HSE at SeaLab

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On this page, you will find information about Health, Safety and Environment at SeaLab. This includes technical and administrative resources and routines.

Norwegian version: HMS ved SeaLab

*Registration form for access to SeaLab*

Innholdsfortegnelse [-]

Contact

Lab manager: Arne Kjøsnes

Coordinator: Inger Jennings

HSE coordinators: Kjersti Rennan Dahl (IBI) and Inger Jennings (NV)

Safety representative: Siv Anina Etter/ Deputy: Iurgi Imanol Salaverria-Zabalegui

Radiation protection coordinator: Grethe Stavik Eggen

Gas safety coordinator: Iurgi Imanol Salaverria-Zabalegui

Purchaser: V ebjørn Langseth (NV) /Kjersti Rennan Dahl (IBI projects)

Chemical registration/Eco-online: Tora Bardal

Access to facilities: Arne Kjøsnes, Tora Bardal, Dag Altin and Iurgi Imanol Salaverria-Zabalegui

Person with responsibility for experiments with animals [1](PMSK): Dag Altin

Description of HSE roles at the Faculty of Natural Science

The lab manager at SeaLab has a particularly important role and must approve all research activity at SeaLab (se section about approval for research activity in this document).

Emergency planning

All users must familiarise themselves with the emergency exits at NTNU SeaLab’s facilities.

Overview of emergency exits to be used in lectures (PDF)

Information about emergency preparedness and response at the Faculty of Natural Science (including overview of those responsible for evacuation)

Facilities and equipment

NTNU SeaLab is a multidisciplinary research centre which forms part of NTNU Oceans, one of four strategic research areas at the university. SeaLab is hosted by the Faculty of Natural Science as one of three shared research infrastructures.

NTNU SeaLab has experimental facilities for research on fish and other aquatic organisms, including temperature-controlled rooms, access to seawater and freshwater and analytical laboratories, as well as teaching facilities, meeting rooms and offices. The facility may be accessed by internal and external users for research and education purposes.

Laboratory reservations are made using Bookitlab, where you will also find detailed information about each lab and prices. Please note that some facilities require specific training before you may gain access, as described in Bookitlab. We are in the process of adding individual instruments to Bookitlab, but for the time being these may be reserved in Teams (Labreservering Sealab).

There is useful information for users of SeaLab in Teams. The most useful Teams for NTNU SeaLab are «Sealab», «Labreservering Sealab» and «NTNU Sealab – informasjon for brukere». Contact the coordinator of SeaLab to gain access to these Teams. A regular newsletter for SeaLab may also be found in Teams. You can also sign up for a mailing list for SeaLab staff by contacting the leader group of the Marine Science research section at the Department of Biology to be added to the list.

If you wish to request office space at SeaLab, contact the lab manager.

Njord, the student organisation for students of MSc Ocean Resources, allocate study desks for students. Contact the leader of Njord if you want a study desk at SeaLab.

Access Control at SeaLab

To gain access to NTNU SeaLab, contact Arne Kjøsnes, Tora Bardal or Dag Altin. Before you can be given access you must complete an online form with different information depending on your status and which areas you need access to.

Responsibility for HSE

All line managers have a responsibility for HSE work which cannot be delegated. HSE responsibility is not only linked to people with personnel responsibilities, it also includes people who have the task of leading or controlling others, such as Masters and PhD supervisors. The HSE responsibility of supervisors cannot be delegated to technicians at SeaLab. All staff and students also have a personal responsibility for their own safety and to follow HSE guidelines.

More about NTNUs HSE policy

If you are planning to work in laboratories at SeaLab, contact the person responsible for the room(s) to gain access and inform them of your planned activity. All labs have a room card by the door that shows you name and contact information of the person responsible for the room. You can also find this information in the room card database. Always inform the person responsible for the room of any problems or incidents that occur in the room.

HSE training

Students and employees who are planning to work at SeaLab must have basic training in laboratory safety before they arrive, as such training is not offered at SeaLab. For students and PhDs it is the responsibility of their supervisor to ensure appropriate training has been given. Bachelor students should have taken the course HMS0001 and Master students the course HMS0003 before they begin working at SeaLab. In addition, in certain cases laboratory specific training may be required and can be booked in Bookitlab. If such training is a prerequisite for a specific laboratory or instrument it must be completed before you will be able to make a booking.

Reporting HSE incidents

All accidents, breach of guidelines and other unwanted occurrences concerning HSE must be reported in the reporting system EQS. Choose «Sealab» as the reporting unit so the report is sent to the HSE coordinator for SeaLab, who will involve other units as necessary. We encourage our users to report incidents even if they seem small as all reports provide an opportunity for learning. You may also report suggestions for improvements to laboratory procedures and safety equipment.

Risk assessment

All lab work must be risk assessed by the person responsible for the activity before the work starts. Students and PhDs should conduct their risk assessment together with their supervisor. Until a new electronic solution for risk assessment is in place, all risk assessments should be done in an Excel sheet. A template is available on the HSE pages of NTNU. The person responsible for the room(s) you are planning to work in should be included when writing the risk assessment. The lab manager must be given access to the completed risk assessment, either electronically or a paper copy. On Teams risk assessments for infrastructure are made available. These may be used as background information, but they do not replace the need to independently risk assess your own activity. Please remember to update the risk assessment if your research plan changes. Master students must be registered by their supervisor to gain access to lab facilities once their risk assessment has been completed.

Rules for using wet and dry laboratories

You must complete HSE training before you can gain access to the labs. If you need a reminder of general lab safety rules, refer to the laboratory and workshop handbook.

In general, working alone in laboratories outside of normal working hours should be avoided. If working alone is unavoidable a working-alone-alarm should be used. A working-alone-alarm should also be used in some cases during normal working hours according to the guideline for working alone.

SeaLab’s guideline for working alone (PDF) (in Norwegian)

Guideline for working alone from NV (PDF) (in English)

All users of laboratories are responsible for tidying up their work area and cleaning equipment such as glassware. Keep the lab tidy and don’t drop screws, bits of plastic from cables ties etc. on the floor, as such debris can block drains. Never store anything on the floor in rooms with drains. Blocked drains can cause flooding and water damage.

All rooms must be tidied and waste disposed of correctly when work has been completed. All samples to be stored at SeaLab must be registered and labelled. All users must complete a lab checkout form to confirm this has been done before they leave SeaLab.

Use of chemicals

Anyone planning to work with chemicals must familiarise themselves with NTNU’s guidelines for handling, using and disposing of chemicals. You must be aware if you are working with substances that require registration in the exposure index and follow the appropriate guidelines.

Animal welfare

Anyone conducting experiments on animals that are covered by the Norwegian Law on animal welfare or Regulation on use of animals in experiments (both available only in Norwegian) must apply for a permit from the Norwegian Food Safety Authority (Mattilsynet). The applicant must have appropriate training for working with experimental animals. NTNU offers a course, NEVR8014, which gives the required competence. The lab manager at SeaLab must be given a copy of the permit. If you are unsure if your research requires a permit, you can contact the PMSK.

Internal control aquaculture

SeaLab follows an internal control system for aquaculture. This is a requirement from the Ministry of Fisheries and enforced by the Food Safety Authority. Anyone who is going to work with live fish must familiarise themselves with the Aquaculture Act and the information about animal welfare above.

At least 14 days before animals are brought to the facility a form must be filled in and given to the lab manager. This form and procedures for keeping, moving and euthanising fish are available in a folder on Teams. The person responsible for the experiment must report any unwanted occurrences using a form in the same Teams folder.

Approval for research activity

Experiments cannot commence until the lab manager has given approval. A risk assessment and completion of all steps to ensure animal welfare and internal control for aquaculture are prerequisites for such approval to be given. The lab manager will also assess the feasibility of completing the proposed research with the facilities that SeaLab can offer.