In the prep lab

The prep lab is sectioned off from other parts of the lab. There are many reasons for this- noise from the air scribe, dirt and dust kicked up from cleaning fossils, and water spray from the rock saws are the top reasons, but there are many more. Please be respectful of all the varied kinds of projects happening in the lab. If you are using air scribes or ventilation units, or any other noisy equipment, please close the doors to the kitchen and the main room. This helps preserve a clean and quiet workspace for other workers.

When a employee (volunteer or salaried) is finished for the day, it is expected that they will clean up their workspace, and put the specimen in a cabinet or some other prearranged storage location. There are 2 storage cabinets, locate near the sandbox, for specimens that are actively being prepped. Air scribes, hoses, containers of abrasive powders and any other tools used should be put back in their proper place. Hand tools that do not hang on the pegboard will have a drawer in the organizer located next to the electrical outlet. Keep all microscopes covered while not in use. Wiping down your workspace with a damp towel should be the last step.

The prep lab is where most of the lab's PPE, chemical segregation and ventilation equipment is located. For more information on this equipment, see the Health and Safety section.

For an introduction to Fossil Prep, see the link below:

PaleoPortal Fossil Prep page

 


 

Freeing specimens from matrix, revealing hidden characteristics and sprucing up a specimen for display are all examples of preparation. In this section, you can read about how we record preparation actions, what type of equipment we have and special safety concerns. See the section on training for a list of what sorts of training is available at NPL. This wiki does not cover a 'how to' of Specimen Prep.

 Specimen Preparation

Archival storage, physical repair of a specimen, transcribing label data and preserving the accessibility of the collections all fall under the umbrella of Conservation. In this section, you can learn about the various tasks undertaken to care for the collections. Some basic tasks are described, but more involved activities are to be trained in a one-on-one environment.

Conservation