Notes for New Prep Staff workers
(The "Do’s and Don’ts" for surviving in the Painter dungeon)
Updated 12/18/2008 09:17 AM
Delia's words of wisdom/intimidation for LEARNING something NEW:
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carefully observe. |
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attentively listen. |
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ask pertinent questions. |
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meticulously record. |
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share what you have learned -post your notes on our prep web. |
Etiquette
- Do not be late for work; your presence is crucial especially if your shift occurs during Reset/Setup times
- Check the website, especially the Misc. Notes section and Discussion Page, often; it has a lot of important and useful information. It is the home page on the PCs in 1.01 and 1.12.
- It is very important to read the Discussion Page when you begin your shift. This is how we communicate with each other about the normal flow of daily business in addition to general housekeeping activities. The Discussion Board is not to be used for finding people to cover your shift for you!
- If you are here during your non-working hours, do not interfere with those staffers who are working. You are more than welcome to eat, study etc. here but only in a non-disruptive way. A new student lounge has been created in the secondary room of 1.12.
- All students/staff must follow The University of Texas at Austin Information Technology Services' (ITS) Acceptable Use Policy regarding use of the Internet. ITS actively monitors network traffic and will notify Delia if this resource is being abused. Please refer to the following best-practice documents online:
- Always close doors behind you. (Theft IS a problem here.)
- When there is a person you do not recognize in the lab/prep rooms, make it a point to introduce yourself. It is important and necessary for you to familiarize yourself with the faculty, staff, and other people/organizations (i.e. UTeach, BIO 331L prep staff) we tend to help out with regarding supplies so that we can account for our equipment. Also professors will not know you but they will expect you to know them. Ask if you don’t know any of the professors we are in contact with.
- Keep track of your key! Notify Delia immediately if you lose it.
Duties/Responsibilities
- Only some staff will have the code for arming/unarming the doors, so unless you are certain that they have been disarmed, do not enter. If you enter a room and set off the alarm, call UTPD immediately!!!
- If you start a task, FINISH it. Note: If you cannot for any reason (e.g., class) then notify/ask someone to finish it for you.
- If you are the person who signs for a package/shipment, then you are responsible for properly putting/storing it away. If it is a solution, note the temperature that it is stored and place in correct fridge/freezer i.e. “Protein”, “DNA”, or “Reset”. If it is a live specimen, note the care that should be taken i.e. Paramecia need to be aerated. Also, notify a member of full-time (henceforth FT) staff when something has arrived. It is very import that the invoice and/or packing receipt go into the INVOICE BOX. This is located outside Delia's office. All invoices must be kept!
- Do NOT throw ANYTHING away, unless told to do so by a FT staff member.
- All preppers have specific duties assigned to them. It is your responsibility to meet with Delia at the beginning of the semester to discuss your duties. It is also your responsibility to check the duty descriptions and add updates and improvements as necessary (give your updates to a full-timer so the webpage can be updated accordingly).
- You are responsible for your given duties BUT you are still expected to help out with other lab duties. There is ALWAYS something to be done i.e. Set-up/Take-down cart, so check with whomever is in charge.
- Constantly check on supplies you know are needed for the current lab or in the near future esp. consumables. If we are low or don’t have the right kind, size etc. notify FT staff so they can order more.
- Make sure you know the proper disposal for certain solutions, solids etc. We have designated buckets and containers for particular items i.e. white buckets for “Solid Bacterial Waste”, animal carcass bags, glass containers for “Liquid Chemical Waste.” Sometimes the containers need to be lined with a bag so check first!
- If you use any keys on the key rack in 1.01, remember to PUT THEM BACK ON THE CORRECT HOOK! Many of these keys are the only ones that exist. We are trusted not to lose them.
- Make it a point to know where things are located in the 1.01, 1.12 and the lab rooms. Everything has a proper HOME. If you don't know it - ASK! Please do not make a new home.
- Do NOT stack expensive or fragile equipment on top of one another (e.g., spectrophotometers, balances, automatic pipetters, glass items). Also do NOT stack expensive or fragile equipment precariously on carts!
- It is your duty to read the lab protocol and prep sheets beforehand to have a better understanding of the material and to be certain we have enough of, as well as the proper kind of, materials.
Lab maintenance
- Clean up after yourselves, especially when making solutions.
- If you ever have free time, be productive by doing dishes, sonicating, misc. cleaning and stocking the autoclave cabinets.
- Periodically check that the autoclave and dishwasher are functioning properly à they tend to go on flooding fits in 1.01. If this occurs, use the wet/dry vacuum and mop to clean and notify a FT staff member immediately.
- Remember that the “Dirty Dish Cart” and the “Clean Dish Cart” are to remain in 1.03 for loading and unloading of the dishwashers. If you are loading the dishwasher, please be aware of any special protocols that may apply to the materials you are washing. Again, a FT staff member can assist you with this. Although this is a task assigned to a few Preppers, it is EXPECTED that everyone assist in the chore of dishes.
Solutions/Chemicals
- Label all solutions with “Name of solution, date, your initials”
- To clean solution bottles:
1) Rinse with water except bacterial bottles which you will rinse with bleach.
2) Remove all tape labels except those made with the label maker.
3) Remove rings around Pyrex bottles
4) Place in dishwasher
If the bottle has been used for media, it should be rinsed immediately after emptying. If that didn’t happen, then you may need to use Alconex tablets to clean this glassware – they’re in a bottle in 1.03 at the sink. Then you will soak the glassware in an Alconex solution, it’s like Alka-Seltzer, and eventually use a bottle brush and elbow grease to scrub the hardened media off.
If there is permanent marker or grease pencil on the glass, a little bit of 70% ethanol will remove it.
- When adding solution to a pre-existing bottle, make a label with your initials and the new date and cross out the old initials/date.
- When autoclaving anything, stay until the cycle finishes. Do NOT allow the autoclave door to remain closed with things baking in it overnight!
- When autoclaving biohazard liquid waste, remember not to fill the Erlenmeyer flask more than halfway full, as it may overflow, and place a glass beaker over the opening. The flask should go into one of the designated “Bacterial Waste” autoclave buckets that have been lined using 2 “used/dirty” diapers with the blue (non-absorbent) sides facing one another. Once autoclaved, record the amount of liquid waste (in L) in the EHS Waste Log. Allow the waste to cool and then discard sterile liquid down the drain of a regular sink.
- When autoclaving biohazard solid waste, record it in EHS Waste Log and place it in a vented fume hood to cool. Afterwards put a "safety treatment" sticker on the bag, place it in a regular trash bag and secure closed. Place this in a “normal” trash can at night so it may be removed by the custodians.
- When autoclaving dH20, use only the Wheaton bottles, with appropriate caps slightly loosened. The bottles should not be more than 2/3 full.
- Autoclaved solutions, flasks, empty bottles, microcentrifuge tubes and automatic pipetter tips go into the appropriate autoclave cabinets located in 1.03.
- Always wear gloves when dealing with toxic chemicals (i.e. Ethidium Bromide) or bacteria (i.e. E. coli).
- In 1.01, the hose by the sink is de-ionized, distilled water and the white-handled faucet at the sink is just distilled water. When making solutions, only use the de-ionized, distilled water.
Most importantly, ASK QUESTIONS if you don’t understand something! We will be more than happy to help you!
Safety on Campus (Especially those working the night shift)
Crime prevention tips for personal safety.
- - Always travel with others; there is safety in numbers.
- - Keep your cell phone with you as it serves as immediate contact with the
police department. 9-1-1 is a free call and can not be blocked even if you do
not have a phone service.
- - Be aware of your surroundings. Take a few seconds periodically to look
around. If you see something that makes you feel uncomfortable, then leave the
area. The best way to avoid an attack is to flee the area.
- - Pepper spray is an inexpensive, handy self-defense tool. If you choose to
carry pepper spray then do just that, carry it. It does not do good to have it
in your backpack or purse.
- - Invest your time in your own protection. Sign up for the free Rape
Aggression Defense course offered by UTPD. To sign up for the course, visit
