Safety at MX

Occupational Health and Safety

Contact Numbers

Portal Safety Training

Users need to complete facility specific safety training. Log into the User Portal and check for training modules that you need to complete.

On-site Inductions

When you first come on site, and then every 12 months afterwards, you will need to complete a safety induction for each area you will be working. MX1 and MX2 are similar enough that an induction on one, with consideration of the the other, will cover you for the year.

If you intend to use the biology or chemistry labs on-site, you must attend an induction with Clare Scott before you can gain access.

Access Card

On completion of your initial Portal Safety Training, you will be issued a photo ID badge which you must display at all times while on-site. 

Experimental Authorisations (EAs)

All samples being brought on-site MUST be listed on your EA, unless they are considered non-hazardous (green) samples, and must be approved beforehand. For more information about EAs, check here. (link to come)

COVID-19 Awareness

Please do not come on site if you are feeling unwell. Masks are no longer mandatory, but some users and staff may still choose to wear them.

Once you are finished with your experiment, please wipe down desks and surfaces with isopropanol wipes provided.

Cryogenic Safety

Blue cryogenic safety gauntlets and face shields are provided for your protection when decanting liquid nitrogen into a pressurized supply.

Standard Operating Procedures (SOP's) can be found attached to each liquid nitrogen dewar.

In the experiment hutch, cotton gloves, covered by nitrile gloves can be used, and safety glasses are required to handle liquid nitrogen in open vessels.

Chemical Safety

Water, Isopropanol, Ethanol and Acetone are provided in small quantities for your use.

Nitrile gloves and safety glasses are required to handle any research samples.

Users should supply a Material Safety Data Sheet for any chemical they bring into the facility. that is not on the ChemAlert system.

Users are responsible for the safe disposal of their own chemicals.

Sharps MUST be disposed of in the sharps bins and nowhere else!

Spills kits are located in the biochemistry and chemistry lab.

Biological Safety

Nitrile gloves and safety glasses are required when working with biological samples.

Users are responsible for the safe disposal of their own biological samples.

Biological waste bins are located near the hutch doors.

Personnel Safety Systems (PSS)

Search and Secure Process:

In order to get X-rays to your sample, the hutches must be secure.

1. Enter the end-station hutch and check that no-one is present.

2. Press the (flashing) blue search button and it will stay lit. The alarm will sound and you now have 45 seconds to complete remaining steps.

3. Press the flashing blue search button on the outside of the hutch door.  Then close the door (be careful, they are heavy), do not let the door slam. You will hear it lock. The outside search button will now start flashing again.

4. Press the search button outside the end-station hutch a second time. The indicator stack lamp will now show orange and the end-station hutch is secure. The successful search tone will sound.  If you do not press the next search button in time, then there will be a search failed sound, the process will be aborted and will need to be restarted.

If you accidentally unlock the front end optics hutch (FOE), you will lose beam and will be unable to continue.

Please contact your user support scientist. DO NOT enter the FOE hutch. 

Emergency Stop Button

The emergency stop button should be pressed when you think that your self or anyone else is at risk of being exposed to hazardous radiation.