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Standard Operating Procedures

for Using Laboratory Notebooks (1)

This SOP has been written for the Regional Soil Survey Institute (RSSI) (2)
Department/Unit:
Chemical Department’s use of laboratory notebooks.

Purpose:
This procedure is to give instruction for proper lay-out, use and
administration of laboratory notebooks in order to guarantee the integrity
and retrievability of raw data, calculations and notes pertaining to
laboratory work (3).

Who can perform

this SOP? Staff and research personnels

Equipment/Tools Needed:
Personal Protective Equipment:
None

Tools: None

Reference Materials:
Model page of Laboratory Notebook (4)
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Requirements

1. Bound notebooks with about 100-150 consecutively numbered pages. Any binding which
cannot be opened is suitable; a spiral (5) binding is very convenient.
2. Both ruled and squared paper (6) can be used. On each page provisions for dating and
signing for entries, and signing for verification (7) or inspection may be made.

Procedures
Issue

1. Notebooks are issued by or on behalf of the Head of Laboratory (HoL) who keeps a
record of the books in circulation (8).
2. Mark the book with an assigned serial number (9) and a name of the user or project on the
cover.
3. Write (10) the date of issue and sign the notebook. This is done by HoL.
4. Sign the circulation record for receipt (11) by project leader.

Use
1. Date and write in ink (12) all entries. Sign per entry in project (13) notebooks or at least
per page in personal (14) notebooks.
2. Inspect (15) or verify entries and sign the pages concerned. This is done by HoL.
3. Line out (16) all corrected entries with a single line. Initial and date essential corrections.
4. Do not remove pages. If necessary, delete a whole page by a diagonal line (17).
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Withdrawal
1. In fall, exchange (18) the notebook for a new one. The HoL is responsible for proper
archiving.
2. When the employee leaves the lab for another post, hand the notebook (19) to the HoL.

Related SOPs
 Standard Operating Procedures for Administrating SOPs (20).
 Standard Operating Procedures for Preparing SOPs for Special Investigations.

Prepared by : ______________________________
(Low Boon Wei, Senior Excecutive)
Reviewed by :_____________________________
(Kalarani a/p Krisnamaninam, Manager)
Approved by :______________________________
(Dani Yusuf, Head of Laboratory)