and Projects Office (DPO), for larger batteries use the Chemical Disposal route detailed in the section above.
Chemical Waste & Batteries
See the Chemical Disposal section above