Newsletter No. 63

CUHK Newsletter No. 63 19th January 1995 3 'In our game, you don't want anything exciting. Interesting andc h a l l e n g i n g,yes. But not exciting. Exciting means dangerous,' says Jonathan Amies, chief laboratory safety officer of the newly set up University Laboratory Safety Office, SAFETY IN GOOD H ANDS An interview with Jonathan Amies by Piera Chen T h e office operates under the aegis of the Committee of Laboratory Safety whose role is to oversee and review laboratory safety in the University on a regular basis. Its 'safety net' covers 37 departments or research units which operate laboratories where potentially hazardous procedures are carried out. Such procedures range from the use of drills and chain saws in the workshops of the Fine Arts Department to the culturing of disease-causing bacteria in the medical labs. Each of these departments or units has a safety coordinator, appointed by the chairman, who liaises with the Safety Office and who is responsible for coordinating overall safety in the department's laboratories. Under the Committee of Laboratory Safety are also three safety advisory committees, covering three main types of hazard: radiation or electrical, biological, and chemical or carcinogenic. Each advisory committee is responsible for formulating safety guidelines related to its particular area which are applicable to all laboratories in the University. In his external capacity, Mr. Amies represents the University in TISAG, the Tertiary Institutes Safety Advisory Group, which has been set up recently. Its members, the safety officers of the local universities, meet every couple of months to exchange views and discuss problems. As many safety officers like Mr. Amies himself originally worked in industry, the group sometimes advises the government on industrial hazards. It also assumes a stimulative role in urging the government to regard tertiary institutes as separate from factories in terms of safety regulations. Having been here from Australia since last July, Mr. Amies said all the CUHK staff and researchers he has come across seem to be highly aware of the need for safety. It was precisely this heightened awareness together with the UGC's (formerly UPGC) insistence on tertiary institutions having their own set of safety procedures for research projects, and other factors, that necessitated the creation of a whole new role to monitor lab safety in the University. When asked how lab safety affects students, Mr. Amies said that first of all, they have a right to work in a safe environment. Besides, he added, it is essential that students are taught to understand the problems and instilled the correct attitude right from the beginning, which means they must realize that 'safety is everybody's problem.' Using cigarette-smoking as an analogy, Mr. Amies said unsafe practices or conditions are like cigarettes. The more you smoke, the greater your chances are of getting lung cancer, although you won't necessarily be the one to get it. Unfortunately, safety is very statistical.' Since most students will hold senior jobs when they graduate and enter industry or become teachers themselves, Mr. Amies said he hopes they will contribute what they have learnt here to their jobs and their co-workers. Mr. Amies himself obtained his safety management degree in a school of business studies. 'It makes very good sense to tie things like personnel relations, safety, and the environment together,' he said. Mr. Amies was educated in New Zealand with a B.Sc. from Victoria University of Wellington and a postgraduate diploma in safety management from Massey University. He was lecturer at Waikato Polytechnic in New Zealand for 14 years and safety officer at Melbourne College of Advanced Education before joining CSL Ltd. in Australia where he was occupational health and safety manager for 10 years. So how exactly does he get down to the business of safety in the University? Mr. Amies said a lot of his work is preventive in nature and, understandably, he hopes it stays that way. The safety office has almost finished compiling a radiation register which will be followed by a chemical and a biological register. These when finished will outline precisely what the potential hazards are on campus as well as where they are. Besides, the safety office in conjunction with the safety advisory committees will write up procedures and guidelines, such as those for radiation protection and using lasers. Apart from setting safety down in black and white, Mr. Amies does inspection work throughout the University, from ventilation to chemical storage. However, magnifying-glass-wielding Sherlock Holmes he's not. 'I've been in this field for over 24 years. I can often tell the symptoms or problems by walking around and talking frankly to researchers, lab technicians or lab maintenance personnel.' So what happens if he spots practices or conditions that, as he euphemistically put it, 'need a bit of attention'? Mr. Amies said the safety office believes in a 'soft, cooperative approach'. Not surprising coming from a man who prefers a low profile. In face of dangerous, or rather, unsafe practices or conditions, they ask: Where? What? Why? When? How? and Who? The last meaning: Who can help fix the problem? He said in his experience, very often when there is a problem, the researchers themselves know best how to solve it. However, sometimes they may be hindered from doing so by oversight on their part or inadequate resources for solving the problem. Therefore they need the advice and technical assistance of the lab safety office. ‘Many researchers are keen to obtain the knowledge and help of a safety officer,' Mr. Amies observed. It certainly looks as if the University's safety lies in very good hands. But for those of us perpetual worriers, one nagging question remains, namely, 'Just how safe is the University?' According to Mr. Amies, radiation safety is well looked after here. In fact, the original Radiation Protection Office of the University, which kept watch over radioactive substances and x- ray-generating instruments, among others, is now subsumed under the lab safety office. Regarding biological hazards, Mr. Amies said the greatest risk lies in working with tissues of human origin because the 'owner' may have had some kind of disease, e.g., AIDS, Hepatitis B. However, he added that although the University does a certain amount of genetic engineering, the processes are generally of low-level hazard compared to his last employer in Australia where cultures of the HIV virus were grown as were bacteria associated with cholera and plagues. Mr. Amies reiterates that CUHK researchers both on campus and at the Prince of Wales Hospital are highly aware and responsible. So what is the most amusing thing that's happened to Mr. Amies since his arrival in Hong Kong? 'Learning Cantonese,' he replied without thinking. He related an incident in which he had tried to order a large beer in Cantonese. Incidentally, the Cantonese words for 'large size' ( 大碼), when pronounced with a slight Australian accent, can sound like 'a little green plant with hallucinogenic effects when ingested' . The waitress was of course taken aback by his request. An ironically dramatic beginning for a man for whom as little drama as possible is good on the job. Weight Training Courses for Staff The Physical Education Unit w i l l organize five weight training courses for staff members at the University weight training room from 26th January to 27th February 1995. Enrolment is limited to 20 persons per course on a first-come- first-served basis. Interested parties should register at the reception counter ofthe Sports Centre with the $10 application fee and a recent photo (2"x2.5"). A weight training room users' card will be issued to each participant upon completion of course. Course No. Date Time Language of Instruction Application Deadline 1 2 3 4 5 26th January, Thursday 9th February, Thursday 13th February, Monday 23rd February, Thursday 27th February, Monday 5 . 1 5 p.m. — 6 . 4 5 p.m. 5 . 1 5 p.m. — 6 . 4 5 p.m. 5 . 1 5 p.m. — 6 . 4 5 p.m. 5 . 1 5 p.m.— 6.45 p.m. 5.15 p.m.— 6.45 p.m. Chinese Chinese English Chinese Chinese 19th January 3rd February 6th February 16th February 20th February