ChemSolutions
Useful software for Schools, Science & ICT teachers

Risk Assessment Generator for Experiments

Please keep visiting this page. I am updating it as I write it, so it will gradually become complete. At present it contains bare-bones information, I hope to add examples with pictures soon.

Installation

Copy RAGE v2.0a.mde into a convenient folder. This database file stands-alone, nothing else should be required.

The demo copy of RAGE becomes the full working version after the licence key has been entered. Follow these steps:

  • Start RAGE
  • Click on 'Configuration Setup'
  • Enter your licence key (this is illustrated below)
  • Close Configuration Setup
  • Close RAGE
  • From now on, whenever RAGE is started, it will operate as the full working version.

RAGE-Licence

Risk and Safety Phrases

Risk phrases indicate the hazard, while safety phrases tell the reader how to deal with the hazard. For chemicals, Risk and Safety phrases are internationally agreed (see e.g. the Health & Safety Executive's page http://www.hse.gov.uk/chip/phrases.htm) and you can find out which phrases are required for a particular chemical by reference to a chemical catalogue (the Aldrich catalogue is an excellent resource for this). Most of the risk and safety phrases have been incorporated into RAGE. Some of the phrases finish with '...' and are incomplete (e.g. S50). If you need to use these, make a different phrase code for each ending (see for example how I have adapted S43 for carbon dioxide, foam and water). I have written risk and safety phrases for processes, alter or add to them as necessary so that you have information appropriate for your needs.

As you build up your list of risk and safety phrases there will be less and less time required writing them, you will simply use the bank of phrases you have built up.

Materials and Processes

A large number of materials and processes have been defined already.

Add a new material/process to the list if required, making sure it doesn't already exist. Once added, attach to it the necessary risk and safety phrases. NOTE: If I haven't used a material/process myself, it may be listed but not yet have risk and safety phrases attached - be careful!

As you build up your list of materials and processes there will be less and less time required writing them, you will simply use the bank of information you have built up.

Add/Alter an Experiment

This form allows you to add a new experiment, then attach materials and processes to it.

NB: there is an experiment called 'misc' which contains materials and processes which are added to every risk assessment. Alter it to suit yourself, then you don't have to add these items separately to each experiment. It currently contains advice on general chemical safety and use of glassware, but if you are using RAGE for Biology or Physics your requirements might be different.

Producing a Risk Assessment

Choose the experiment number, then view or print the risk assessment. NOTE: If you have defined new materials/processes but have not attached any risk/safety information you won't get any error messages to point that out, so check the output carefully. As a rule, it is probably better to attach 'no risk' information (i.e. risk phrase R00 and safety phrase S00) rather than nothing at all, so that the person doing the practical knows that the risks associated with every relevant material/process have been considered.

Removing an Experiment from RAGE

This is a only good idea if you are sure that you'll never need it again. Before an experiment can be deleted, you must detach the materials and processes. Note that the materials and processes are not themselves deleted, neither should you go into 'Materials and Processes' and delete them, since other experiments require that information.

Removing a Material/Process from RAGE

This is a only good idea if you are sure that you'll never need it again. Before the material/proces can be deleted, you must detach the risk and safety phrases attached to it. Note that the risk and safety phrases are not themselves deleted, neither should you go into 'Risk Phrases' or 'Safety Phrases' and delete them, since other materials/processes will require that information.