Hazchem Refresher Course 
by RTG at Northlake Sr. College, Perth

Today we attended the second day of a required Hazchem Refresher course... new science techmicians in Western Australia are required to take a hazardous chemicals course and refresh it every 5 years.

There are 8 regional technicians in Western Australia that provide training and assistance to public school technicians.  They hold regional workshops and provide courses for technicians.

The day started with a review of the various legislative and regulatory bodies that are relevant to science technicians: Department of Mines and Petroleum Dangerous Goods Regulations on the Storage and Transport of DangerousGoods, Department of Commerce - Worksafe Occupational Health and Safety Act (1984) and Regulations (l996), Department of Health Guide to Labelling of Drugs and Poisons (l995) and Department of Education Occupational Safety and Health Policy Science Laboratory Manual.

Hazards and Chemical Properties were reviewed and how/where to find information on MSDS. Mercury will no longer be obtainable, but current supply usable until depleted.  Uranyl nitrate, bromine and acetic anhydride are now banned for school use in WA.

General Laboratory Safety Practices - examples of things to do and not to do.

There was a review of Dangerous Goods Classification and Chemical Storage Layout,,, chemical storage follows a vertical segregation organization, labelling of containers according to Regional Technician Group's (RTG's) Quick Reference Guide (QRG) and "bunding" of chemicals (solution containers of specified concentrations and volumes must be kept in a container that will hold that volume of solution should the primary container leak, spill, be broken).

Risk Assessments are required by law and for Western Australia schools this is considered having been performed by having a copy of the RTG chemical hazard information sheets for the chemicals used in the particular lab.

The last section of the day was on Waste Disposal (labelling, storage, disposal) and Spill Clean Up (types of spills, spill kit contents, spill clean up).

The topics had group or individual activities, such that both content and practical experience was delivered and gained.

There were some slight differences (tweakings), but for the most part, we found the approaches to chemical hazards to be similar with those used in Alberta schools.

By way of the RTG's the public WA science technicians receive a consistent training, overseeing and guidance.  We understand that there are approximately 200 public school science technicians and another approximately 150 independent school technicians that have their own organization. 

Double click on any of the blog images to enlarge them....

Off to Perth

Tuesday, we said our goodbyes to Anita, Phoebe, Vicki and Matt, packed the Camry and headed out.  In the morning was a drive to Bussleton and a 1.8 km walk out to the end of the jetty.  There were sections of the old jetty timbers.

 http://www.busseltonjetty.com.au/underwater-observatory/live-webcams/

 

 

 

We arrived at Atwell College at 2:32,,, pretty close to the 2:30 target!  Anne Marie greeted us warmly at the door.

Some pictures from Mondays
 explorations of the
Western Australian coast.

 

 

            

 

 

Thank you so kindly

The three of us, Karen, Rebecca and Scott would like to kindly thank Anita, Gavin and their daughter Pheobe for their wonderful hospitality while in the Margaret River area of Western Australia.  It was great of them to put up three Canadian strangers for several days.  There were several fabulous gourmet meals made by their friends Matt and Vicky from Sydney and stimulating conversation daily.  Thanks also for the loan of the car.  It was fun learning to drive on the left side of the road - and using a standard transmission at that.   It was a wonderful time for all of us.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Lunch On The Coast

We stopped for lunch at a lovely lunch counter called the White Elephant in Prevelly right on the coast.  Indian Ocean was only a few metres away.   Gulls were also trying to enjoy lunch.   Warnings were posted.

I love the "food-covered children" part.

Leipers Landing --- Cowaramup, Western Australia

Karen and I had an uneventful, but interesting flight to Perth... the trip from Calgary was 31 hours, unlike Scott's 49! 
 
After the usual going through customs and collecting luggage, it was renting a car and the 3 hr. drive to Leiper's Landing, which is a short ways from Margaret River.

 After mostly freeway and highway driving, we turned onto a smaller highway and then a more rural road and then we were in the country,,, wine country.

The shoulderless two-way traffic highway maintained the 110 Km/hr.
speedlimit!

This is "home" for the first two nights in Australia.

We are staying with Anita and Gavin and Phoebe.

Out for an early morning walk down the lane.

Rebecca & Karen - Sydney bound

R & K aboard Qantas flight 7 bound for Sydney, AU

After a 4 hour layover in Los Angeles airport (and an excellent roast chicken (K) / lasagna (R) dinner in the Tom Bradley International Terminal) we are on our way over the Pacific - on time out of LAX. Our Captain says we will arrive early into SYD on Sunday morning Nov 25.  So far, so good...!