Filing System for Equipment : You may have thought that our description of the storage of apparatus and equipment as a filing system was inappropriate. Yet this is not entirely farfetched.

For example, retrieval of specific items is aided by the clear numbering and labelling of cupboards, drawers, shelves, etc. Plastic embossing tape can be used but if vandalism is a problem, white, plastic drafting or artists' tape (which can be written on with spirit-based felt-tip pen) is very useful. Using a stencil to paint the name of the contents of the cupboard, etc on the door can create problems if you decide to move things round! If you find that glassware and other small pieces of apparatus tend to "wander" from lab to lab, you can "colour-code" each lab's contents using a spot of paint of the appropriate colour on each item in a lab (selecting a site where the paint will not be burnt off during heating).

It may also be help to put a list of the common pieces of apparatus and their locations (using the number of the cupboard, etc.) in a prominent place in each lab, e.g. on the notice-board. This prevents a lot of searching through cupboards, etc.