Lab equipment must be maintained well; otherwise, they won’t give the accurate result for experiments. Faulty equipment is not only bad for the research works but can pose risks to health and hygiene as well. Maintenance cost of lab equipment can be high. Still, it should be done regularly. Here are some tips for you.
Keeping the lab organized and sterile
The lab technicians are responsible for cleaning the equipment. They are also responsible for organizing the lab and labeling all the equipment. They should properly sanitize all the lab supplies. This way there will not be any cross-contamination that might not make results of experiments accurate.
The workplace should be sanitized. The glassware in the lab must be cleaned with detergent. It is better to leave it to dry itself. Using paper towels for drying can leave contaminants. So, it is better not to use it.
You should wipe the exterior of all the lab equipment every day to remove dust. Every week you must thoroughly clean the equipment. For cleaning special equipment like a microscope, you should follow the cleaning instruction written on the manual.
Calibration
You should calibrate your equipment regularly. If you don’t, results won’t be accurate. You should do preventive maintenance. You can also go for advanced accuracy verification to make sure that the equipment will give an accurate result.
Repairs
You should repair faulty equipment without any delay. Faulty equipment may stop working suddenly and it will hamper your experiments. You should check your equipment regularly to see that they are in good working condition.
Replacements
Equipment that cannot be repaired, should be replaced with new ones. If an equipment is very old, then you should replace it even if it doesn’t have any problem. You cannot rely on the results produced by the old equipment.
Lab maintenance is essential to make sure that all your science equipment is in good working order. It will ensure that you can conduct experiments accurately.
Regular cleaning
Regular cleaning is too often overlooked. If your laboratory equipment is not as clean as it
can be, it is unlikely to yield consistent results. Cleaning your equipment thoroughly, at
regular intervals, is among the best ways of keeping it in good working order and elongating
its functional life. On a daily basis, wipe clean exposed surfaces, and schedule a deep clean
once each week.
Most pieces of equipment need to be cleaned in a certain way. Haematology machines, for
example, typically require a 6 monthly check by an engineer, a weekly analyser surface
clean and an HC control check monthly. Ensure you follow the correct cleaning procedure as
documented in the standard procedures for your piece of equipment.
