How to choose a dangerous goods specialist to suit your needs

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.

Moving medical laboratory equipment – dos and don’ts

Moving medical laboratory equipment is often necessary – whether you’re running a pathology lab in a hospital or carrying out cutting-edge research in a specialist facility. There are certain do’s and don’ts to observe when planning a laboratory equipment move – here we share four key tips to help you ensure that your relocation runs as smoothly as possible.

DO ensure that everyone is informed and involved

Your staff are going to need to be on board for this – and their support will be essential as you organise a move, whether you’re swapping out an old model for a new one or overseeing a complete refit. Consult everybody first and keep them informed of your plans well in advance. Find a way for everyone to be involved – whether they’re helping to maintain the status quo or actively assisting in the move.

DO work with staff members’ individual strengths

Identify who might be able to help with what and assign tasks accordingly. If you’re in a hospital environment, will the move impact on patients? If so, one or more members of lab staff should be involved in minimising and mitigating that impact. If outsourcing is required to fill in the gaps in service during the move who will manage this and properly brief partner labs? Work as much within your immediate team before then enlisting additional support from professionals with specific experience moving medical laboratory equipment.  

DON’T try to do it yourself

Medical equipment is sensitive, specialist and overall incredibly expensive. Asking staff to move it or trying to arrange a team yourself could end in disaster – which often impacts on and delays service delivery since replacements can be hard to find. Breakages, spills and errors with timing and delivery can often affect in-house moves – so guard against disruption by arranging specialist assistance.

DON’T forget about decommissioning/relocation/recalibrate

When planning in timescales and provision for your upcoming move, don’t forget to consider how long it will take to decommission, relocate and recalibrate the equipment. Specialist OEMS will likely be required for this stage too – and they will need to be booked in advance. Consult experts on each piece of equipment to ensure that accurate provision and timescales are in place.