POL unveils remodeled lab

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Janine Thibault
  • 354th Fighter Wing Public Affair
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  A ribbon cutting ceremony was held by the 354th Logistics Readiness Squadron Petroleum, Oils and Lubricants flight Dec. 15 here, to commemorate the opening of the newly POL remodeled laboratory.

The need for a revamped laboratory was great, considering the original lab was built in 1967 and the operations and tests conducted today exceeded the capabilities of the old lab. It was important that changes were made to keep up with the workload and tasks.

"We have a lot more samples now. The workload has increased a great deal since it was built," said Staff Sgt. Gavin Keller, 354th LRS/POL laboratory supervisor.

The POL lab conducts tests on fuels and de-icers to ensure the fuel is clean. The three Airmen who work in the lab conduct tests for Eielson AFB, Clear Air Station, Fort Wainwright and Fort Greely.

Remodeling included replacing the grounding plate along with heating and air conditioning equipment to maintain the stable temperature necessary to perform the tests.

Improvements included replacing storage areas, work surfaces and the materials dishwasher, and a new fume hood and vacuum system were put in to assist in making operations more efficient.

An advantage to modernizing the laboratory with additional space is that it now allows the Airmen to work without constantly rearranging items to provide more room.

"Everything is at your fingertips and there's a bigger workspace we're able to utilize," said Tech. Sgt. Jason VanDenberg, the 354th LRS/POL NCO in-charge. "You can have somebody standing next to you while you're training them and showing them this is how I'm doing it; this is how you need to do it; and this is what the book says. Then, you can step back and watch as the trainee performs the task with the capability of stepping in if there is a complication."

Some of the changes have decreased man hours. By replacing the dishwasher, Airmen save time instead of having to wash their materials by hand which also caused a safety hazard. The newly added flat screen monitor and computer enable Airmen to perform tasks without needing counterspace for their instruction books. After the completion of the test, the information can be input into the computer instead of leaving the room to enter data.

The costs of the renovation of the POL laboratory totaled about $95,000. Due to resourcefulness the POL flight was able to save $5,000 by committing themselves to approximately 130 hours of tasks towards improving the lab.

The Airmen re-surfaced the floors, re-painted the walls and wired the flat screen monitor.

By making the changes to the laboratory, the technicians now have a working environment that can keep up with their work needs and boldly show excellence by exceeding Air Force regulations.