Some service laboratories operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. These include chemical plant laboratories, laboratories in other types of production plants, some hospital laboratories, and forensic laboratories. While automated lab instrumentation can reduce the need for lab staff members to actually be present 24/7, often there remains a need for people to be physically present in the lab. Lab members should be sure these people do not work alone and that someone is checking on their safety. Laboratory managers should be aware of what these nighttime and weekend employees are doing while the day shift is at home.
Some companies are increasingly using short, interactive online courses to train employees on safety, ethics, and other matters. These are usually mandatory. These courses often include online examinations. Only when employees successfully pass these examinations are they registered as completing the courses. Lab managers should make sure their staff members complete these courses as required.
