Scientific advancements have been the driving force behind many different aspects of modern society. The scientific industry remains at the forefront today. If you are a scientist who has found yourself in the process of setting up a new lab, it can be a little overwhelming. You suddenly have a lot more responsibilities and duties to fulfil. Fear not, there are a few main points to setting up a lab which are listed below; hopefully, it will make this potentially daunting task seem a little easier.
Read on for more.
The Purpose of the Lab
The purpose of your lap and its function sets the course for what you will need. For example, if it’s for teaching, you will need completely different equipment to a research lab, which has different needs to a cell culture lab or an analytical lab and so on. Nicholas C Nelson suggests that once your purpose is clear, you can begin to classify your lab and plan accordingly.
Equipment
The next step is procuring the equipment. Depending on where your lab is, you may already have access to some machinery and facilities, so be sure to double-check this; otherwise, you risk buying duplicates and wasting money. Secondhand equipment is also useful, or you can choose to rent or lease equipment if that suits your budget better. You will also need protective gear and first aid kits as well as other essentials such as beakers, microscopes and laboratory distilled water. Golyath has a range of distilled water that is perfect for lab settings.
Layout
Once you have finalised your equipment list, you can begin designing your layout. Consider separating the lab layout into different areas with their own hazards and then plan around them as necessary. Any areas that are likely to have a higher footfall should not have potentially dangerous hazards. These hazards should be put in more remote areas. What equipment is likely to be used often? You should try to place these strategically. How many exits and entrances does your lab have? Is the room easily evacuated?
Safety
When you take on the task of setting up a lab, you are in charge of lab safety. You are responsible for ensuring that all who use your lab have attended a compulsory training programme. You need to detail the potential hazards, protocols and safety procedures. Equip your lab with safety equipment. Depending on your work, this may include fire extinguishers, fire blankets, eyewash stations and emergency showers.
In Conclusion
Now that the basics are covered, you may wish to do some more in-depth research. Your facility may have its own safety protocols that need following. Or the type of work that you plan to do may need specialist equipment which comes with its own considerations. However, once you have ensured that you have planned and taken into account everyone’s safety, you can go forth and make your contribution to science. You never know; you may go down in the annals of scientific history.
