Equipment used in a laboratory produces results, answers, and sometimes new scientific discoveries. Without their equipment, laboratories would be inefficient, inoperable, and might not produce the best results. The fact is that laboratory equipment requires maintenance as it is used. Using the equipment is one thing, but maintaining them should also be considered. However, many laboratory technicians do not know how to maintain their equipment properly.
In the same way, maintaining other technology and machinery is important; lab equipment maintenance is important. Without proper maintenance or lab equipment, most of them will not work properly and might experience downtime. Therefore, when they are well maintained, their working lifespan will be extended. Any lab technician must understand the benefits of maintaining the equipment and how to perform the maintenance. Here is a guide to proper lab equipment maintenance you should know of as a lab technician.
- Keep them clean all the time
In maintaining the equipment like benchtop FTIR instrument, cleaning is the most effective way. Almost all the lab equipment from the spectrometer to washers should be cleaned before and after use. Remember, cleaning such equipment is not too difficult. There are washing lab machines that can be used during the cleaning. Most of the technicians use water and soap and, for some reason, will also need a brush to eliminate residue. To buff out all the encrusted residue, a technician will need boiling, purified water, and a brush. If two operators operate a lab, they should clean the equipment before and after use.
- Professional calibration
Calibration is another crucial fact in the performance of the lab equipment. It can affect the performance and the data results of the equipment. In other words, it compares the measurements of the equipment with a standard unit of measurement. In case of continual deviations from the standard, then the answers might be incorrect. If this is not an easy task for the technician, they should hire a calibration professional who will perform all the tasks. This is done because of bias and data integrity. It is common for technicians to create biases. Everyone out there expects accurate results from the lab, and this can be obtained through completing calibrations. Some signs show particular equipment needs calibration.
- If you hit or drop the equipment
- If peculiar sounds are noticed from the equipment
- When the data accuracy is important
- Repair and replace faulty parts
Even if a technician follows all the rules of cleaning and calibration, certain parts of the will fail as they are used. If they begin to show signs that these parts are not working well, every technician stops using them and takes care of them. If a technician is using faulty equipment, then they should expect inaccurate results. In this case, consider giving the lab equipment a new life by repairing the faulty parts or replacing them.
- Record or document everything
A technician should document everything when equipment is repaired, maintained, or gives unusual data results. The main reason for documentation is that it gives the technicians an insight surrounding the performance of the lab equipment like benchtop FTIR instruments. For instance, when a strange sound is noticed, the technician can easily tell that some parts fail.
