EETC 2016
Best Managed Laboratory Award
Award Scheme
1. The academic directors, at its 223rd meeting on 17 February 2003, agreed to institute a Best Managed Lab
Award arising from a staff suggestion. This new scheme will first be made in year 2004 and will supersede the
Best Maintained Lab award. All laboratories that are opened to students’ use will be eligible for nomination of
the Best Managed Lab award.
Objective and Framework of Scheme
2. The award will focus on the management and operations of the laboratory (this term will, for the purposes of
this scheme, include workshops). Its objective would be to recognise the efforts of lab support staff to achieve a
conducive and safe working environment for any user, given the particular purpose of the lab, the nature of the
work done in it, and the extensiveness of utilization of facilities and equipment.
3. The scheme will be operated on a departmental basis, and the award will be made by each school/department
(herein referred to as department). The presentation ceremony would be at the Excellence in Education and
Training Convention. The number of awards that each department may give out is given in Table 1.
Number of Awards by Department
No. of Labs in Department
No. of Awards
Less than 10 labs
To make at most one award every alternate year
10 to 19 labs
To make at most one award every year
20 or more labs
To make at most two awards every year
Excellence in Education and Training Convention (EETC) 2016
Department of Educational Development
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4. It is recognised that there are substantial differences between labs which are used for different purposes, and
that this can lead to the problem of comparability. Given the objective listed above, the particular purpose of
the lab or workshop and the nature of the work done in it must be taken into consideration when making the
award. Guidelines to assist the departmental judging team are given in Table 2.
Criteria for a “Best Managed Lab” Award
Category
Criteria
General lab management
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Operational management
and user-friendliness
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Safety
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General lab management
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The general condition of the lab is good, given its purpose, the nature of the
work done in it, and the degree of utilization.
Effort has been made to keep the lab clean, tidy and organised in line with
its use.
Equipment is properly laid out and arranged in the lab to make best use of
space.
Relevant posters and displays are used to generate an appropriate
atmosphere.
Equipment (if any) is periodically inspected, calibrated and serviced
according to schedule.
An up-to-date inventory record is kept of lab equipment and their location.
There is a record of equipment loaned to staff that ensures traceability.
Equipment manuals are properly filed and readily available.
Copies of current lab manuals for students are readily available.
Faults and problems are recorded and prompt remedial action taken.
Faulty equipment and machinery are promptly repaired.
Out-of-use equipment are properly stored.
Outdated equipment are scrapped or removed regularly.
Instructions on safety in the lab / workshop are displayed in an appropriate
manner.
Precautions are taken to prevent accidents and to ensure safety of users
(electrically, mechanically, operationally, chemically, etc).
Equipment (eg first aid box, eye wash, etc) is available for use in case of
accidents.
The general condition of the lab is good, given its purpose, the nature of the
work done in it, and the degree of utilization.
Effort has been made to keep the lab clean, tidy and organised in line with
its use.
Equipment is properly laid out and arranged in the lab to make best use of
space.
Relevant posters and displays are used to generate an appropriate
atmosphere.
Excellence in Education and Training Convention (EETC) 2016
Department of Educational Development
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Rules
5. The award will be valid for one year, and will consist of a certificate, a plaque, and a cash award of $300 (before
Employee CPF deduction). Where the lab is served by more than one support staff, the cash sum (before
Employee CPF deduction) will be equally shared among the lab support staff who have made a substantive
contribution to the maintenance and upkeep of the lab, having been assigned to the task by the director of the
department.
6. A winner will be eligible for further awards in successive years.
7. Nominations may be received from any staff and/or student user(s) of the lab, with the nominator to make his
case in the nomination form.
8. The nomination process should be open, as opposed to guarded. Being nominated or short-listed should itself
be seen as a positive stroke, of being recognised as having done good work. It is not a slur on the lab staff to be
nominated and yet not win the award, only that there are limited places for those recognised as the very best,
so that a non-win should be interpreted as encouragement to strive harder in the following year to be
recognised as the best.
9. The Best Managed Lab representatives of the respective schools/departments have to obtain approval from the
directors using the nomination forms and retain the nominations forms in the school/departmental office.
Excellence in Education and Training Convention (EETC) 2016
Department of Educational Development