A laboratory is a different job from an office because the contents can be hazardous, calibrated or irreplaceable. The plan starts months before any crew arrives and ends only when the lab is running and checked. This guide walks through the order of work so the move manager, the safety officer and the movers are all reading from the same page.
Phase one: decommission and inventory
Decommissioning is the lab's own job. The safety officer reviews the written chemical hygiene plan that federal rules require for labs that use hazardous chemicals, and decides what is emptied, neutralized, disposed of or moved by a specialist hauler. Movers do not decide this, and a good plan keeps it that way.
At the same time, build an inventory by bench, cabinet and instrument. Give each item a number, note whether it is fragile, calibrated, heavy, or has a power or gas connection, and photograph the setup before anything is disconnected. That list becomes the spine of the whole move.
Phase two: pack, label and sequence
Pack by bench so the new lab can be rebuilt the same way. Colour-coded labels that name the room, the bench and the item number let a crew place each carton without asking. Instruments that need original cases, vibration protection or a service visit from the maker are scheduled separately from general lab ware.
O'Brien's lab moves come with on-site move management, which means one coordinator on the floor keeps the sequence, the elevator or dock schedule and the inventory in step. See laboratory moving and on-site move management for how that role works.
Phase three: transport
Transport is the shortest phase and the most predictable when phases one and two were done well. The crew loads in the order the inventory sets, so the first things off the truck are the first things the new lab needs. Commercial crews can work evenings, weekends and holidays by arrangement, which keeps research time intact. Details are on the after-hours moves page.
Phase four: set up and verify
Set-up is not finished when the boxes are gone. Utilities, fume hoods, refrigeration and instrument calibration all need sign-off by the people responsible for them. Keep the inventory open until every numbered item has been checked in at the new address and any damage has been written down the same day.
Plan a short walk-through with the move manager at the end of the first day. Anything missing or misplaced is easiest to resolve while the crew and the inventory are both still on site.
A planning checklist
- Name one internal lead and one safety officer before you request an estimate.
- Ask for an in-home style walk-through of the lab so the estimator sees the benches, doors and dock.
- List every instrument that needs the manufacturer's involvement.
- Decide where records, samples and controlled items travel and who accompanies them.
- Book the move window and the new building's elevator or dock time together.