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Highlights of
Meeting held on 7 February 2007
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1. Safety Management
1.1 USEO has submitted the following papers to AAPC for
endorsement:
A paper containing summary of finding excerpted from the
UGC Safety Management System Review Panel’s Report and
the responses of the University as discussed in past
Committee on Safety meetings;
A revised Safety Policy for CUHK;
The Strategic Plan of USEO for 2007-2012 and a plan to
reorganize the unit;
The Guidelines on Safety Training.
The papers were noted by AAPC and will be studied in
detail by the AAC.
1.2 As the time frame for OH&S management upgrade as
suggested in the report to AAPC should be complied with,
the meeting decided that related issues should be made
standing agenda items in coming Committee on Safety
meetings.
1.3 Members heard that a new space allocation formulae
has been developed by UGC and that all UGC-funded
tertiary institutions must use the new formulae in
calculating space available to departments and space
allocation in the new Centralized Science Laboratories
Building (CSLB) has to follow the new rules. The
University is currently working to finalise space
allocation for the CSLBs and other related issues.
Similarly, space in the new Clinical Science Extension
Building (CSEB) in PWH will be subjected to the same
formulae. Any unallocated space will be open for
competitive bidding by departments.
2. Radiation Safety
2.1 In response to questions raised by members, the
Safety Manager confirmed that there is no plan to place
additional control, apart from those already in safety
guidelines, on the use of radioisotopes on campus.
Members heard that the use of certain materials in
laboratories, radioisotopes included, is subjected to
risk assessments on the dosage and the corresponding
safety precautions in place.
2.2 Safety Office will review the storage of radioactive
waste on campus and report to SAC-RE.
3. Chemical Safety
3.1 The annual exemption quota for ethyl alcohol
assigned to the University in the current year is 14,000
litres. The exemption quota was almost fully utilized in
the past calendar year at a consumption amount of 13,412
litres. The USEO will write to the Business Office to
seek its assistance in liaising with the Customs &
Excise Department to have the exemption quota raised to
17,500 litres for the coming year. The request is based
on the projection increase in the number of new
laboratories in the CSLB and CSEB which will be put into
services in the next few months.
3.2 USEO has conducted monitoring on formaldehyde vapour
levels at several locations on campus. While data
suggested that other locations would have no
formaldehyde problem, the levels of the chemical were
consistently high in one laboratory.
3.3 Members decided that a working group comprising USEO,
CDO and EMO will be established to look at the problem
and recommend remedial actions on the formaldehyde
problem in the laboratory in question.
4. Environmental Hygiene
4.1 More Ovitrap samplers have been picked up from the
Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and now there
are forty samplers set up at fixed locations on campus
which can allow data comparison on Ovitrap monitoring
results.
4.2 Members heard that the number of dead birds
collected on campus did not increase abnormally during
the period.
5. Biological Safety
5.1 The meeting heard that there have been concerns
regarding models of biological safety cabinets installed
in the CSLB. The Safety Manager explained that the model
of biological safety cabinets installed were special
versions designed for CUHK with signals input to local
control mechanism. For this reason, the manufacturer has
added an “S” to the nominal model number affixed onto
the equipment, thus making them different from the
original model number stated in the contract. The
supplier has been asked to confirm in writing that the
models installed are actually the same as the original
agreed models.
6. AOB
6.1 As the past virtual meetings did not generate
satisfactory discussions on agenda items, it is decided
that for the four Committee on Safety meetings per year,
three would be physical and the remaining one virtual.
6.2 New information regarding safety is now announced
through the web page managed by USEO, as well as through
other means such as e-news and safety circulars to reach
CUHK community.
6.3 $93,783.95 per year is required to conduct fire
drills for 78 buildings. As fire safety is an important
issue, the Committee on Safety agreed to support request
for additional funding for the works in 2007-08 fiscal
year.
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