It’s human nature to become complacent and relaxed in a familiar and comfortable setting. Things become routine and you are able to navigate most of the day on autopilot. The lab is like home, a comfortable old friend. Now take a minute and think back to when you first started working in a lab and all was new and challenging. You were probably a bit on edge at the beginning not wanting to look completely clueless. You may have been somewhat awed by the equipment, the chemicals, the procedures, and the ease with which the others in the lab moved from task to task. You watched those with more experience around you and took their lead on how to conduct yourself or approach specific operations. Some things might have looked wrong or even dangerous but you saw the others walk past without a hint of concern. They were your mentors and were the keepers of the lab tradition so it must be OK. As this was all new, you took it in and accepted it as the way it should be.

Now there are years in the lab under your belt. You have seen success, had close calls, and probably some mishaps. You are now one of the mentors and keepers of tradition. Does the lab you manage represent the message you would want to pass on to those entrusted to you? Yoga instructors often say we should close our eyes and open them as a child to see the world anew. Thus we would ask that you do the same with your laboratory and take a walk through your lab, looking at all with the eyes of a child, with unprejudiced honesty of all you see.

A Walking Tour—the Big Picture
Let’s start in the hallway outside the lab. Is the entrance to your lab labeled with up to date emergency contact and safety information? If someone heard a freezer alarm going off early on a Sunday morning, or at 5 a.m. a custodian discovered water pouring through the ceiling from a plumbing problem on the floor above, would they easily be able to contact the right lab staff that could take appropriate action? Is there an up-to-date call list in the lab should you need to call in “all hands” at a moment’s notice in the event of a lab emergency? These are such easy things to do and can potentially preserve weeks, months, or years of stored samples, many of which are critical and irreplaceable.

We now move inside. What is your first impression looking with fresh eyes? Is it neat, orderly, and organized or does it tend more to chaos and entropy? Would your mother be proud of what she saw if she were coming to visit? The first impression that greets an outside inspector often sets the tone for what follows. Are there boxes of supplies or deliveries plunked down to deal with later? The floors/aisles should be free from trip and spill hazards such as randomly stored boxes, chemicals, and wastes. The absorbent, disposable paper bench coat should not be so contaminated that it documents the chemical usage of the entire career of the technician at the bench. Bench coats should be replaced regularly and whenever gross contamination occurs. Are the biohazard waste receptacles overfull? Are they properly contained and labeled? Peek in the garbage cans; is there any inappropriate waste that might have taken a convenient shortcut toward disposal? Look at the sinks. Is the lab keeping up with the dirty glassware or does it more resemble a mountain of precariously stacked dishes in a fraternity house kitchen. Does the glassware prevent quick and safe access to the emergency eyewash at the end of the bench?