"...if you could get it done before the end of the month that would be excellent." Yes, these very words amuse me each time I read them. They are concerning a request to perform icpms analysis of some biomass material; a request made way back in mid-September! That's right; approaching Christmas and no prospect in sight of completing this task.
So what went wrong? One word: bureacracy. One would have a thought that a so-called top-rated university would be efficient when it came to facilitating basic research. For example having chemicals on site. Or even glassware. Hell no. As for administrative documentation, more hell. First stop, a laboratory with furnace ovens (dry ash formation method of sample preparation): "have you done a risk assessment?". Just to burn biomass?
OK, let's see if the wet ash method can be used. "Have you received laboratory induction training? Access to these labs denied until training completed.". "No risk assessment or coshh forms? Go away, complete these and come back to us." Only upon error ridden form completion and submission to lab staff, is it admitted that actually, student researchers are not supposed to complete these forms! To protect the guilty, those who should be completing such forms shall not be mentioned...
Of course, wet chemistry requires chemicals; well to some "shock and awe", there are no chemicals on site. That's right, none. OK, just have to buy some then; allegedly it takes two weeks to order. As for the icpms, that is not available for a few weeks. In the meantime, an order is compiled for the flue gas analysis experiments, as well as chemicals, glassware. Remember, two weeks to order...
After a recent meeting, a furnace oven became available in another lab, but this time all the safety documents to be completed by the responsible persons. So, the oven was activated, but the technician responsible is, perhaps one could euphemistically say "too busy elsewhere" to help.
Back to the literature review then. Merry Christmas!
