Health & Safety๏
Important
This section is a fundamental building block of any SOP
This section should outline any health and safety requirements relevant to the procedure. It ensures compliance with institutional policies, legal regulations, and best practices for safe working environments.
Depending on the procedure being documented, this may include:
Chemical or Biological Hazards: Risks associated with handling hazardous substances, biological materials, or infectious agents.
Physical Hazards: Risks from equipment use, manual handling, noise, or temperature extremes.
Ergonomic Considerations: Safe workstation setup, posture, and repetitive strain prevention (particularly relevant for computer-based procedures).
Training Requirements: Any mandatory safety training or certifications required before performing the procedure.
Emergency Protocols: Steps to follow in case of accidents, spills, or exposure incidents.
Risk Assessments: References to relevant institutional risk assessments and applicable national regulations (e.g., COSHH in the UK, OSHA in the US, REACH in the EU etc).
Note
Even procedures that appear low-risk (e.g. administrative or computational tasks) will at a minimum still need to consider the safe use of display screen equipment and desk ergonomics.
Example content:
๐งฌ Bioinformatics QC Procedure
Example content from a bioinformatics SOP outlining the procedure for assessing the quality of Illumina sequencing data prior to downstream bioinformatics analyses.
Health & Safety
This procedure is performed entirely using computer-based analysis. Use of Display Screen Equipment (DSE) should be risk-assessed, and the working environment should be evaluated in accordance with Occupational Health guidance. Users must ensure ergonomic workstation setup, appropriate seating, lighting, and screen positioning to minimise the risk of strain or injury.
๐ฉโ๐ฌ Staff Training Procedure
Example content from an SOP outlining a training procedure
Health & Safety
Even in low-risk training contexts, general safety and governance principles apply:
Comply with organisational health and safety policies
Ensure ergonomic workstation setup for computer-based training
Maintain privacy and confidentiality of trainee information
Use only approved, anonymised, or demonstration data (if applicable)
Ensure secure access to systems, accounts, and training materials
Report any incidents or hazards through standard organisational channels
๐ Galaxy Training Procedure
Example content from a training SOP detailing the standardised procedure for training on the Galaxy platform
Health & Safety
All users must comply with organisational health and safety policies and report any hazards, near misses, or incidents through the appropriate channels.
Ensure ergonomic seating, appropriate screen height, and rest breaks during long online sessions.
For in-person sessions, ensure adequate ventilation, safe electrical connections, and emergency exits.
๐งช Laboratory Procedure
Example content from a wet-lab SOP outlining the procedure for preparing sequencing libraries using the Illumina DNA Prep kit.
Health & Safety
This procedure must be performed in accordance with good laboratory practice at containment levels appropriate to the specimen type. All relevant risk assessments and COSHH documentation must be reviewed prior to use. Appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), including gloves and eye protection, must be worn as required.
๐ป Code Update & Review Procedure
Example content from an SOP outlining the procedure for updating and reviewing code within the Luma Genomics Unit (LGU).
Health & Safety
This procedure is performed entirely using computer-based analysis. Use of Display Screen Equipment (DSE) should be risk-assessed, and the working environment should be evaluated in accordance with Occupational Health guidance. Users must ensure ergonomic workstation setup, appropriate seating, lighting, and screen positioning to minimise the risk of strain or injury.