Policy on Storage of Gear & Effects at FHL

August 1, 2022

Background & Rationale

Almost all of the scientists and students who conduct research at FHL spend a significant portion if not the majority of their year elsewhere. Upon departing and with plans to return, these researchers (and their families) often leave behind scientific gear and personal effects that they expect to use the next time they are at FHL. Over the years, the volume of material being stored by researchers has accumulated to the point where it fills not only all FHL storage spaces, but also several lab and other research spaces, rendering them unusable for other researchers or for FHL needs. FHL is in the process of thoroughly purging all indoor and outdoor spaces of stored supplies, and is implementing the following policy moving forward.

Policy

Applies to all persons, including UW students and scientists, who spend time at FHL.

Upon departure, researchers must leave all lab and other spaces they used completely empty or pay lab rental fees to store their gear in those spaces while they are absent. Anything left behind in an unrented space (other than the Storage Dorm), including items in refrigerators/freezers or outdoors, will be disposed of by FHL staff, and the researcher invoiced for staff time and any disposal fees.

If a researcher wishes to keep a small amount of gear at FHL during their absence, they should contact the Stockroom Manager to place a request for storage space. If available, the Stockroom Manager will assign them a space in the Storage Dorm where the researcher may store up to eight cubic feet of supplies for them and their household, free of charge, for up to one year from the researcher’s date of departure. Note that two researchers in the same household may together store a total of eight cubic feet.

CHEMICALS ARE NOT ALLOWED IN STORAGE. If you have leftover chemicals that you cannot take with you, please consult with the Stockroom Manager for instructions on what to do with them.

Researchers who need to store larger volumes should look into renting a storage unit elsewhere on the island. Depending on availability in the Storage Dorm, FHL may rent out a second eight cubic feet of storage at a fee of $200 + tax per year.

Items left in the Storage Dorm must be in boxes that are each clearly labeled with:

Researcher’s Name
Date of Departure from FHL
Estimated Date of Return to FHL
Email Address
Cell number (optional)

FHL reserves the right to dispose of anything in the Storage Dorm that is not properly labeled, or that extends beyond the free limit and has not been paid for. For items left unused in storage for over a year, staff will contact the researcher to make arrangements for either 1) payment of storage fees, 2) shipment of the items to the researcher at their expense (covering staff time as well as shipping fees), or 3) disposal as FHL sees fit. If the researcher does not respond or will not pay for storage or shipment, the items become sole property of FHL.