Management ,Maintenance and inspection of Science Laboratory

1. ZAHOOR AHMAD
M.Sc (Chem) Ph.D (Scholar)
Vice Principal ,
IMCB,G-9/4 Islamabad

2.  Management of science Lab is of vital
importance require attention by all those who
are using.
 Good management of science Lab will help to
ensure that the Lab achieve its intended
purposes to enhance and consolidate the
theoretical science in classrooms.
 If science Lab is poorly managed, it not only
will fail to achieve its intended purposes but
will probably affect the students’ interest and
enthusiasm in learning.

3. Area of Lab. Management
 A systematic approach to Lab management
requires careful considerations of the
following major and important aspects:
i. Staffing
ii. Finance
iii. Budgeting
iv. Storage
v. General maintenance
vi. Specific maintenance

4. 1. Headmaster or Principal
2. Senior Science Teacher
3. Senior subject Teacher
4. Science teachers
5. Laboratory assistant
6. Laboratory attendant

5.  Headmaster principal is responsible for
overall supervision of laboratory
management
 His duties are to
1. See that lab is properly managed
2. Create conducive atmosphere for teaching
and learning of science
3. Make decisions on all matters connected
with the laboratories with senior Science
Teachers

6.  Senior Science teacher
 In-charge of Science Lab
 Right hand of Headmaster
 Give advice to headmaster in any decision
making
 Expert on all laboratory related matters
 Must know all instructions and rules issued
by the school administrations

7.  Lab staff
1. Lab Assistant
2. Lab. Attendant
 Duties
 Cleanliness of the laboratory
 Supplying and setting of apparatus for
Practical
 Cleanliness of apparatus
 Duties assigned by Senior Teacher

8.  For the operation of any enterprise, financial
resources must be available to meet all the
financial requirements.
 The school science laboratories are of no
exception.
 The laboratories need financial aids or grants
to meet all the operational costs involved in
the management.
 Science grants allotted by the governments
are not enough to meet the rising prices for
science equipment and apparatus.

9.  The increasing emphasis on practical work in
science teaching has increased the demand
for more sets of equipment in the
laboratories.
Science
Funds
Government
subsidy
School
Private Funds

10.  Budgeting is a process that involves
systematic planning of expenditure of a
certain amount of allotted money.
 It is a process that needs careful and serious
considerations so that the allotted money is
utilized to achieve maximum benefits.

11.  Budgeting for science lab should always be done
two or three months before the end of the school
year so that sufficient time is given for
preliminary considerations, deletions /additions,
finalization, subsequent ordering and purchasing
so that goods can be available in the begging of
coming year for use in the laboratory.
 Senior science teachers and subject teachers are
responsible for preparing budget
 Final decision will be in the hands of Headmaster
or principals.

12. 1. Check all the stocks in lab.
2. With help of Lab staff the following
information can be obtained
a. The annual consumption of all consumable
item
b. Period of the year consumable items are
required
c. New apparatus that is required for coming
year
d. Items of equipment and apparatus that
have been damaged or stolen.

13. 3. Projected enrolment
4. Check the remaining facilities like water
supply, electricity, gas pipes furniture and
others.
5. Check the current prices of the items
6. After checking make list of goods needed
,their quantity and expected value.

14.  The list of requirement should generally include
the following
i. Consumable material
ii. Capital materials
iii. Glassware, plastics ware and metal ware
iv. Biological specimens and slides
v. Gas, water and electricity
vi. Office equipment
vii. Furniture
viii. Science books
ix. Workshop tools and equipment
x. miscellaneous

15. a. Urgently needed item
b. Cheaper items
c. Item can be replaced by unwanted items
from home, shop or schools.
d. Maintainable
e. Can be available by other school fund

16.  Purchasing is handled by the head of
institution or by any other senior teacher as
duty assigned by the Head.
 All correspondence including payment is
signed by the head not by senior Teacher.
 Must know the amount available at time of
making purchase .
 If purchase is over the amount of money
approved then permission must be obtained
from Head of institution.

17.  Sure that item to be purchased is not in the
list of government contract items.
 In bulk items are cheaper .
 Time of Purchase of items. Some are used
fresh others can be stored.
 Items are usually more expensive when they
are purchased from companies that deal with
scientific equipments.
 Try to purchase from other shops like
bearings from bicycle shop not scientific
store.

18.  Quotations
 Selection of suppliers
 Ordering
 Acknowledgement
 Delivery note
 Recipt of Goods
 Invoice

19.  When certain items are not available from
sources other than agent for scientific
equipment, normal practice is to write to all
the local agents for quotations of prices for
the items required.
 A sample of quotation is on next slide

21.  When all the quotations have been received, the
next important is to select the supplier.
 Usually different suppliers are selected for
different items.
 The price of an item is ,of course, the key factor
in the selection of supplier.
 Qualities of goods, reputation of supplier and
after sale service are also important factor to
considered.
 Request can always be made to suppliers to send
samples of items for careful inspection of quality.
 All the quotations should be filed.

22.  After the suppliers have been selected, order
forms should be sent to them.
 A carbon copy of every order form should be
properly kept in record.
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
 A company will send an acknowledgement
once it has received the order. This
acknowledgement should be kept in record.

23.  When the company is ready to deliver goods,
a delivery note will be sent to the school
stating the time and date the goods will be
sent to the address as written in the order
form.
 The delivery note should be filed along with
other documents.

24.  All the goods must be checked thoroughly
against the original order form before
endorsing the delivery notes.
 In case of any anomaly in the goods supplied,
the supplier should be first notified by phone
and immediately followed with a letter.
 Do not endorse the delivery notes until all the
anomalies have been corrected.

25.  After delivery , supplier will sent an invoice
for payment.
 Before payment , match the invoice with the
previous quotation from the supplier.

26.  There are two types of stores
1. Main stores
2. Dispensing stores
 Main stores are for science section .it
contains all kinds of chemicals and
equipments.
 Dispensing stores located at each alb, are set
up mainly for the purpose of issuing out
equipment and apparatus to students.

27.  Quotations
 Orders
 Acknowledgement
 Delivery notes
 Invoices
 Instructional manuals
 Catalogues
 Pamphlets
 Stock cards
 Stock Registers
 Others

28.  Stock registers are two types
 Stock register for consumable materials
 Stock Register for non-consumable materials

29.  Chemicals
 Chemicals should be separated from
apparatus and equipments.
 Generally Chemicals are of two types
 Inorganic Chemicals
 Organic Chemicals
 Old stock should be used first then new stock
because chemicals deteriorate with age.
 Dangerous chemicals should be labeled and
stored in the lock and key in specials
cupboards.

30.  These should be arranged under the name of the
metals.
 The shelves should be labelled accordingly.
 Double compounds like ammonium nickel
sulphate or ferrous ammonium sulphate can be
placed according to labelling adopted by
supplier.
 The prefixes to the names of chemicals such as
di, tri, ortho-, meta , are ignored for storage
purposes and such chemicals are stored in the
normal way under the name of metals.

31.  Storage of organic chemicals is more difficult.
 They can be arranged in classes like alcohol,
ether, acids etc.
 Organic chemicals should be kept
alphabetical order in employing this system
the prefixes such as o-,m-,and p- are
ignored.
 The prefixes such as di- and tri- should be
taken into account for purposes of
alphabetical location.

32.  The size of items of glass apparatus stored
should be standardized ass far as possible.
 They should not be placed too high and
mixed with heavy apparatus or metal articles.
 Tall glass apparatus should be placed at the
back of the shelves and smaller pieces in
front.
 Special pieces of glassware, for example
Kipp’s apparatus ,are store as far as possible
in their original packing and paper
containers. Make sure packing are labeled.

33.  All flasks should be stored separately according
to size.
 Flat bottom vessels may stand upright but round
bottom vessels should be stored a bin with high
front small glassware.
 Petri dishes and microscopic slides are best kept
in shelf trays.
 Burettes require a long drawer or stand.
 All expensive glassware should be kept
separately packed in soft wadding.
 Thermometers should be kept in their cardboard
cases and stores according to type and range.

34.  Horizontal storage is the best for glass tubing
and rods.
 The tubing must be supported along its
length to prevent sagging .
 Large diameter tubing must be plugged at
the ends to keep out dust.
 Soda glass and hard glass should be kept as
far apart as possible.
 Glass tubing should be stored by weight.

35.  Plastics apparatus should be stored away
from heat sources.
 If it is brittle should not be stored with heavy
apparatus.
 METAL WARE:
 Metal wares such as clamps, boss heads
,tripods stands, Bunsen burners should be
stored together and they need periodic
maintenance.

36.  The small items are usually kept in drawers
or trays.
 Optical items such as lenses, mirrors and
prisms are kept in drawers with packet of
silica get to maintain dryness.
 Bigger apparatus are arranged in shelves.
 The Heavy ones are placed below and lighter
ones at the top of the shelves.

37.  Electrical equipments and apparatus should
be stored in a group, away from fumes and
chemicals.
 Valves, transistors and other delicate items
should be wrapped in cotton wool and placed
in individual casings.

38.  The school laboratories house expensive
science equipment and chemicals which could
get damaged rapidly through dampness of
ceiling and walls of store rooms.
 Regular inspection on the la and equipment
prevent this.
 The senior science teacher can carry out
regular inspection.

39.  Inspection book: For each laboratory
inspection a record must be made in the
laboratory inspection book of repairs to done
on items
1. Paint work 7. Water system
2. Lighting 8. Water taps
3. Ventilation 9. Drains and pipes
4. Windows 10. Waste sump
5. Gas taps 11. Gas system
6. Furniture 12. Gas Burner
13. Gas tanks

40. ELECTRICAL FITTINGS AND APPLIANCES
1. Fuse Box
2. Socket and plugs
3. Wires
4. Ovens
5. Refrigerators and freezers
6. Distillators and deioniser

41.  Laboratory Furniture
 Benches
 Stools
 Chalkboards/white boards
 Cupboards
 Display cupboards
 Notice Boards
 Curtains
 Shelves
 Reagents Racks
 Burette and Pipette racks

42.  Equipment in physics Lab is general affected by high
humidity and dust. Rusting poses an other problem.
Therefore periodic inspection is needed.
1. Lead Accumulators
2. Alkaline Accumulator
3. Battery Charger
4. Ammeters and voltmeters
5. Galvanometers
6. Wheatstone Bridges
7. Resistance Boxes magnets
8. Lenses and prisms Thermometers
9. Mercury
10. Vernier Calipers

43. THANKS