Kate Hubert Email & Phone Number

Netherlands

Voorschoten

I am currently working as a chemistry technician at the British School of the Netherlands. While I have been working here I have learned a lot about the role and found that it has been a great way to start my career again and refresh my knowledge of the basics of chemistry. I am responsible for setting up and, if necessary, demonstrating the experiments. I prepare all the chemicals that are required for the experiments and ensure that everything is safely and responsibly cleared away when the students are finished. I have followed a Microsoft Excel course to expert level and use this frequently in my work. I have been responsible for setting up a method to show the students how gas chromatography works with a recently acquired instrument. I am responsible for stocktaking and for the ordering of new equipment and chemicals.

Leiden

At Nalco I was responsible for setting up a fluorometric method for the quantification of a Nalco product in water samples. I worked together with colleagues from the Netherlands, USA and Malaysia to optimise the method. I have also used ion chromatography, gas chromatography and other instrumental and wet chemistry techniques to analyse samples for Nalco clients. I prepared the samples and the standards for these methods, performed the analyses and entered the results into LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System). When necessary I corresponded with clients to address specific questions and requests. I trained my replacements in all the above techniques in preparation for my maternity leave.

During my employment with JET/Envirolab Services my responsibilities were:•Operating and maintaining GC-FID, GC-ECD and GC/MS instruments •Preparing chemical standards and performing routine calibrations on the instruments •Setting up and validating new methods.•Preparing Certificates of Analysis and issuing results to clients.•Training new employees in the use of GC-FID, GC-ECD and GC/MS instruments, soil and water extractions, vialling, preparation of standards and in safety and quality control procedures. •Preparing quality control documents and charts to meet with NATA (National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia) standards.•Performing internal audits on all laboratory methods.•Proving to NATA on their visits that the laboratory conformed to their standards and that all our quality control procedures were being complied with.•Calibrating laboratory apparatus and ensuring calibration records were kept up to date.•Organising staff overtime to ensure that urgent deadlines were met.•Performing inorganic water analysis.•Ordering chemicals and equipmentI became a NATA accredited signatory by displaying my knowledge and experience of my work and in the ISO 17025 requirements to external examiners.

Forensic And Analytical Chemistry

Education record