Geography

Geography

Ground Floor Area

Forms to download from this page:

The Ground Floor labs area provides:

  • A multipurpose physical geography laboratory on the ground floor of the lab block is equipped for a wide range of research activities. This space is also used for teaching and demonstrating physical geography techniques and equipment. The facilities include balance rooms (with a range of balances, down to semi-micro level), a sieve shaker room, chemical analysis, microscopes, general work areas and much more. At certain times this space is reserved for teaching.
  • An extensive range of basic and advanced field equipment is available. This includes data loggers and atmospheric sensors, GPS/GNSS, surveying, snow and soil study equipment, a variety of wave and current recorders, and equipment for the manufacture and analysis of dye-tracers.
  • Workshops provide for the design and construction of instruments and other field equipment. Metal and wood workshops are used for light engineering.
  • Two full-time technicians provide laboratory, and workshop support.
  • The department owns a four-wheel drive vehicle. This is primarily for research purposes, and for fieldwork in graduate courses. Doctoral students may make use of the vehicle, but costs are normally charged against research moneys. We also have a van for fieldwork purposes.

Key forms and procedures:

The Issuing Desk:

This is where most booking sheets, forms and booklets are kept, along with a few other useful items such as note paper, photocopied calendars and the issue/problem log book. Please read the labels provided in the slots on the issuing desk to get the right form, and secondly there are labeled slots for completed forms – please use them.

Equipment/Service Request Form

Use this form if you would like to borrow equipment. It is also the form to go for if you would like to request a service; this could include having some new equipment made up, or having existing equipment repaired or modified.

Please provide as much detail as possible about what you require (feel free to use drawings to help illustrate what you’re after), and also fill out your contact details clearly so we can keep you informed. This form has space for our records as well, such as serial numbers, issue and return tick boxes etc, so please try to leave these spaces for our use.

Please think ahead and inform us of your needs as soon as possible, (2 weeks notice is recommended, but the sooner the better for everyone!). Equipment can be issued any time between 9 and 4.30, but please arrange a specific time so we can be sure to be available, as our duties often take us away from our offices.

Health and Safety and forms:

The Risk Analysis and Management form should be completed every time you plan to do field work. We care very much about your health and safety and so it is important that we are aware of your intentions and planning.

First aid kits are available for you to use in the field if you don’t have your own. There are also Health and Safety manuals provided on the issuing desk for you to use – if one is not available, please ask and we will get you one. If you have any questions about health and safety matters, see John Thyne in the first instance (he is the Department’s health and safety officer). If you require any special safety equipment (eg hard hat, goggles etc) please let us know.

In the event that you do have an accident or injure yourself, there are forms that need to be completed to help us avoid similar problems in future so see John in this case.

Vehicle or boat use:

Nick Key administers this, so approach him initially. Also note that there is a detailed departmental procedure for the use of the boat, which may mean you need to undertake some formal training. The ‘Boat log and voyage plan’ form must be completed for any voyage taken on the boat. It should be noted that since vehicle and boat use is expensive, they are restricted to staff and graduate use in most circumstances.

Customer Feedback:

You are our valued customer :-) We welcome any suggestions or comments you might have. An optional form for comments on equipment or service is provided at the issuing desk. Feel free to take one and return it, with whatever comments or suggestions you have, either to the suggestion slot on the issuing desk, or to the department administrator (5th floor) if you would prefer.

If you would like to track the progress of a particular problem or issue relating to the ground floor services or equipment, also on the issuing desk is a red covered ‘Issue/problem log book’. Guidelines for it’s use are on the inside cover of the book, but in summary, if you have a significant problem or issue with anything on the ground floor, and want to keep track of progress on resolving the matter, your concern should be entered into this log book.