About This Role
The Laboratory Scientist or Laboratory Technician plays a crucial role in ensuring the accuracy and reliability of laboratory results through meticulous pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical processes. This position is ideal for individuals who are detail-oriented and committed to maintaining high standards of quality and biosafety in a clinical environment.
Responsibilities
- Verify request, patient identity, specimen type, collection, labelling, transport, volume and acceptance criteria.
- Collect specimens only where trained and authorized; explain procedure and use standard precautions.
- Reject, quarantine or request recollection of unsuitable specimens and document the reason.
- Perform validated methods according to current SOPs, manufacturer instructions and scope of competence.
- Run and evaluate internal quality control before releasing results; investigate shifts, trends, calibration failure and nonconformity.
- Maintain reagent lot, expiry, temperature, calibration, maintenance and equipment records.
- Do not report results from failed quality control or unverified methods.
- Validate results, investigate plausibility and release through approved systems.
- Recognize and communicate critical values immediately using read-back and documented escalation.
- Protect result confidentiality and release reports only to authorized persons.
- Retain or dispose of specimens according to policy, biosafety and legal requirements.
- Participate in external quality assessment/proficiency testing, audit, method verification and corrective action.
- Apply biosafety, PPE, spill, exposure, waste, sharps and infection-control procedures.
- Report incidents, near misses, sample mix-ups, transcription errors and equipment failure promptly.
- Monitor reagents, consumables, cold chain and minimum stock; prevent expiry and unauthorized use.
- Support turnaround-time monitoring and communicate delays to clinical users.
- Participate in staff training, competency assessment and laboratory improvement.
- Treat patients, colleagues, visitors and contractors with dignity and without harassment, bullying, discrimination or retaliation.
- Protect patient, employee and Hospital information; use only approved systems and report any suspected breach immediately.
- Follow infection-prevention, hand hygiene, PPE, waste, fire, emergency, incident-reporting and occupational-safety requirements.
- Attend required induction, training, drills, competency assessments, supervision and performance reviews.
- Use Hospital property and resources responsibly; disclose conflicts, gifts, errors, losses and suspected wrongdoing.
- Report to duty fit, punctual and appropriately dressed; complete handover and never leave a critical post without authorization and relief.
