What are your obligations as A school or business?
Kora have worked with Cleapss (the Consortium of Local Education Authorities for the Provision of Science Services) and the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) for over 4 years to help identify potential VOCS (Volatile Organic Compounds) which become airborne through the process of FFF/FDM desktop 3D Printing. The Universal Kora 3D Printer Safety Cabinet – SC-01 has been tested by the HSE laboratory to enable safe compliant 3D printing for most desktop 3D Printers printing a variety of composition filament types. (Internal measurements of the SC-01 are 652mm wide x 658mm deep x 688 high)
If your business uses or creates substances, or carries out processes which might cause harm to health, the law requires you to control the risks. The term control can apply to actions taken, to processes, or to safety equipment, used to minimise employee’s exposure to hazardous substances. Employers have legal duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety, and welfare at work of all their employees. This responsibility extends to other persons, such as pupils, students and visitors who may be affected by activities undertaken in the workplace. The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH 2002) requires employers to ensure that exposure is prevented or, where this is not reasonably practicable, adequately controlled. This can be achieved by applying the principles of good practice for the control of exposure to substances hazardous to health, as set out in COSHH.
COSHH risk assessment:
An assessment of the risk of the potential hazardous substances and processes will be required, and a written assessment may be needed, informing how work can be undertaken safely. Guidance for preparing a risk assessment can be found on the HSE website http://www.hse.gov.uk/toolbox/harmful/coshh.htm
When thinking about your risk assessment, remember: a hazard is anything that may cause harm, such as chemicals, the risk is the chance, that somebody could be harmed, together with an indication of how serious the harm could be.