Laboratory Documents - Checklists and One Page Procedures
While laboratory methods are useful documents for training purposes and are necessary to ensure that laboratory staff have access to all information (HSE, theory, potential interferences in an analysis) related to the process, they can also be lengthy documents as a result. A trained instrument operator or scientist is unlikely to need or use the full method while physically carrying out the analysis on a day-to-day basis – their training should be sufficient that they don’t require to consult the method frequently.
A more useful document for hands-on laboratory use is one that is much shorter and focusses on the steps required to do the analysis. Two such documents are a checklist and a one-page procedure.
A checklist can be especially useful for processes that require specific data to be recorded each time the method is used. For example, when using an autoclave, the method may require the user to validate that the autoclave has a current pressure test and to observe the operation of the instrument until it has reached a certain temperature and/or pressure before leaving the autoclave to operate. A printed checklist that the user follows allows for each step to be checked off and for relevant information (such as the pressure test date, the check on temperature and pressure, volume of liquids and solids added to the autoclave) to be recorded. The completed document can then be retained, thereby creating a document trail to demonstrate that the instrument is being operated and checked as per the method.
A one-page procedure is a simplified and often pictorial document that outlines the steps of the process, with the images used to demonstrate how something is done. This may include photographs or screen captures from the instrument’s software. If the process is complicated or has multiple steps, there may be several of these – for example, one for sample preparation, one outlining instrument operation and a third that shows how to retrieve and process results.
In the event that secondary documents are available (or required) for use in the laboratory, it is essential that their use is covered in appropriate detail in both the theoretical and practical training. The usefulness of these types of documents may be limited if laboratory staff are not properly trained in how to use them and understand why they are of use.