There really are three places where cleanliness is critical: food business, medical industries, and laboratories. The slightest slip in sanitation can result in serious health problems or falsified data. Inaccurate data due to contamination can also lead to false claims and wasted research time. To avoid wasting your time, check out these laboratory housekeeping tips you need to know.
Always keep pathways clear
While your lab may not have a large crew of lab techs, not all labs were created equal. Some labs can get tight with clutter at times; however, that doesn’t mean you can leave clutter in the aisles. To avoid wasting samples, and potentially harmful chemicals, you should always keep any walkways clear of clutter. Otherwise, you run the risk of injuries, wasting materials, and causing major inefficiencies.
Develop a cleaning routine that follows guidelines
As with any other career, you should have a regular maintenance schedule. For instance, you should have a cleaning routine after every workday. Once you develop the habit of cleaning after each shift, it’ll be much easier to follow through. Not to mention, with the COVID-19 outbreak, cleaning has never been more important in every industry.
Maintain an organized workplace
Ever since the evolution of gas chromatography in 1903, lab techs needed an organized workplace in order to work efficiently. If you or another scientist can’t find the supplies you need to run an experiment, you’re going to waste time and possibly waste the sample. Like cleaning, you should also plan on developing an organizing routine. That is, unless your lab has a dedicated team to help stock supplies, but a lot of labs don’t have that luxury.
Whether you’re a large lab that works with some of the biggest companies in pharmaceuticals, or if you’re an academic lab, you need a plan. Your lab must be spotless in order to provide the best service for your clients. We hope reading these laboratory housekeeping tips helps you take the next step to improve your lab.
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