The maintenance and care of laboratory equipment are a crucial part of quality assurance in the lab. Well-maintained lab equipment ensures that data is reliable and consistent, which in turn influences the integrity and productivity of the work produced. Since laboratory equipment takes up a huge cut of the budget, proper maintenance contributes to cost-cutting measures, by reducing the chances of replacement and premature repurchases. Routine maintenance ensures that the lab equipment is safe to apply by highlighting and restoring equipment parts and faulty equipment. Different routines and methods will ensure that you properly taking good care of lab instruments.
One of the most troubling things that can occur in the lab is taking freshly ready samples to an instrument and exploring that it’s damaged. Reagents, specimens, and time are all wasted, leaving no one from supervisors, and lab managers, to students happy. As such maintaining laboratory equipment appropriately is of the greatest importance. Regardless of the type of lab devices, you need to be cautious of operating a laboratory equipment such as a microscope.
Check the important tips for taking care of lab equipment
- Read the manual
- Before using any lab equipment, it is recommended to read the manual. Though these manuals may not be accessible instantly in the lab, it’s worth calling or looking online at the manufacturer to get one. Reading the manual is an amazing way to know and check how to properly use it and to discover options you were not aware were available.
- Clean it after use
- Cleaning a piece of laboratory equipment after use is sometimes overlooked, it is important to ensure that it will not be damaged and will have an extended life. Cleaning it after use prevents the build-up of harmful liquids and powders from blocking your instrumentation. Executing a routine lab cleanup can restrict the collection of dust, which can cause issues once left coalescing around your equipment over extended periods.
- Clean the lens immediately after using an immersion oil
- If applying an immersion oil to improve the resolving power of a microscope, you have to ensure always the objective lens is always cleaned after use. Eyepieces, objective, and condenser may be taken for cleaning. Use a great quality lens cleaning solution and lens paper and avoid using some solvents that could harm the lens coating. You have to check the lens is appropriate for oil immersion before applying it for the immersion oil practice.
