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Electricity presents a serious hazard to the operator. In this case, this risk was mitigated by using an external power supply (compliant to UK and EU regulations), and using a low voltage DC source to power the device itself. This power supply was grounded, and thoroughly checked before connected to UK mains (low voltage AC - 230V)</p> | Electricity presents a serious hazard to the operator. In this case, this risk was mitigated by using an external power supply (compliant to UK and EU regulations), and using a low voltage DC source to power the device itself. This power supply was grounded, and thoroughly checked before connected to UK mains (low voltage AC - 230V)</p> | ||
Revision as of 23:29, 18 October 2016
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SAFETY
Safety is at the centre of everything that we do.
It was critical to ensure that we could integrate safe practices into both our project, and our working environment; and we achieved this using a wide variety of safety approaches and frameworks
![](https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/thumb/2/20/T-Cambridge-JIC-GM12.jpg/800px-T-Cambridge-JIC-GM12.jpg)
Safety by design
Safety by design was implemented in various parts of our project, in order to 'design out' hazards that may pose a risk as a result of the project. This section will explore how we approached this implementation, with a particular emphasis on: Operator safety & Biological Containment
Safety Design in the Gene Gun
The operating mechanism of a Gene Gun carries inherent risks, which were considered in the design stage. Of course, no test runs were attempted until a full risk assessment had been conducted, and reviewed by qualified and experienced engineers.
Air Pressure Risks
Safety by design in the Growth Facility
The hazards posed by a growth facility are somewhat more subtle than the gene gun, but were nevertheless considered.
Biological Containment
Electrical Safety