Job expectations

[Nightfury]

Hi everyone, I was just wondering about what is reasonable/normal and what is not in terms of work load (as have not done this job previously and haven't done it for too long).

So I am a lone tech and I work 24 hours a week, not in the holidays, there are 11 teachers and I go between two different school sites transferring equipment and the expectation is to run a lunchtime club ( which I have dropped for the start of this term to get to grips with new teachers). Then of course all the other stuff such as H&S admin, stock solutions, ordering etc.
Is this pretty standard? Or more or less than others? Just trying to get a gauge on things
Thanks in advance.

 

[KayR]

I'm full time, term time plus 3 weeks, have 3 chemistry teachers and 3 labs on 1 site - A level (and a little applied science now).

I'd say you are over worked!

 

[sreah]

That sounds like a lot! I'm a lone tech - 950 students, 7 labs, 8 teachers on one site. I sometimes help with science club after school, but the teacher who runs it is really disorganized so it doesn't actually run that often This is enough for me. I think you need some help!

 

[USAexpat]

that is way too much work for one person, especially someone who doesn't work full time. I work mon - friday and my fellow technician does 25 hours a week (mon - wed) We have 7 labs and 10 teachers who do a lot of practicals..we do not run any clubs..

 

[Emil Tac 2]

That would actually be a lot for 1 full-time tech let alone part-time!
I know this is cheeky but would you mind sharing your wage? No worries if not, but I think it would be interesting to see. I wouldn't be in your role for less than £25k honestly. (I mean £25k actual for hours you are doing, not pro-rata)

 

[Dr.Roo]

Yeah! That's a lot, but the sort of thing I did in the past.
I gradually refined my role here and now have a second tech with me, who tries hard & knows stuff in areas which I don't. Term time plus 5 days.

8 labs, 8 & 2 half time staff, and STEM club coming up. One site on one level.

 

[kaj]

How far away are the two sites? How long does it take you between sites? What do you transport and do you have a trolley?
All this must eat into your 24 hours, giving you even less time to be a technician. .

 

[STEMTech]

Clubs and extra activities outside normal hours are voluntary here. I don't mind prepping for them and clearing up afterwards but there's no compulsion to participate.
I'm a lone tech and I don't think I could complete everything in 24 hours a week. I do 34 and it's just about doable.

 

[Peter Dale]

They tried to make me run a lunch time club. I said that I'd consider it once I'd settled into the role. Then I never mentioned it again.

You shouldn't have to do a club at lunch time, primarily because lunch time is one of three periods of the day when you can actually move around to transfer stuff unimpeded (the others being break, and student home time).

Kick the can down the road until no one can be arsed to pick it up.

Now, as for 11 teachers across two sites, that in itself is too much for a single full timer, nevermind part time. I have 8 teachers, nearly 1100 students, and work full time, term-time only. Some weeks are admittedly quiet, but when they're not, they're ridiculous for one person.

All I'll say is, you can only do what you can do, so do what you can, and don't feel guilty when it all goes pete-tongue, because it won't be your fault, but those that under-provided for technician hours.

 

[LabJohn]

I do 30 hours, pro rata.
I've helped write the syllabus, experiments, written exams, marked exams, designed equipment, build them, washed up, run the tea/coffee fund, oh and do demonstrations for teachers who can't/won't do them.

 

[MarieW]

This is unacceptable, we have technically 9 full time teachers on one site with effectively 2 full time technicians and our service factor is 0.42 ideally service factor should be at lest 0.6. I can't imagine yours is anywhere near that. I would be asking for another member of staff to work with you.

My last school we had a split site and there was 4 of use for the number of teachers you have.

You will not be able to deliver the practical service needed, get them to also send you on training courses for your role, this is a skilled job and there is way more to it then a lot of people realise.

 

[Tech-savvy]

Lone working? You've got to wonder how our employers get away with it.

I'd be asking for their risk assessment (Health & safety at Work Act) Pretty sure Cleapss might have a thing or two to say about that as well - making up acids? Generating chlorine? Mental health?

 

[MarieW]

Lone working? You've got to wonder how our employers get away with it.

I'd be asking for their risk assessment (Health & safety at Work Act) Pretty sure Cleapss might have a thing or two to say about that as well - making up acids? Generating chlorine? Mental health?

As a lone tech you need to do the risk assessments. Often you need to just order prediluted chemicals and not be able to deliver things like Chlorine gas as these are unsafe to do as a loan tech.

 

[sreah]

As a lone tech you need to do the risk assessments. Often you need to just order prediluted chemicals and not be able to deliver things like Chlorine gas as these are unsafe to do as a loan tech.

Is that actual CLEAPSS guidance? I'm a lone tech and I dilute conc acids all the time. I can't afford to buy prediluted - they go through too much of it! I've also done chlorine gas as a demo. Never had any problems. My prep room adjoins a classroom so if necessary I could yell for help!

 

[Tech-savvy]

Is that actual CLEAPSS guidance? I'm a lone tech and I dilute conc acids all the time. I can't afford to buy prediluted - they go through too much of it! I've also done chlorine gas as a demo. Never had any problems. My prep room adjoins a classroom so if necessary I could yell for help!

Do you know, I can't honestly remember what Cleapss say about it, pretty sure they don't advocate lone working though.
But what if you're a lone worker and you have an incident, or god forbid - an accident, and no one is there to notice?
There are some risky aspects to our job, even with the greatest experience and care.

 

[ClaireL]

Is that actual CLEAPSS guidance? I'm a lone tech and I dilute conc acids all the time. I can't afford to buy prediluted - they go through too much of it! I've also done chlorine gas as a demo. Never had any problems. My prep room adjoins a classroom so if necessary I could yell for help!

Ditto, except I nab a friendly teacher to sit in with me while I have the strong acids out etc. Has to be pre-organised, but doable...
Having said that, I make limewater and NaOH from pellets and acids from concentrated, but would buy in at strongest used concentrations if I couldn't do that..- (was pleasantly surprised how the bought in limewater lasted when I was in another school)
I buy in bromine water because bromine isn't worth the risk....(IMO)

 

[sreah]

Do you know, I can't honestly remember what Cleapss say about it, pretty sure they don't advocate lone working though.
But what if you're a lone worker and you have an incident, or god forbid - an accident, and no one is there to notice?
There are some risky aspects to our job, even with the greatest experience and care.

I don't know, honestly. If I was conscious, I'd yell until someone came running (there's always people around). If I was unconscious... well someone would find me eventually I guess I could get a teacher to supervise when I'm doing something dangerous, but that would be a PITA.

 

[Tech-savvy]

As a lone tech you need to do the risk assessments. Often you need to just order prediluted chemicals and not be able to deliver things like Chlorine gas as these are unsafe to do as a loan tech.

The employer has to risk assess each lone worker. It's not really anything to do with the technicians' risk assessments, because it's more generalised: things like mental health have to assessed.

 

[Tech-savvy]

I don't know, honestly. If I was conscious, I'd yell until someone came running (there's always people around). If I was unconscious... well someone would find me eventually I guess I could get a teacher to supervise when I'm doing something dangerous, but that would be a PITA.

I had an incident where I was locked inside the building and everyone had gone home early. Because I'm a lone worker (and obvs johnny no-mates) I didn't know! I couldn't get out of the building, it was all shuttered up. I was trapped and a bit scared. What if there had been a fire?

 

[Peter Dale]

I don't know, honestly. If I was conscious, I'd yell until someone came running (there's always people around). If I was unconscious... well someone would find me eventually I guess I could get a teacher to supervise when I'm doing something dangerous, but that would be a PITA.

That 'eventually' is what is scary. 'Eventually' could mean 'too late to save you from permanent damage/death.' I make sure to arrange with someone ahead of time to either observe me, or at the very least call me every so often. If I don't answer, they know to come check. Having some small amount of help from the technology technician (she pops in 4-5 sessions a week if her workload allows) makes this easier to arrange, since I can focus on it when she is here to keep an eye out, but before that, getting someone to be aware is the only safe way to do it.

I briefly considered that we could set up something on here so we can let each other know that we're doing something dangerous, and post again once we're done, but it would be logistically challenging. Sharing numbers to call and such might be a GDPR nightmare.