Lab Safety
It is the responsibility of everyone in HKUST to be familiar with and to conform to the policies of the university’s Health, Safety & Environmental Office (HSEO).
This includes all faculty, technical and administrative staff, students (UG and PG), and research staff (appointed and visiting).
Security Access To Faculty Laboratories
PG students and staff can have access to their faculty laboratories 24 hours a day using the staff/student card.
PG students/RAs need to apply for the door access by filling out the door-access authorization form.
Security Access To Teaching Laboratories
UG students need to apply for the door access by filling out the door-access authorization form.
PG students/RAs need to apply for the door access by filling out the door-access authorization form.
Working Hours
PG students and staff can access the laboratories 24 hours a day.
FYP students are allowed to work/access the FYP lab (room 3125A) from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm, Monday to Friday (except public holidays).
Do Not Work Alone
During off-office hours, weekends and public holidays, no one is allowed to work alone in the faculty laboratories for safety reasons.
The safety policy has been formulated by the department safety committee, consisting of the following personnel:
- Departmental Safety Officer (DSO);
- Deputy DSO.
The current members of the department safety committee are as follows:
- DSO: Prof. Abhishek K SRIVASTAVA
- Deputy DSO: Mr. Joseph CHENG
Technical Officer (TO) Safety Duty:
Every Lab Technical Officer (TO) need to do the Laboratory Safety Self-Survey Checklist in Jan. and Aug.
Faculty Laboratory Representatives are invited to the Committee meetings (held in Jan. and Aug. after completing the internal Laboratory Safety inspection) to review laboratory operations and the existing laboratory safety policy.
Experimental Work
When a new researcher joins a research group, the Faculty Laboratory Representative must formally review the " Safety Orientation Check List Form" with the researcher.
The form will cover:
- Emergency fire safety awareness,
- Emergency chemical safety and spill awareness,
- In case of an accident, what one must do,
- Waste management,
- Personal safety Protection,
- Prior the start of an experiment: the preparatory readings, the mandatory safety courses and the health checks,
- Preparation of work plan
A researcher can only start the experimental work after an approved work plan with a work permit is granted by the DSO to the researcher.
Non-Experimental Work
Computational researchers who sit in the laboratories but do not plan to do experiments must also review the " Safety Orientation Check List Form" with the Faculty Laboratory Representative. They need not prepare a work plan, but they must attend the mandatory safety classes as they must be aware of the potential hazards in the laboratories.
ECE Safety Course: ELEC-0001
All existing/new laboratory users (except faculty members) must pass this course. The course aims to enhance awareness about laboratory safety requirements, protocols, and procedures.
Please complete the course on CANVAS.
Staff or students carrying out experiments must prepare a reasonably detailed written procedure for their experimental work. This must include all the special precautions that will be required for their experiments - e.g., protective clothing (indicating the material type), fume extraction, pressure relief, etc., - and what, if any, precautions will be necessary for others working in the vicinity.
Reporting Specific Hazards Or Dangerous Practices
Any accident must be reported to the HSEO within 24 hours by filling out the Incident/Accident Report Form. Additionally, they shall submit the same form to the DSO, and the Deputy DSO.
All faculty, staff and students in the department share the responsibility for protecting those working in the department and others who may be exposed to hazards as a result of our activities.
If you have noticed any operations, activities or apparatus that you consider to be a potential non-urgent hazard, you should report it by contacting:
- On-campus line 2358-6565 (24 hours)
- ECE Safety Email: ecesafety@ust.hk
- Prof. Abhishek K SRIVASTAVA, DSO: 3469-2485 or email: eeabhishek@ust.hk
- Joseph CHENG, Deputy DSO: 2358-7086 or email: cscheng@ust.hk
- Asta LAI, Lab DSO: 2358-8515 or email: eeasta@ust.hk