Lab Worker Job Description, Policies, and Prodecures

As an Attendant for the EE digital lab you are responsible for the safety and security of equipment and people in the lab. At all times be aware of common sense and safety issues. If at any time there is a safety or security risk, contact appropriate authorities immediately. Call the Lab Manager, enlist the help of another staff or faculty member, or in an emergency, call Campus police and/or 911.

There will often be time for you to work on personal things while on duty, but you will be expected to perform some productive tasks during your shift.

Primary Job duties:

Safety

If a lab user is breaking lab rules or behaving in a way that endangers lab equipment or occupants, ask them to stop. If they continue the offensive behavior, ask them to leave and if necessary call for help. (Lab Manager, faculty member, or campus police). As always, food, drink and tobacco use is prohibited in all EE labs. Printing is limited to 10 pages per user. Use your judgement, if someone is taking unfair advantage of our liberal printing policy, please ask them to stop and/or report them to the Lab Manager.

If there is an emergency, call for help immediately. Call the Lab Manager, staff or faculty member, Campus Police and/or 911 as conditions warrant. The campus Police emergency number is 5555. Do not take a risk with anyone’s safety, better safe than sorry.

If something in the lab becomes dangerous to the occupants, evacuate in an orderly manner, close the door, and notify appropriate authorities.

Security

While working in the lab, position yourself at the lab station closest to the main door (the "Reference Node") and close all other doors. Notice who is coming and leaving and make eye contact if possible. You want others to know that you are paying attention.

No one is to remove equipment from the labs without specific permission from the Lab Manager, System Administrator or faculty member. “Borrowing” equipment, even for a short term is not allowed. The lab is open so that those who need to use the equipment can do so in the lab. Equipment is not to be loaned out. If there is an urgent need refer the party to the Lab Manager or other authority and explain that it is not your decision. Claiming to have permission is not good enough. I will not authorize removal of equipment without being there myself, putting it in writing, or notifying the lab attendant ahead of time. So if you haven't heard about it or the person the permission came from is not available, it's not ok to remove equipment from the lab. Feel free to refer the Borrower to this policy. Call someone if this ev er becomse a problem or if you're concerned for any reason.

In the event of a security problem, notify proper authorities immediately - Lab Manager, faculty member, Campus Police (x5555). Make a conscious effort to remember as much detail about the situation as possible. You will be asked for information about all aspects of the incident, so be alert. Above all, however, observe safety for yourself and others. Do not endanger yourself or others to stop a thief.

Support

You are also expected to provide support to the Lab Manager and/or System Administrator. At times you will be asked to work on special projects as assigned during your shift. The Lab Manager will instruct you or leave a note for you near the posted schedule.

Service

If a piece of equipment is malfunctioning, please turn it off. Occasionally an instrument, computer monitor, or CPU will make strange noises or behave strangely. Even if the unit continues to function normally, turn it off anyway to avoid further damage. For example, if a fan goes bad in a computer and gets noisy, the computer may still work for a while until it overheats and causes expensive damage. So, if you or a lab user notice something that might be a problem, turn the machine off right away and report the problem on a trouble report. If practical, find the Lab Manager or System Administrator.

If there is an equipment malfunction, it is your responsibility to report it to the Lab Manager, or help the user submit their own trouble report.

You should offer basic troubleshooting assistance to help eliminate user error. If you are certain that it is an equipment malfunction, write it up on an Equipment Trouble Report form and make sure it gets to the Lab Manager (or System Administrator if it is a computer problem). Do not attempt an equipment repair yourself, no matter how qualified you may be. All repairs must go through the Lab Manager or System Administrator using an Equipment Trouble Report form.

Make sure the form is filled out in detail: Write your name and/or the users name so we can find you if there are any questions.Identify the equipment so there is no doubt about which machine is having trouble. Explain the problem in detail including the settings used and tasks attempted. If the repair tech doesn’t know exactly the circumstances under which the equipment failed, they may not be able to reproduce or fix the problem.

Maintenance

• When necessary, remind users to clean up after themselves
• Put away items that aren’t being used
• Make sure lab notebooks are organized and where they belong
• Place left items in the Lost & Found box. Valuable items should be turned in to the lab manager or department secretary.
• Throw away any trash, paper scraps, etc.
• Close cabinet doors
• Slide unused stools neatly under the counter
• Refill printer paper
• In general, try to hand off the lab to the next attendant cleaner than you found it.

Procedures

When you arrive for your shift

• If you are the opener for the day, prop the main door open. Make sure the lab is ready for a new day of use.
• Alert the previous attendant to your arrival. Clearly communicate to each other that you have assumed responsibility.
• Check the schedule for any changes that apply to you or any special instructions from the Lab Manager
• Check over the lab as described in the Security section of this document.
• Except for the main door, keep all doors closed and locked during your shift so that the lab is secure when you close the main door.
• Check the printer for paper and the rest of the lab for general needs.
• Perform regular duties and others as assigned.

When you are done with your shift

• Look over the lab as described in Security section.
• Communicate with your replacement and be sure you both understand when the replacement has assumed responsibility for the lab.
• If your replacement does not arrive on time:
  • Try to call them. Leave a message if you can’t reach them directly.
  • Call the Lab Manager or Secretary for help finding your replacement.
  • Consider staying over until a substitute can arrive or until the end of the next shift.
  • Call another lab worker to see if they’re willing to fill in
  • If you must leave before a replacement can arrive and can not reach proper authorities, ask users to leave, close and lock the door behind you.
  • Notify Lab Manager of the situation.
• If you are the closer for the day, consult the shut-down checklist. Make sure the lab is tidy and ready for a new day tomorrow (clean up trash and items left out, neatly slide stools under counter, place items in lost & found, etc.). Turn off computer monitors and the CPU (but not at the main Reference Node station by the door! This is the matlab server and should never be turned off). Turn off lights and close the door behind you. Make sure that all doors to the lab are locked.

Time Sheets

• All student workers must use time sheets
• Blank time sheets are available on-line in excel and acrobat pdf format. Print the pdf and write on it, or use the excel version to type in before printing.
• Fill out your time sheet accurately and completely
• Fill it out as you work the hours so you're not stuck trying to remember your hours earlier in the pay period - as soon as you finish a shift, fill in your hours for that shift right away.
• You may keep your time sheet during the pay period or you may leave it in the tray near the door and fetch it each time you need to add to it.
• When the pay period is over, sign your time sheet and do one of the following:
  • Bring it to the Lab Manager in room 181
  • Bring it to Carrol the EE secretary in room 215
  • NO NOT leave it in the tray near the main door in the digital lab (it will not be collected for you, you must turn it in yourself).
• Ultimately it is your responsibility to sign and submit your time sheet on time or you will not get paid on time. I will send out reminders when I remember to, but do not rely on that. Use your calendar or other means to remind yourself when they are due. Unsigned time sheets will not get paid!

Special Situations

Emergency

In the event of a campus-wide emergency, notifications are sent out to appropriate campus authorities. It is highly recommended that you sign up for emergency text messaging through your Banner account. In this case you will be notified of extreme situations such as a lock-down, weather emergency, or other critical news. Follow instructions and ask lab occupants to do the same. Exercise good judgement with life safety as your first priority. Consult the campus emergency preparedness manual for more information.

Dangerous Equipment Problem

If you are able and feel that it is safe to do so, use a fire extinguisher or other proper means to rectify a situation like this. However, do not endanger yourself or others in the process, let the professionals handle any truly dangerous situation.

Fire Alarm

Security Problem

Power Outage

Leaving the Lab

Lab Worker Policies

1. Lab workers are expected to be on time, preferably a few minutes early. Repeated tardiness and/or failure to show up are grounds for discipline and/or termination.
2. Your shift is your responsibility. Please arrange your affairs so that you will be able to work your shift as scheduled. Arranging for substitutes is discouraged but when necessary, follow the guidelines below:
   • Find a qualified substitute yourself. It is not the Lab Manager or anyone else’s responsibility to find you a substitute. Substitutes must be lab attendants on the regular schedule.
   • Make sure the substitute knows the times and be certain they’ll show up for your shift
   • Mark it on the schedule with a post-it note
   • Notify the Lab Manager by email of your arrangements. tubesing@ee.nmt.edu
   • If possible, notify those on the schedule that come before and after the shift.
   • Once you agree to substitute for someone and it is posted on the schedule it is now your responsibility to be there.
3. When you are on duty, you must remain in the lab at all times. Do not leave the lab unattended. If you need a break to visit the rest room, find a staff or faculty member or another lab attendant to watch the lab until you return.
4. Doing homework or working on other projects in the lab is permissible if it does not interfere with the duties as described above. Your primary duties are to attend to the needs of the lab and its users. There will be days when you are asked to help with work or projects in the department so do not rely on the lab time to do your homework. There is no guarantee that you will have time to do homework any given day, so if you have something due in the class following your shift, finish it before you come to work.
5. Lab equipment is not to be removed from the lab without specific permission from Lab Manager, System Administrator or faculty member. Claiming to have permission is not good enough. I will not authorize removal of equipment without being there myself, putting it in writing, or notifying the lab attendant ahead of time. So if you haven't heard about it or the person the permission came from is not available, it's not ok to remove equipment from the lab.
6. No Food, Drink or Tobacco in the lab at any time
7. Printing is limited to 10 pages per user. Use your judgement, if someone is taking unfair advantage of our generous printing policy, please ask them to stop and/or report them to the Lab Manager.
8. Do not engage in any illegal or prohibited activity while using or supervising the lab.
9. Keys codes are issued to those who open the lab in the morning or who need them for other special reasons.
   • Key codes are not to be used for personal access to the lab outside normal open hours.
   • You are responsible for the key code issued to you. If you need the key again next semester it will be re-issued to you.
   • You are expected to use your key code in a responsible manner. Do not 'loan' it out to anyone. If you write it down, do not label it such that soneone else would know what it can be used for.
   • If a key code is compromised, report it immediately to the Lab Manager.

Important Phone Numbers

• Lab Manager 5205 (Office)
• EE Dept. Secretary 5330
• Campus Police Emergency 5555 (call them first, they can dispatch all emergency services)
• Socorro Emergency 9-911

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