RESOURCE PERSONS

On your first day in a lab, there are specific people in charge of helping you, guiding you and giving you first information concerning the safety in the lab.

Present in the laboratory itself:

ACMO: “agent chargé de la mise en oeuvre” (person in charge of health and safety) In some institutions, he or she may be called a “Correspondant Hygiène et sécurité” (Health and Safety Correspondent)
SST: “sauveteur secouriste du travail” (work first-aid person)
When in a radioactive environment, PCR: “personne compétente en radioprotection” (person in charge of radioprotection)

Moreover, in any public research institution, university or local administration, you will also find:

The IHS: “ingénieur hygiène et sécurité” (Occupational Health and Safety manager)
The doctor in charge of medical risk prevention
The members of the “Comité Hygiène et Sécurité” (Health and Safety Council)

They do not work in the laboratory.

ACMO

He/she has been trained in safety and is your first contact for any practical and/or local aspects about safety in the laboratory, except radioprotection for which the PCR will be in charge.

He/she is in charge of:

advising the laboratory director
training and informing the staff
making sure that safety rules are respected
welcoming newcomers
organizing waste sorting and removal

He is in contact with the health and safety manager.

SST

In case of an accident, he/she is the person who has been trained to react appropriately. On site, he/she will organize first aid. Anybody can help him/her, on the sole condition of obeying his/her orders.

Even before the arrival of an emergency team, the basic actions performed by the SST may save a life:

analyze the circumstances
avoid aggravation of the accident
alert
perform first aid if necessary

PCR

He/she has been trained to make sure that the regulations and radioprotection principles are respected. He/she must:

define the areas with restricted access (“zones surveillées”), and the associated instructions
evaluate risks at any work station which uses radioisotopes
control possible contamination at these stations
manage waste
step in when any irregular situation occurs
inform staff and train them in radioisotope handling
fill in registers to keep track of radioisotope movements

IHS

He/she is a safety professional in the laboratory:

He/she advises the employer and his representatives about risk prevention and working conditions (buildings, equipment, work organization)
His/her role is to advise, educate, give information
He/she manages the ACMO network
He/she helps elaborate documents: “OGM” (GMO), radioactivity...
He/she visits laboratories and analyzes work places
He/she is involved in the analysis of work accidents

Prevention doctor (public service) or occupational doctor (private institutions)

His/her role is to prevent any health alteration due to work conditions.

This is why preventative medicine implies no treatment, no control.

The prevention doctor keeps all medical information confidential.

Each employer (university, public research institute) has its own organization, so an agent must refer to his employer’s doctor.

Private institutions have their own doctors or join a collective medical department.

Students usually see a doctor at their university preventative medicine department. They may sometimes find it useful to see the prevention doctor of their laboratory.

Members of “Comité d’Hygiène et de Sécurité” - Health and Safety Council- (public service) or “Comité d’Hygiène, de Sécurité et des Conditions de Travail” - Health, Safety and Work Conditions Council- (private institutions)

They are members of a committee whose role is to advise management on all aspects of health and safety. They represent the administration or the employer, the staff and possibly the students.

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