Lab Information
For further information on issues relating to EHS and Laboratory Management please contact:
George Dragicevic, Laboratory Manager
Telephone: 9288 2586
Email: gdrag @ unimelb.edu.au
- Consumables Ordering
- Customs Requirements
- Equipment Purchasing And Maintenance
- Equipment Grants
- Freezer Alarms
- Incident Reporting
- Safety Manual
- Shared Facilities
- Transporting Dangerous Goods
Consumables Ordering
Any consumable orders must be requested via the online procurement form. Orders are made once a week on Thursdays unless otherwise advised by the Laboratory Manager. If urgent, ad hoc orders can be made by contacting the Laboratory Manager.
Customs and AQIS Requirements
All goods shipped overseas (whether deemed dangerous or otherwise) will require a customs declaration. For assistance in meeting customs requirements please contact reception on x 2574.
Equipment Purchasing And Maintenance
The Laboratory Manager maintains equipment for general Department use and on behalf of specific research groups. Any laboratory equipment must be purchased through the Laboratory Manager to ensure compliance with University Environmental Health and Safety and Purchasing requirements.
Items over $60,000.00 (GST inclusive) will be subject to University tender board approval procedures. For further information on tender board requirements please contact the Department Manager on x 2578.
It is expected that research groups purchasing equipment for their exclusive use will meet any maintenance costs applicable to the equipment. Research groups should take this ongoing cost into consideration when considering large equipment purchases.
Equipment Grants
A range of equipment grants are available through the Faculty and University for equipment purchases relating to research. As grants are offered the Research Directions Committee will be asked nominate potential items for endorsement by the Department Executive. In most cases the Department will meet the maintenance costs relating to items of equipment purchased with equipment grant funds.
Freezer Alarms
- All freezers in the Department are connected to an alarm system. Alarms will activate locally when the temperature of a freezer rises 9C above the set point (ie for -80C set point the trigger point is -71C). If the temperature remains above this trigger point for a set period (1/2 to 1 hour depending on the freezer), this activates the audible alarm and light on the freezer panel (located at the end western end of the Level 4 CSB corridor). This does not occur if the temperature returns to below the trigger point within the delay period. Freezer alarms are often the result of a power outage, or as is more often the case, when someone is retrieving samples and the door of the freezer is opened frequently.
What do I do if an alarm activates?
The Laboratory Manager will resolve any freezer issues when available. If the Laboratory Manager is unavailable, the following information may assist you:
Keys to the alarm panel can be found in the Lab Manager's Office (Room 412) on the key hooks above the small freezer and at the Department reception desk (Room 423) below the whiteboard. - To switch off the audible alarm turn the key clockwise and hold until the alarm ceases. The red light stays on if the freezer is still in an alarm state.
- Investigate why the freezer has alarmed and if the unit is still operational, allow some time for the temperature to drop below the trigger point.
- Reset the alarm panel light by turning the key clockwise. If this is not done the freezer is effectively not protected by the alarm system.
- If the freezer has failed, the contents need to be relocated to another freezer - there is currently sufficient capacity in Department freezers should this be necessary.
- If the audible alarm system is activated out of business hours and no action is taken to stop the alarm, the following staff members will be automatically phoned in the order listed below and will respond accordingly. George Dragicevic /Andrzej Januszewski /Alicia Jenkins.
- If you are involved in resetting a freezer alarm, please ensure you notify the Laboratory Manager of the situation and any action taken.
Incident Reporting
Detailed information on incident reporting procedures and related forms.
Safety Manual
Please visit our webpage for further information on safe working procedures.
Shared facilities
The Department is responsible for meeting maintenance costs of certain items of equipment owned by specific research groups that are used regularly by other department researchers. A list of items currently supported under this arrangement is available here. If a research group wishes to add one of their items of equipment to this list, this should be raised at Research Group Leaders Forum for endorsement and recommendation to the Department Executive.
Whilst general items used by everyone are covered, here is a list of items owned by a particular group which are widely used by other groups. These are covered to up ot $1000 per year by departmental funds.
Transporting Dangerous Goods
Recent changes by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) have made it a requirement that all people involved in the packaging and shipping of dangerous goods (including infectious substances, diagnostic specimens and GMOs) receive training in this subject from a CASA certified training authority.
For assistance in transporting dangerous goods please contact one of the following department staff trained for this purpose:
- George Dragicevic x 2586
- Andrzej Januszewski x 2664
- Connie Karschimkus x 2585
- Renae Gow x 2577
- Alison Cox x 2583