The University places great importance in ensuring the environment provided for staff and students does not create a health risk. Whilst the Estates Office provide the technical and mechanical expertise to provide adequate ventilation and environmental conditions the Environmental Team of the Safety Office have the expertise to monitor and assess environments for many types of chemicals, dusts, vapours and other environmental stressors.

The following is a non exhaustive list of the activities of the team:

 

• Environment monitoring of ventilation, temperature, relative humidity, light, noise etc.

• Testing the environment for a whole range of pollutants such as organic solvent vapours, gases, dusts, fibres, and micro-organisms.

• Regularly testing and certifying fume cupboards which include conventional fume cupboards, auxiliary air fume cupboards and re-circulatory fume cupboards in the University.

• Regularly inspecting and certifying biological safety cabinets (BSCs) which include class I, II, & III against internationally recognized standards such as British Standard, Australian Standard and NSF standard.

• Carrying out investigation of indoor air quality.

• Investigating unusual smells reported in the University.

• Advising on the selection and use of personal protective equipment.

• Commenting on and making recommendations on new laboratory designs with special emphasis on the locations of ventilation openings in relation to BSCs and fumecupboards.

• Ensuring that the boilers or pressurized vessels in the University are regularly inspected according to the Ordinance.

 

The team is headed by an Occupational Hygienist, Ms. Florence Lam who can be contacted on 28592403 or by email at twlam@hku.hk.

She has also prepared some very useful documents which you can refer to below:

 

• Biological Safety Cabinets

• Fume Cupboards