One of the activities that is least adhered to because of other pressing
tasks is the proper maintenance and storage of equipment and instruments.
Many times personnel are rushed when returning from a field trip and do not
take time to clean, service, and return equipment to the appropriate
storage area. Often, work is postponed until the next day, but many times
it never gets done, and then it may become someone else's problem. This
can lead to hard feelings between co-workers, safety risks, and
inefficiency. Some actions that may eliminate some of these problems are:
Prepare an itinerary that includes time for cleaning and resupplying
vehicle and cleaning and servicing equipment after the field trip.
Schedule time during the trip to clean and service equipment after use
each day.
Note any equipment problems on field notes or personal diary as a
reminder to get the equipment repaired upon return from the field.
Inform supervisor or the person responsible for field equipment of the
problems or personally insure that the equipment is repaired. At the very
least, attach a note to the equipment indicating the problems encountered
while using the equipment.
Maintain a log for each piece of equipment which includes instructions
and a schedule for servicing.
Provide an assigned storage place for each piece of heavy equipment,
such as centrifugal pumps, generators, and air compressors, and sensitive
instruments. Return this equipment to storage area rather than leaving it
in vehicles, loading dock, hallways, or office space.
Previous--Equipment Contents Next--Safety InspectionsA Guide to Safe Field Operations
U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 95-777