Working in the Science Industry
Policies and Procedures.
Useful for Careers in Science
Laboratory Careers
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Laboratory Assistant in Teesside
Salary: £13,000 - £14,000
Discipline: Laboratory Services
Date Posted: Monday, 4th of February 2013
Description
Laboratory Assistant in Teesside. Graeme Pallas at CK Science is
recruiting for a Laboratory Assistant to work in a quality control
testing laboratory on initially a 2-3 month contract. As a Laboratory
Assistant your main responsibilities will be: - Monitoring stock levels
and expiry dates and ordering supplies as required - Recycling
glassware and laboratory reusables - Prepare and sterilise media
using an autoclave - Perform basic tests on samples on samples
including reading agar plates and pH tests As a Laboratory Assistant
you will have the following qualifications, skills and experience: Science qualification (i.e. A-level, HND/HNC in Biology)
Grading criteria
• P1 Outline Procedures in the Scientific
Workplace.
• M1 Explain why procedures and practices are
followed in the scientific workplace.
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Handling of materials;
Store management, eg chemical, biological;
Ordering procedures;
calibration of equipment, eg pH meters, graduated pipettes
Maintaining equipment, eg burettes and Bunsen burners;
Collection/transport of substances and equipment for disposal;
Use of centrifuges
Instrumentation techniques, eg colorimeter, electrophoresis
Desiccators and vacuum storage
Handling and disposal of radioactive substances;
Handling and use of glassware;
Handling of solvents and poisons;
Use of ovens;
Operation of the fume cupboard;
Transfer of materials;
Carrying out tests
• Some of the list will be familiar and you can
use your laboratory experience to write about
these.
• Others will be covered in class.
Create a table to present your work
Policy or procedure (16 in
total).
Outline of procedure (P1)
Why is this practice
followed? M1
Handling of materials
When new specimen come into
a laboratory ………………
Why is this policy
important ……
Store management
Ordering procedures
Calibration
etc
Handling of materials;
• What needs to be done when a new specimen
comes into a laboratory. What precautions
should be taken (for health and safety
purposes, record keeping, etc) (P1) and why
(M1)?
Handling of materials;
• Laboratory Technician.
• Biological specimen.
Handling Biological Materials
• Sterile technique
• Working in tissue
culture labs
• When materials are being
analysed or are subject to
research in techniques such
as tissue culture, how are
they handled?
Store management,
eg chemical, biological;
• Chemical storage
What is the arrangement of the chemical store(P1)?
Some biological materials are frozen in liquid
nitrogen, what precautions are needed
(procedures) when using liquid nitrogen (P1)?
Why (M1)?
• Biological store- liquid nitrogen.
• Heart tissue
• Goldfish in liquid nitrogen
Ordering procedures- differ between
research establishments but are similar.
You will be given a St. David’s Ordering form.
Use the catalogues to fill in the form to create an order for, no
less than;
• 1kg of salt (sodium chloride).
• 1.5kg of sugar (sucrose).
• 500ml of ethanol.
• 50 disposable petri dishes.
Try to be economical an research grade chemicals are not
required.
Explain what happens to the order form after you have filled it
in?
What is the procedure you have just followed and why?
Calibration of equipment, eg pH
meters, graduated pipettes,
microscopes.
• You have calibrated a
microscope.
• Using one example
explain what steps are
needed to calibrate it.
• Why does equipment
need to be calibrated?
• pH meter
• micropipettes
Maintaining equipment,
eg burettes and Bunsen burners;
• Burette Cleaning
• Bunsen Burner
• Chose an example and
describe how the
equipment is
maintained.
Biohazard Disposal
• Sharps
• Biomedical waste
Use of centrifuges
• Centrifuge
Instrumentation techniques, eg
colorimeter, electrophoresis
• The colorimeter has been used in class.
• A demonstration of its use will be given.
Desiccators and vacuum storage
• See equipment in the laboratory.
Handling and disposal of radioactive
substances;
• Radioactive fallout in Snowdonia
• Radioactive sheep in Wales – NOT!
Handling and use of glassware;
• Link to your own practical experience.
Handling of solvents and poisons;
• Link to your own practical work
• BBC Pain, Pus and Poison - Pain, The Search
for Modern Medicine Episode 1
• Duration of 1 hour.
• Be away of vapours.
• Inflammables
• Labelling of bottles
• Disposal
• etc.
Use of ovens;
• Consider procedures and protective clothing.
Operation of the fume cupboard;
• Link to your own practical experience.
Transfer/shipping of biological
materials.
• Unloading cryotransporters
Carrying out tests
• Link to your own practical experience.