Hazards
Important information
Working alone
Working alone increases the hazards, and not every type of work may be carried out alone. Please refer to the information sheet on Working alone.
Hazards in laboratories and workshops
Does your research group work with pathogenic or genetically modified organisms? This can endanger humans, animals and the environment. Cell cultures (BSL 1 or BSL 2 laboratories), antibiotics that may not be discharged into wastewater, and animal experiments also belong to the biological hazards category.
ETH Zurich has drawn up a Download Biosafety Concept (PDF, 574 KB) which must be applied in these cases.
Information on biological hazards
Download Information on working with sharps (PDF, 38 KB)
Chemical hazards include handling acids, alkalis, solvents, toxic chemicals and gases. It is important to use the right laboratory equipment and personal protective workwear.
Almost all D-MAVT professorships and their laboratories are exposed to chemical hazards. It is therefore mandatory for all researchers and students to take the following Moodle test and submit proof of this to the respective lecturer/professor.
In a workshop you encounter various mechanical and physical hazards. Mechanical hazards include handling sharp, pointed or sharp-edged materials or the use of drills, saws, CNC machines and the like. Physical hazards include noise, ultra-/infra-sound, negative and positive pressure, thermal risks such as flames, heat or cold, and radiation (ionizing radiation or lasers).
Further information on laser
There are various types and classes of lasers, requiring different protective measures. Class 3B and 4 laser laboratories are marked with a warning system; the Laser protection officer is responsible for safety. When working with class 3 and 4 lasers, the eyes must always be protected with laser goggles.
SSHE information sheets on radiation safety
Mandatory test for all laboratory users
At D-MAVT, all researchers and students come into contact with workshops and the related mechanical and physical hazards. Therefore everyone must take the following Moodle test and submit proof of this to the respective lecturer/professor.
Please also observe the rules that apply for each workshop.
Required protective workwear
• Safety goggles (place order)
• Safety shoes
• Hearing protection (place order), face shield, gloves – according to the type of work
See also the information sheet Personal protective workwear, protective gloves.
Workshop
Students do not have access to either the professional workshops of the professorships or the departmental central locksmith's shop. Access to these is reserved for trained technicians. If temporary access is granted in a department after appropriate instruction, the modalities of access will be determined by the professor. The Moodle test is required for access.
Specific D-MAVT hazards
Autonomous driving (also called automatic, automated or piloted driving) is the independent movement of vehicles, mobile robots and driverless transport systems. There are five different levels of autonomy (from 0 = no autonomy at all, to 5 = complete autonomy). The levels have different legal bases which must be observed. These are described in the information sheet below.
Download Automated vehicles (PDF, 369 KB)
Switzerland has adopted the EU’s drone regulation as of 1 January 2023. This regulation includes safety standards for the manufacture, certification and operation of drones. The distinction between the categories “open”, “specific” and “certified” is new.
In the external page “open” category, drones can be used without a permit from the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) if they are operated within visual line of sight, remain below an altitude of 120m and weigh no more than 25kg. For drones heavier than 250g, however, the operators are now required to complete a certain level of training (see below). Depending on the weight of the drone, there are also restrictions on how close you can fly to uninvolved people.
Drones come under the external page “specific” category as soon as one or more of the rules of the open category cannot be complied with or the drone’s takeoff weight is greater than 25kg. Drone operation must then be approved by the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA), for example.
The “certified” category is intended for very high-risk operations (e.g. transporting passengers or dangerous goods). Its rules are still being finalized.
Registration required
In all the above categories, pilots and operators of drones weighing more than 250g must now register on the external page FOCA’s online platform. This also applies to drones weighing less than 250g in cases where the drone is equipped with a camera, microphone or other sensor capable of collecting personal data.
Proof of certification
For most drones in the “open” category, pilots must now obtain the appropriate certification. To this end, the external page online drone portal offers a self-study training course including a final exam. Those who pass the exam are awarded a certificate (competency certificate/remote pilot certificate).
Important information for ETH drone flights
If you want to operate a drone, say for research purposes, please educate yourself about the necessary precautions and permits by visiting the external page FOCA website. All drone flights at ETH need a permit from the licensing office.
Should you have further questions, SSHE will be happy to answer them.
Nanomaterials are defined as natural, incidental or manufactured materials where 50% or more of the particles are in the size range 1 nm to 100 nm.
Nanomaterials are produced and used at several ETH Zurich laboratories, including D-MAVT. Due to the widely varying properties and, thus, the hazard potential of nanomaterials, special safety measures must be observed when handling them.
Download Guideline: Safe Handling of Nanomaterials in the Lab (PDF, 418 KB)
There are various definitions of robots. The VDI guideline 2860 concentrates on industrial robots, defining them as "universally usable automatic motion machines with several axes, whose movements can be freely programmed (without mechanical or human intervention) in terms of motion sequence and paths or angles and, if necessary, guided by sensors. They can be equipped with grippers, tools or other means of production and can carry out handling and production tasks”.
Research at D-MAVT investigates robots of all sizes – from nano-sized medical robots to production robots or a walking robot used for rescue. If a robot is integrated into the working environment or used as part of a machine, a risk analysis must be carried out and appropriate safety precautions taken.
Drones and autonomous vehicles are also considered robots, but carry other risks and are therefore treated separately.
There are various printing technologies for 3D printers and a range of materials are used for printing. In principle, the safety instructions in the manual must be followed. The general rules include connecting a 3D printer to the chemical exhaust air, so that no toxic substances are inhaled during use.