Daily Lab Start-Up & Shut-Down Checklist

“The state you leave the lab in today decides how tomorrow’s work begins,” once said a wise, tidy scientist (probably!)

This three-phase checklist covers everything you need to check before going home for the day. Cold storage, decontamination, and labeling will never get skipped in the rush again.

Download now to:

• Confirm freezer temps held overnight, verify LN₂ and incubator conditions, and sanitize surfaces before any setup
• Decontaminate, complete ELN entries with lot numbers and instrument status, and prep templates for tomorrow
• Hand over a secure lab at shutdown: biologicals returned to their −20°C, −80°C, or 4°C homes, equipment powered down, and biohazard waste cleared
• Split responsibility clearly across first-in, personal, and last-out phases, each with its own sign-off

Contributed by Priya Halvorsen.