Technical Support Assistant

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Job Summary
1. Give a short summary of the duties and responsibilities of your job.

The Technical Support Assistant provides assistance in various areas which are crucial to the smooth operation of the department. The responsibilities of the incumbent are mainly with respect to maintenance, glassware and biological safety. In order to properly preform these tasks, the incumbent must be physically fit and be able to lift up to 50 pounds. A brief summary of the specific details of this job are listed below:
**Maintenance**:

- Request and coordinate building infrastructure work orders (e.g. water leaks, floor tiles, workspace, etc.). Identify general issues related to the building infrastructure and send requests to PPS to initiate repairs.
- Assist in the decommissioning of lab space and clean-up of labs for new occupants. This includes the proper disposal of e-waste, used furniture and old lab equipment. Monitor eyewash stations weekly, safety showers annually and fire extinguishers monthly. Ensure all facilities are checked and are within operational parameters.
- Ensure the departmental autoclaves and glassware washers are within operational parameters: 11 autoclaves and 5 glassware washers with total value in excess of $500,000.
- Deal with operational issues arising and contact the equipment service provider if repairs are required.

**Glassware**:
Oversee the Departmental glassware operation which consists of providing clean specialized glassware or plastic-ware. The cleaning process involves:

- Daily collection of dirty/contaminated glass and plastic-ware from laboratories.
- Autoclave sterilization of collected items
- Rinsing and machine washing.
- Placing cleaned items in the cupboard for access by users.

**Biological Waste**:

- Daily collection of contaminated waste and sharps.
- Autoclaving collected waste before disposal.
- Weekly monitoring of the efficiency of the waste decontamination through the use of biological indicators or chemical integrator strips. Maintain records of biological indicator testing.

**Other Duties**:

- Liaise with the University Biosafety Officer on issues related to autoclave function and testing.
- Train and supervise work study and casual workers on the biological waste disposal and glassware washing operation.
- Provide training to all new users on the safe and proper use of autoclave sterilizers and glassware washers. This typically involves training of approximately 75 users (Department staff and students) per year.

**Job Description**:
2. To fulfil your duties what knowledge, skills and specialized techniques are required? How would each be normally acquired? How long would it take to become proficient in each of the areas of your work?
- A thorough knowledge of cleaning procedures and handling criteria for the chemicals and solvents used.
- A good understanding of disinfection/decontamination protocols and handling techniques for pathogenic materials.
- Complete awareness of university waste disposal guidelines for chemicals, biohazardous materials and sharps.
- A good understanding of mechanical and electrical operation of autoclave sterilizers. An understanding of refrigeration and heating equipment as it pertains to building heat pumps and environmental rooms for processing of work orders.

High school diploma, knowledge of health and safety practices and biohazardous materials, and related safety certifications or training (e.g. WHIMIS, First Aid & CPR, Department and lab safety training), or equivalent on the job experience. One year directly related experience would be an asset in the performance of this position. Proficiency would probably require 1-2 years.

3. Is it necessary in this position to oversee the work, or to instruct other staff? If so, what does this involve?

The incumbent will be required to properly train and oversee work study students and part-time lab workers regarding biological waste disposal and glassware washing.

4. What other people must you deal with in this job and why? (i.e. is there direct contact with students, teaching staff, other departments, and people outside the university community).

The incumbent will work with faculty members, University Biosafety Officer, students, departmental technicians, PPS technicians and private company (service providers) technicians.

It is necessary to work closely with the other departmental technicians, research technicians, casual work-study students, and faculty members on a daily basis to ensure that the departmental infrastructure and glassware i