What equipment to put in new labs?

[The Search Engine]

Hi folks,
I thought I'd remember someone discussing the kit they had set up in each of the practical bays in their new labs but can't seem to find a post on it.
I was wondering what sort of things you have in the cupboards.
Hand over was today and we are rather excited. Celebrated with champagne and chocolates in the new prep room!
I was thinking along the lines of:

bunsen
tripod
gauze
test tube rack
couple of beakers of each size
similar range of conical flasks
a measuring cylinder or two
plastic & glass funnel
retort stand
Even considering a power pack - saves me lugging them around.

In one lab we have managed to fit a bank of drawers that test tubes, tongs, watch glasses etc can go into but the other lab has a slightly different configuration so their storage drawers will be in the prep room.
Would love to hear your advice - I am so eager to put things in places but reluctant to change the pristine look of the rooms at the moment.

Cheers,
Happy little Search Engine

Patti

[noona]

Hi Patti
I have put all that in mine and have put a list on the inside of the door so it is easy to check everything
Year 7 love this
I put the test tubes in an ice cream containe and the little thing in an ice cream container as well
Keeps it all neat and tidy ( for a while at least)

[blossoming]

When we moved into our new labs - the only equipment I placed in each station was - Under the sink only retort stand, clamp & boss head and in the cupboard - no glassware - top shelf has bunsen tripod gauze testtube holder and tongs and bottom shelf testtube rack and power pack. All glass ware is held in the the bench cupboard next to the sink - so each morning I only need to check that all glassware is available for the day (which is one cupboard a lab and this also makes cleaning up easy as kids don't place glassware in the stations as I don't get to check them as often) and all benches are checked on sport days and depending on number of labs - not every lab is checked every week). We have worked with this arrangement over the last 8 months and it has been very effective - no mess or wet/broken glassware in stations - a lot easier for us labbies!!

[Lis]

Hi Patti

I got baskets from Big W for under the benches, and in them I have tripod, gauze mat, bunsen, small test tube rack, beaker tongs, & test tube brush, as well what cant fit in basket, there is large test tube rack, power pack, retort stand & heat mat. I dont put any glassware, because I wouldnt know if it got broken . Things like boss head, clamps test tubes, watchglasses etc I have in draws at front of lab, beakers, measuring cylinders live in a cupboard at back of lab.

Cheers
Lisa

[fibreweb]

From previous experience glassware kept under the cupboards has a great tendancy to be broken.

The kids just toss things in like the clamp or bosshead and smash whatever else in in there, then someone accidently cuts their hand on the unknown broken glass. For this reason I have kept all glassware in one of the other back cupboards.

I have put test tubes, beakers etc in trays as I am concerned that water in the cupboards may cause the chipboard to swell.

We didn't put our transformers in the cupboards as we only have the ancient silver ones that weight a ton. The way the kids put them back would soom damage the cupboards not to mention the OH & S issue of lifting the heavy weights from almost ground level up to the bench. When the class is doing the electricity unit I put the class set on a trolley and there they stay in the classroom until the unit is over and the transformers go back to the store cupboard.

I have a A4 poster on each workstation door teling them what is inside as well as an A3 on the back wall. The workstations are checked each sport afternoon. Most teachers are pretty good at getting the kids to put things back properly but there is one teacher that has just about every workstation stuffed up each week.

I only have 250 ml glass and plastic beakers in the rooms, if they want something different it gets ordered. Also 250 ml conical flasks.

Wendy

[Rowyrow]

I only keep bunsen burner, heat mat, tri pod, gauze mat, retort bosshead and four prong clamp under our benches. Even this is annoying because the kids NEVER put them back where they got them and instead of getting the kids to look under all the benches teachers always come and complain to me that they are missing x number of bunsens, x number of tripods etc (when they are there, just need to have a labbies look!!! ). Glass ware would be too hard to keep track of breakages whats been uses whats clean etc etc. If you can't trustem to put em back in the right spot they can't be trusted to clean em properly. Ahhhhh bring on friday and the holidays!!!!

[trish armstrong]

my labs sound pretty much similar to some other posts.
I have place 1 retort stand ,1power pack, 2 tt racks on one side(had to take middle shelf out).
The other side under the sink, has 2 clamps and bossheads, 2 tongs, 2 tt holders, 2 guaze, 2 bench mats,2 bunsens.
the bottom shelf has 2 tripods, 1 trough.
All glassware is in the drawers out the front. I have 1- 50ml beaker drawer, 1-100ml beaker drawer, 1- 250ml beaker drawer, 1 of each size tt ( a fair qty in each), 1 drawer with filter funnels(8 qty), 1 drawer with measure cylinders(both10ml and 100ml), 1 drawer with 8 gas jars, 1 drawer with pipeclay triangles, 1 drawer with watch glass and evap basins in, and 1 with rings. This works well.
The stations and drawers I have lined with lino which keeps the shelves clean and is easy to wipe. Have labeled drawers and inside of cupboards where i like stuff kept but kids really don't take notice, usually spend sport arvo's rearranging it again.
Conical flasks, bigger beakers all have to be ordered from preproom,
Hope this helps,
Trish

[The Search Engine]

This is fantastic!
Thank you!
I love the tip about the glassware not being in the cupboards. The less stuff in there the better! I see that now (searching for light bulk smiley) as we are the people who have to keep putting it back in the right place.

May I ask what you store in the tote tray towers please? I was thinking along the lines of Wendy's suggestion earlier (I think it was you Wendy) about pracs that have been ordered or not finished with to go in them and then completed pracs on the bench But I have three of these towers and I don't get that many orders.

My initial concerns were that the trays were tilted. Then the site manager graciously straightened them in the rack for me (blonde moment!!!)

Hopefully tomorrow I can start "moving in". I have one whole wall of my Chemstore to clear so the tradesmen can fit my corrosive liquids cabinet and flammable liquids cabinet during the holidays so I have a bit to get through. Then I need to decide where the filing cabinet goes in relation to my desk and the fridge and, and, and......

I can see, Wendy, why it takes a while to find a home for everything. Let's hope my lovely Science teachers stay as passionate about their labs and the tidiness of it all well into the future.

Cheers,

Patti

[fibreweb]

I wonder how they decided how many towers to give people.

With 7 labs and 3 prep rooms I only got one tower and other much smaller schools like Search Engine got 3.

Maybe it has to do with the size of the prep room and nothing to do with the number of trays likely to be needed.
That would be logical to to those that designed the preprooms and labs.
I would have loved one for each preproom.
With the potential for up to 40 pracs in one day, not counting those that don't get done that day and are held over, and the ones continuing for several days 12 trays just don't cut it.

Wendy

[fibreweb]

Just a thought

If there is someone in my area that doesn't want all their towers, they would happily find a home here.

Wendy

[Cin]

I've put the following in each of the new work stations:
3x50ml glass Beakers ,2x150ml glass Beaker, 4x 250ml glass Beakers , 2x 250ml Plastic Beakers, Bench mat, Bunsen burner, Funnel,Gas jar, Gauze mat, 2x Plastic Mcyclinders, 2 x Plastic M.cyclinders, 2x Glass M.cyclinder, 1x Plastic 500ml M.Cyclinder, Retort Stand, TTbrush,TTholder, TT rack 12holes,2x TT rack 6holes, Transformer, Tongs & Tripod. There is plenty of room for all this equipment.