Assistant Lab Officer SOP

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Last updated: Nov 08, 2020 by jr_barnes
4 min read

Standard Operating Procedure - Assistant Lab Officer (ALO)

September 2018
V378P

I. PORT CALL (Start of an Expedition)

  • Go to Lab Officer's (LO) Office and begin crossover with the off-going ALOs. Read the ALO report from the previous leg and discuss any changes in equipment status or procedures.

  • Conduct a thorough walk through of the lab stack with the off going ALOs. Identify all the off-going shipments, including "cold" and "special" shipments.

  • Obtain both off-going and on-coming shipping papers; familiarize yourself with the content in order to coordinate the shipment distribution. Ensure the shipping paperwork is correct.

  • Consult the logistics coordinator about shipment status.

  • Conduct a brief freight handling safety orientation with new technician(s), and ensure all Marine Laboratory Specialists (MLSs) follow safety regulations (wear steel-toed shoes, hardhat, gloves, and safety glasses).

  • Coordinate off-load/on-load shipment with MLSs. Assign a MLS to oversee the dockside of oncoming and off going. Provide dockside MLS with needed paperwork (including load out diagram).

  • Coordinate on-coming shipment distribution. Cross-check packing lists with shipping papers to verify all supplies received. There are AMS reports designed for this purpose.

  • Notify LO and Marine Logistics Coordinator (MLC) regarding any mistakes, missing freight, and/or shortage of lab supplies.

  • Consult all technical staff and assist them in verifying physical counts on priority #1 inventory items in their assigned lab/area. Bring to LO and MLC's immediate attention if any item is short on quantity.

  • Toward the end of portcall (during transit) once all shipments are received and the sent are verified, "receive" all oncoming shipment and "send" off going shipment in AMS.

  • Coordinate with the Expedition Project Manager for safety tours and Life at Sea presentations.

  • Provide "Life at Sea" training to oncoming scientists and new staff, coordinating the time with oncoming EPM

  • Provide "General lab safety" training to oncoming scientists and new staff, coordinating time with EPM

II. SITE PREPARATION (Prior to arrival on site and core on deck)

  • Conduct Physical Counts on all critical items (CORE Logisitcs spreadsheet) prior to any surface freight shipments leaving IODP for future expeditions. Work with shore ALO to ensure the correct amounts of items will be sent for upcoming expeditions.

  • Ensure all labs are fully prepared with supplies and instruments are all calibrated and working correctly.

  • Update all check out sheets.

  • Ensure a thorough lab safety orientation is provided for the new technician(s). Train new technicians on proper catwalk and core handling procedures.

  • Find out from the curator the catwalk and sample table sampling plans. review these plans with technical staff who will be on catwalk and in corelab.

  • Complete physical count on IODPS (IODP Ship Store items).

III. ON SITE ACTIVITIES

  • Act as core lab supervisor to direct processing of cores through the core lab. Assign duties as necessary.

  • Act as backup for Curator, assuring that policy and procedures for core handling, section data entry, and sampling are followed.

 

IV. DURING THE CRUISE

  • Assist the LO as a safety officer.

  • Assist the science party with sampling and data gathering

  • Act as a liaison between the science party and lab technicians.

  • Assist in establishing and enforcing procedures for effective and safe operation of shipboard labs.

  • Train and mentor staff.

  • Maintain a log of personnel performance in the event that input is requested by the LO or shore-based supervisors.

  • Maintain the shipboard inventory database "AMS"; update checkout sheets every 7-14 days, or as needed. Update Checkout Sheets about 10 days prior to when shipments leave IODP (College Station) for the ship. Update/check quantities in CORE Logistics spreadsheet and coordinate with shorebase ALO to ensure correct quantities of needed items will be shipped.

  • Reviewing the requirements for laboratory supplies with lab personnel for future cruises, ensuring the requisitions are produced to meet the scientific requirements.

  • Notify Supervisor of Science Operations and shore-based Logistics Coordinator(s) for estimated supplies shortage.

  • Access resource of the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS). Hard copy of MSDS is no longer maintained in shipboard files, it's available on-line.

  • Assist in monitoring radioactive material including radiation badges, if require, for lab personnel.

  • Assist in lab development projects and upgrading instruments. May assemble, troubleshoot, and repair instruments in shipboard labs.

  • Run the IODP Ship Store. Contact individual onshore with needed quantities for future expedition.

  • Verify and enter into AMS shipping addresses for scientists and technical staff. Curator can provide the list of scientists and addresses.

  • Coordinate with the curator for sample shipments. Inform the MLC of any frozen and/or refrigerated shipments.

V. END OF LEG ACTIVITIES

  • Prepare accurate shipping documents for all off-going freight, including cores, samples, lab supplies, gas bottles, instruments, engineering equipment, logging tools, Core Tech equipment.

  • Work with curator(s) on cold and other special sample shipments, and produce correct shipping documents. For World Courier shipments, produce Commercial Invoice and work with the MLC to insure correct information is provided.

  • Responsible for properly packaging and labeling all off-going shipments.

  • Properly prepare the US custom form for US personnel sending unaccompanied personal belongings. A personal box is no longer supported for all staff and scientists.

  • Organize and clean the supply stores and perform other cleaning duties as assigned.

  • The LO may ask for contributions to performance notes and/or to write performance notes for shipboard staff.

VI. PORT CALL—OFF GOING

  • Produce off-going shipment paperwork for logistics coordinator when arriving at port of call. Generally, shipping papers are due to the MLC three days before arrival into port.

  • Produce a summarized shipment location for oncoming ALOs, including "cold" shipment.

  • Find the oncoming ALO(s) and cross over. Make sure the oncoming ALO(s) are aware of any changes made to the lab, procedures, current equipment status, and if port purchases are necessary. Conduct a thorough walk through the lab stack for and shipment location.

VII. SHORE DUTIES

  • Assist Supervisor of Technical Support with any projects, assignments.

  • Assist the Business Coordinator with the purchase of shipboard supplies.

  • Specify and purchase lab equipment as necessary.

  • Coordinate with EPMs on expedition preparation and purchase any special supplies. Attending EPM meetings is recommended.

  • Participate in Lab Working Groups as assigned.

  • Participate on project teams as assigned.

  • Attend Supervisor's Meetings.

  • Coordinate the shipping of IODP Ship Store items to the ship.

  • Coordinate the shipping of Personal Boxes for staff to the ship including entering information into AMS including Export Control Information.

  • Complete required training including Dangerous Goods Shipping training.