A happy employee is an asset to any organization. A satisfied employee achieves greater productivity, creativity, and efficiency. In laboratories, this is no different. Despite the tiring and challenging schedules of the researchers and lab workers, there are tiny points that can boost their happiness quotient, ensuring favorable outcomes for the organization.

1.      Ergonomics: To make the staff’s tasks more manageable, people always look for ways to better their equipment. Lab professionals have diverse ergonomic needs compared to office workers and other workers. For example, they are built without arms standard to enable users to move laterally and position their chairs under benches without being hindered. The nature of laboratory work and research puts people at risk for many ergonomic risks since they spend much time performing repetitive and complex tasks. Therefore, it is imperative to address the topic of ergonomics appropriately and provide appropriate furniture to the lab workers to take care of their health and ensure lab efficiency. It is a step that appears excessive and unnecessary today, but in the long run proves to be worthwhile, creating a healthy work environment and taking good care of the company.  

2.      Literature Easy Access (recent) – Lab researchers must use scientific literature as a source of knowledge for their experiments. It is generally recommended that an article be peer-reviewed by two scientists with proficiency in a similar field so that their comments can be considered before publication. This provides researchers with general information that helps them gain a deeper understanding of a subject area and specific information that encourages them to explore more specialized content. The vast majority of academic researchers access publications through online databases today. With digital resources and their advantages, there is an increasing tendency to discern the authentic from the latest. Researchers cannot advance without access to updated study results backed up by facts. 

3.      Operational Guidance and Cohesiveness – Larger labs/commercial labs are generally run collectively by an active bunch of researchers or scientists headed by a leader or qualified mentor. Leaders in teams are responsible for organizing the members and remaining in the background, facilitating discussions by asking empowering questions designed to elicit critical thinking. A team becomes incredibly dedicated to its members, finds extreme value in collaborating for something larger than themselves, and shares equal responsibility for both success and failure. As opposed to this, when you are in a group setting, the leader dictates how the group functions and they often assign work in a top-down manner, stifling creativity and preventing members from being open to new ideas. It is not only the outcome a great team creates that determines success but also the members’ unwillingness to leave. When teams work cohesively, self-esteem and morale are enhanced, which results in improved performance. A team’s success is driven by the performance of its members multiplied by the number of members. Cohesion at the workplace can, in the long run, determine whether a company’s success rises or falls.

4.      Advanced technology with calibration – It is essential to calibrate your measuring instruments for two reasons. First, it determines whether the measurement is accurate. Second, it determines whether the measurement can be traced. As a matter of practice, calibration may also include repairing the out-of-calibrated device. Calibration ensures that test equipment is accurate, minimizing measurement uncertainty. During calibration, errors and delays within measurement processes are quantified and controlled to an acceptable level. Calibration is generally accomplished by testing samples of a known value (called calibrations). A relationship is set up between the instrument’s measurement technique and the known values based on the results. As a result of the process, the tool can produce more accurate results than it would otherwise have. When samples of unknown values are tested using the product in a standard setting, the instrument provides more accurate results.

5.      Safety management of lab staff – Labor hazards include exposure to corrosive, toxic, and flammable chemicals and solvents, high-pressure gases, explosive chemicals, and dangerous microbes. Lab mishaps can be avoided with little care and following safety guidelines. The schedule of your research project can be adversely affected if something goes awry. A team member may become injured, equipment may be damaged, and penalties could be imposed. The lab manager should appoint a laboratory safety officer with experience and credentials in laboratory safety to make this a reality. In small laboratories, a facility member should take appropriate training courses on laboratory safety to become knowledgeable about lab safety. In more extensive labs, the safety officer has one of the chief responsibilities of guiding managers and supervisors who ensure that employees are working in a safe environment. In addition to recommendations from the safety officer, the laboratory director should have the authority to stop unsafe activities, but ultimately, the safety officer remains responsible for safety.

Leader Life Sciences has proven its expertise in laboratory sciences in a myriad of avenues where the clients have placed utmost trust in us. Through the dexterity of our high-standard equipment, we have mastered the art of making your lab staff happy. The lab management assistance we provide has always been appreciated by our clients. Let Leader Life Sciences facilitate the smooth running of your laboratory solutions. For any queries reach out to us at marketing@leaderlifesciences.com.