British Laboratory Managers Association launched

Modern laboratory managers face a unique blend of technical and people management challenges. Many have climbed the technical ranks and are well positioned to address the technical challenges but don’t have or have had very little formal training in management skills, especially when they start managing a laboratory.

The British Association of Laboratory Managers (BLMA) is therefore being formed to enable all laboratory managers to learn and improve their skills in laboratory management. The BLMA will provide opportunities to meet other laboratory managers, exchange ideas, and build on the experiences of other managers to improve laboratory management skills.

The BLMA is being setup as a separate association within Gambica (the UK, not for profit, Trade Association for companies involved in the instrumentation, control, automation and laboratory technology Industry, see www.gambica.org.uk for more information). As with Gambica, the idea is that the BLMA will be run by and for the people in this industry.

An initial soft launch via a selected number of Gambica member clients has resulted in an extremely positive response with an inaugural management committee meeting set for the end of November to formulate issues and activities the BLMA will look at.

One of these will be an inaugural annual meeting, expected to be in May/June 2013.

Other activities could include special interest group meetings as well as a website with a member’s area that would include forums, newsletters and a document depository.

Topics covered may include: managing laboratories; green laboratories; regulations – REACH, WEEE, managing waste; staff/HR, dealing with people; health and safety; electronic note books; tendering, purchasing.

This is not exhaustive but a starting point. What members want will be the driving force. The idea would be to keep the cost of membership as low as possible and as happens in other similar associations overseas, the membership cost is often paid for by the member’s company.

If you would like to know more about the BLMA, have any suggestions or comments or wish to be part of the management committee, please contact Tim Collins at [email protected]