Working in the Science Industry

Policies and Procedures.

Useful for Careers in Science

Laboratory Careers• 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.

1. Handling of materials; 2. Store management, eg chemical, biological; 3. Ordering procedures; 4. calibration of equipment, eg pH meters, graduated pipettes5. Maintaining equipment, eg burettes and Bunsen burners; 6. Collection/transport of substances and equipment for disposal; 7. Use of centrifuges8. Instrumentation techniques, eg colorimeter, electrophoresis9. Desiccators and vacuum storage10. Handling and disposal of radioactive substances; 11. Handling and use of glassware; 12. Handling of solvents and poisons;13. Use of ovens;14. Operation of the fume cupboard; 15. Transfer of materials; 16. 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 cultur

e 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 storageWhat 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.

• pH meter• micropipettes

• You have calibrated a microscope.

• Using one example explain what steps are needed to calibrate it.

• Why does equipment need to be calibrated?

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.