Life Sciences & Pharma

Set up and run a safe scientific research operation

Whatever your research discipline — biotechnology, natural science, social science or humanities — you share the same workplace-safety foundation. This guide takes you through your general health and safety duty, fire safety, employers' liability insurance, equality and data protection. Put this spine in place first, then layer the conditional regulatory duties that apply to your specific research activities.

UK-wide
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UK-wide

Related guides in Compliance & Legal

Running a scientific research operation — whether a biotechnology laboratory, a field-research station, an engineering test facility or an office-based social-science team — brings a set of workplace duties that apply to every research business. The duties in this guide cover running the operation and employing people, whatever your discipline. Put this spine in place first, then layer the conditional regulatory duties that apply to your specific research activities on top.

Health and safety law here is largely devolved. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the regulator in Great Britain and the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) in Northern Ireland; the underlying duties are equivalent across the UK. Work through the sections below in order.

A. Meet your general health and safety duty

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 is the foundation. You must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of your employees and of anyone else affected by your work. In a research setting that means risk-assessing laboratories, equipment, fieldwork and the substances or agents your people work with, providing safe systems of work, and training and supervising your people.

B. Manage fire safety

Laboratories may store flammable solvents, compressed gases, reactive chemicals or biological materials that create a fire risk above a typical office. The responsible person must carry out a fire risk assessment and maintain fire-safety arrangements, including ventilation, storage of flammable materials and ignition-source controls. The duty is devolved: the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 in England and Wales; the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 and Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006 in Scotland; and the Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 in Northern Ireland.

C. Hold employers' liability insurance

As soon as you employ anyone, you must hold employers' liability compulsory insurance — normally at least £5 million of cover — and display or make available the certificate. The certificate is issued by your insurer. This is a legal requirement across Great Britain, with an equivalent duty in Northern Ireland.

D. Meet your equality duties

As an employer you must not discriminate against, harass or victimise people because of a protected characteristic. In Great Britain this is governed by the Equality Act 2010; in Northern Ireland separate equality legislation applies, enforced by the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.

E. Handle personal data lawfully

If you process personal data — about staff, research participants, collaborators or funders — you must comply with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, and in most cases pay the data protection fee to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). The DPA 2018 provides specific safeguards and exemptions for processing personal data for scientific research purposes (section 19 and Schedule 2 Part 6). This applies UK-wide.

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    1. Write your health and safety risk assessments

    Assess laboratories, equipment, fieldwork, substances and biological agents, and put safe systems of work, training and supervision in place under HASAWA 1974.

  2. 2

    2. Carry out your fire risk assessment

    Assess the fire risk from flammable solvents, compressed gases and reactive chemicals under the fire-safety regime for your nation, and maintain fire-safety arrangements.

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    3. Take out employers' liability insurance and register with the ICO

    Arrange at least £5 million of cover before anyone starts work, and pay the data protection fee unless you are exempt.

What to do next

This spine covers the duties of running the operation and employing people. On top of it sit the conditional regulatory duties that depend on the type of research you do. If your laboratory work involves hazardous substances, genetically modified organisms, animal research, human tissue or ionising radiation, work through "Meet your scientific research regulatory duties" next. Then confirm the whole picture with the scientific research and development compliance checklist.

Official sources

Authoritative health and safety and data-protection guidance.