P1 & M1 - Communication In A Scientfic Workplace

Training

When working as a Quality Control technician having the correct Training is important because depending on what is being tested could involve handling all types of waste such as but not limited to:

* Chemical

* Radioactive

* Asbestos

* Mercury

* Medical

Also you must be given and know the emergency instructions along with a dummy drill. The employer should also give you a copy of rules and regulations which you should read and sign to make sure you know what should be carried out. Keep all records and certificates of education/training.

You need to have training to make sure that staff know what they’re doing and any new procedures that may need to follow.

Also ensures customer’s safety.

Storage of chemicals

Make sure you use the old stock first. This is because the chemicals being held could become stronger or weaker therefor more or less effective. You also need to have them alphabetically ordered in a neat fashion on a shelf or fridge. Have good security system in place so students and other staff not authorised cannot access them i.e. swipe cards.

Makes sure that there are no unauthorised uses and keeps staff safe.

Monitoring of stock levels

You these alongside security to make sure that the chemicals are being taken are also being brought back. You could make a stock check via computer system. You need to make sure all staff are trained to use the program and have a procedure guide. Make sure there is a copy of the database for backup purposes and at least ONE physical copy.

Make sure you don’t run out of chemicals.

Keep track of chemicals left.

Task 3

In a scientific workplace the work carried out is extremely important and the scientists and technicians relies massively on the structure of the of there teams. In many workplaces there is a hierarchy based structure. This means the most important person will be at the top and have various amounts of reporting to them. Organisation of this usually depends on:

•Size of the team.

•The particular routines that are carried out in the workplace.

•Depending if the team is spread over a large site or multiple sites

•If the team is split into smaller groups carrying out a particular job or at particular times of the day or night.

Hierarchy

In a science lab the main reasons for talking on a day to day basis are:

* Reporting of results

* Scientific Terminology

* Security

* Roles & Responsibilities

* Your place on the team

Reporting of results - Results generated in a workplace will need to be specific to that workplace. They may be results of research performed by colleagues or results generated for the use of outside people. Whatever the results are they must only be communicated to those who need to know them, this is done for security reasons. Internal results will more than likely are reported through the use of notebooks or printouts from the lab equipment and at team meetings. These results may be gathered together to produce a report on completion of the research. Unless there are reasons for urgent results to be communicated directly to another person such as a doctor, results will go through an office procedure where they are written up and copied to the recipient.

Scientific terminology - It is essential that scientific terminology not only used but is also understood by all members of the team. If it is not understood then effective communication is not used. This is particularly important where the work or production is being carried out in multiple countries where language may cause confusion if standard terminology is not used.

Security - Keeping information secure means being sure only certain people can access it this needs to be done via physical copies or digital copies i.e. on domain, emails. This is important when you’re an industrial company as it can cost a company large sums of money. A pharmaceutical company could lose money if a competitor reaches drug production first due to leaked copies of research.

Individuals such as the public also want their personal records kept private. A patient can be badly affected if their personal clinical information is lost or reaches the wrong person, when this happens it can cost a lot in compensation and legal costs .The Data Protection Act of 1998 is in place to prevent personal information falling into wrong hands.

Roles and responsibilities - It is important that each member of the team knows their role and responsibilities. It allows them to feel part of a team and what should be done members should feel comfortable with each other and on their own.

Your place in the team - Most workplaces will give a new person a diagram showing how the team is organised. You must be given and know the emergency instructions along with a dummy drill. The employer should also give you a copy of rules and regulations which you should read and sign to make sure you know what should be carried out. Keep all records and certificates of education/training. This shows the new person in the team who they should report to and also who they can go to for help or guidance as well as health and safety procedures. This also affects how the work is organised.

Work schedules or rotas will be written so that staff know when they should be working and when their days off will be. This might include working at other sites if the business you work for has multiple sites. This differs depending on the organisation. If there is a continuous process running, such as a production line in a pharmaceutical company producing tablets, there may be a need for staff to work day and night in shifts.

Members of staff can and do communicate in different ways. There are many methods to do this so there are no problems when attempting to communicate such as:

* Meetings

* Emails

* Leaflet’s

* Newsletter’s (Digital or Physical)

* Notice Board’s

* Presentation

* Training

* Signage

* Video

* Verbal

The communication used by most people is verbal all though that does not mean the rest aren’t as important.

Task 4

Different methods of communicating in the workplace

Reasons for method of communication

Why this method must be clear

Email

Fast & cost effective method of contacting one or more people. Allows personal space and can provide many uses.

So that people can understand what is trying to be said.

Phone

Quick way to be able to talk to people that may not be able to see you face to face. Secure and can many uses.

So people can hear what you’re saying and understand why you’re saying that.

Talking

Way to have clear and concise verbal is an essential part of day to day communication and to remind of health and safety at work.

So people can hear what you’re saying and understand why you’re saying that.

Letters

Way to send out results and information that is not urgent depending on how it’s sent i.e. handed out, posted.

So people understand and make sense with grammar and spelling checked.

Meetings

Way to make a difference to your job and the whole site you work on. Can convey loads of information to a wide audience.

To make sure people are happy and safe.

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