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Tag Archives: Dangerous Goods

How to choose a dangerous goods specialist to suit your needs

Author WEBMASTER Posted on 0 Comments

With so many dangerous goods specialists out there how can you be sure that you can choose one that perfectly suits your needs? Finding the perfect partner during your lab relocation or equipment move can be as easy as one, two, three.

What are your needs?

First things first, it’s necessary to establish what you actually need your dangerous goods specialist to support you with. What’s going on right now that dictates a need for specialist intervention? How is this going to affect your business or organisation? Why do you need a dangerous goods specialist on board, and what do you need them to help with specifically? Perhaps it’s the entire process – or certain portions of it that you require assistance with. Writing down exactly what you need and forming it into a firm, comprehensive brief is a sure-fire way to ensure you’ll find and hire a dangerous goods specialist suited to your requirements.

How much do you have to spend?  

Budget will dictate how you spend your money and who and what you can afford. It may not be possible to achieve a fully managed project if you don’t have the funds to support it – and you’ll need to be prepared for that. Reputable dangerous goods specialists will offer a fair price for the work they do – a cost which reflects the level of accuracy and knowledge required to safely handle and manage the materials they work with. Be sure to bear this in mind when setting out how much you have to spend.

Search for companies with experience and expertise to suit your requirements  

Dangerous goods specialists should be well-versed across the board when it comes to handling, managing and moving hazardous substances and items – but some companies talk the talk and don’t walk the walk. Be sure to search for and select a company that has specific experience and expertise in your area of concern. Failing to do so could mean your move or relocation ends in disaster.

Key Things To Consider During The Hospital Moving Process

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When relocating a hospital or hospital ward there is a multitude of aspects to consider and carefully arrange. Here we share three key elements to plan for, and explain how Johnsons project managers can help with the hospital moving process from communication and preparation to aftercare and specialist support.

Communicate with staff and patients

Communication is key throughout any hospital moving project – whether you’re relocating a ward, swapping operating theatres or changing an entire unit. Organise meetings with all members of staff to ensure that they are kept in the loop throughout the process. Although they may not be directly involved with the move itself, they are going to play a very important role as they maintain a standard of service and keep things running before, during and after. You’ll also need to arrange communication with patients in accessible, written form.

Discuss the process with upper management and stakeholders

Upper management and stakeholders will need to be aware of the move and everything involved within the process – not only from a service provision perspective, but also from a financial viewpoint. Any medical moves are sensitive and must be handled with care and consideration for all parties – so management will be conscious of this and will need to be thoroughly briefed and understand what and who is involved at every step of the way.

Ensure specialist project managers are on hand for a smooth relocation

Hospital moves are always complex – therefore specialist project management provision and detailed preparation are essential. Expert project managers will be able to oversee the hospital moving process in its entirety, ensuring that everything is accounted for and taken care of. They can also liaise with third parties on your behalf, and even advise on the consultation and communication stages. This professional support offers complete peace of mind at a time when disruption and disturbances need to be kept to a minimum.

At Johnsons we’ve been helping laboratories, research facilities and hospitals to relocate for over fifty years. Get in touch today to discuss your specific requirements with our dedicated team of expert lab movers and project managers.

4 Things You Should Consider When Discussing A Lab Relocation With Laboratory Movers

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Communication is key during all stages of a laboratory move – so it’s important to understand how you will liaise with the experts responsible for the removal as well as colleagues and staff throughout the process. Here we share four key things to consider when discussing transportation and relocation with laboratory movers.

Rules and regulations

Naturally a range of rules and regulations apply to laboratory moves, as they tend to feature a variety of specialist requirements. Dangerous goods and hazardous materials are commonplace. Chat with your laboratory movers in depth before the move and during the preparatory stages to make them aware of the full situation and understand the regulatory obligations and expectations of your relocation. Laboratory movers will be required to meet a range of regulations including H&S legislation, GLP and FDA plus any local or facility guidelines – so it’s important that you’re honest and upfront and provide comprehensive information right from the start to allow them to prepare adequately.

Hazardous materials and dangerous goods

It goes without saying – hazardous materials and dangerous goods need specialist attention. A separate set of regulations will apply here – so discussing any dangerous or hazardous materials present (including poisons, chemicals and biohazards) with your laboratory movers should be a key priority.

Costings are key

Budget is very important – so it’s vital to discuss realistic costings with your laboratory movers before you begin the preparatory stages. Laboratory relocation must be budgeted for – especially where specialist provisions are involved.

Cold chain materials must be considered

Biological materials and chemical samples are often temperature sensitive – so it’s crucial that constant conditions are maintained throughout transportation. Climate-controlled trucks and specially trained technicians will need to be on-hand to monitor temperatures, especially where frozen goods are concerned. Back-up plans will also need to be in place – so it’s important to discuss this with your laboratory movers prior to the relocation date.

If you’re planning an upcoming laboratory relocation, you’ll need specialists on hand to ensure safe transportation and a smooth transition to new premises. Get in touch with our dedicated team today.

Good Lab Practice and Why It’s So Important

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Good laboratory practice is paramount for UK labs – as stringent adherence to regulation ensures licence renewal, optimum results and staff satisfaction. Here we explore the relevance and importance of good lab practice and explain how Johnsons lab services can help.

What does good lab practice involve?

The term ‘good lab practice’ serves as an umbrella for an extensive range of disciplines and requirements that ensure the safe and smooth running of a laboratory environment. Indeed without a good lab practice policy laboratories simply can’t function, as licencing and permissions greatly depend on it. Government guidelines state that any facility conducting safety tests on medicines, chemicals, cosmetics, foodstuffs or biocides must be a member of the UK GLP, its laboratory compliance monitoring programme. Therefore when inspections are carried out on an annual basis labs are expected to meet a stringent set of requirements and regulations.

Why is good lab practice important?

The importance of good laboratory practice can be defined by the consideration of three principle elements – safety, ethics and management. For a successful lab operation staff and visitors must be safe. Practices must be ethical. Management must be well organised and comprehensive. When panning out a little to take in the wider picture it’s clear to see why compliance is key. Good lab practice prevents isolated internal incidents that could have catastrophic implications outside the four walls of the facility, such as cross-contamination, chemical leaks and infection.

A simpler, safer way to ensure good lab practice at all times

At Johnsons we take good lab practice, safety and compliance incredibly seriously. We understand that when labs work with us, we are by default an extension of their operations, therefore our knowledge and the quality of our services is a reflection of their wider function. For this reason we go the extra mile for our clients, providing a dangerous goods safety advisor as standard who will advise on advise on the classification, packing, handling, labelling, and transportation of hazardous materials.

Planning an upcoming laboratory move? Need to ensure full compliance and good lab practice throughout? Get in touch today to learn more about our specialist lab services.

The Importance of a Dangerous Goods Safety Advisor

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A laboratory relocation is often a complex and sensitive operation – requiring a cohesive effort involving multiple agencies and specialists. Relocation can be further complicated by the presence of dangerous goods – often found in a range of laboratories. Despite this some providers don’t include a dangerous goods safety advisor as standard – potentially leaving laboratories open to catastrophic consequences, compromised operations or even legal action. So why is reliable dangerous goods management so important, and how can you choose a reputable DGSA to support your relocation?

Dangerous goods require specialist assistance

From cleaning products and pesticides to solvents and biological samples – even seemingly inoffensive or unassuming items can be classed as dangerous goods. Their classification is complex and nuanced – involving nine different tiers each with varying regulations and recommendations. Dangerous goods naturally require careful handling and management by fully trained professionals. Good lab practice considers the safety of employees and operations as a whole in conjunction with one another, so when a lab move is on the horizon dangerous goods management is naturally front of mind.

What does the role of a dangerous goods safety advisor involve?

A dangerous goods safety advisor or DGSA has extensive and specific knowledge relating to the handling, management and transportation of dangerous goods. They understand that careful planning and preparation is paramount and will consult and advise on the dangerous goods aspect of the relocation.

Choose wisely for complete peace of mind

We take the movement of dangerous goods incredibly seriously – so we have in-house dangerous goods safety advisors who are on-hand to assist during laboratory relocation. Naturally this greatly minimises risk and ensures compliance and appropriate handing and management at all times. Having in-house knowledge of dangerous substances helps lab managers to retain complete peace of mind – but there are additional benefits associated with having expert assistance on side. A specialist advisor can oversee this aspect of the move, helping to significantly streamline the process and lowering costs thanks to the elimination of wasted time and resources.

Planning for an upcoming laboratory move? Get in touch with Johnsons today to discuss your requirements.