SANBS General Laboratory Assistant (Blood Bank) – Tembisa

The South African National Blood Service (SANBS) is inviting suitably qualified candidates to apply for the position of General Laboratory Assistant (Blood Bank) at its Tembisa Business Unit in Gauteng. This is a fixed-term opportunity suited to candidates who have completed Grade 12 with Mathematics and at least one Science subject.

Job Details

Detail Information Employer South African National Blood Service (SANBS) Position General Laboratory Assistant (Blood Bank) Listing Reference SANBS_003414 Location Tembisa, Gauteng Business Unit Tembisa Industry Medical, Health & Social Care Job Category Medical Research and Laboratory Sciences Contract Type Fixed-Term Contract Remuneration R293,376.00 EE Position No Experience Required None Closing Date 20 August 2026

Job Purpose

The General Laboratory Assistant will provide essential support to blood-bank laboratory operations. The role involves preparing, delivering and collecting blood bank hampers, handling blood and blood-product stock, disposing of biohazardous waste and maintaining clean and safe laboratory environments.

The successful candidate will work according to established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and applicable safety, health, environmental and quality requirements.

Key Performance Areas

1. Blood Bank and Blood Hamper Duties

Responsibilities include:

Preparing BRB/blood bank hampers according to approved SOPs and schedules.
Collecting unused hampers within specified timeframes.
Collecting empty blood hampers from wards and designated collection points.
Checking hampers for broken or opened seals.
Handing sealed hampers to the Supervisor or Shift Supervisor.
Reporting opened hampers containing blood units.
Packing received blood and blood products into fridges, freezers or platelet agitators according to expiry dates.
Checking, counting and arranging blood stock daily.
Ensuring blood products are appropriately organised according to expiry dates.

2. Medical and Biohazardous Waste Disposal

The employee will assist with the safe and compliant handling of laboratory waste, including:

Ordering and receiving waste-disposal stock.
Attaching traceability labels.
Scanning containers into the CS Tracker system.
Placing bin liners into the correct colour-coded medical-waste containers.
Collecting and discarding outdated samples.
Sealing and packaging medical-waste containers.
Capturing waste information on the computer system.
Recording full containers on waste-tracking documentation.
Preparing Dangerous Goods Transportation documentation.
Receiving and filing waste manifests.
Linking waste-disposal documents to the relevant manifests.
Moving medical-waste containers to designated collection areas.
Checking waste weighing conducted by the approved waste-removal company.

3. Daily Laboratory Duties

The successful candidate will also be responsible for general laboratory support duties, including:

Preparing disinfectant solutions when required.
Replenishing laboratory test tubes.
Checking laboratory consumables for suitability.
Cleaning and decontaminating laboratory equipment and work areas.
Cleaning BRB/blood hampers, racks, wash-out trays and recycling boxes.
Assisting with the clean-up of blood spills.
Cleaning and decontaminating water baths according to schedule.
Cleaning centrifuge buckets when required.
Cleaning and refilling detergent containers.
Ensuring freshly prepared disinfectant is available.
Disinfecting sinks, basins and sluice areas.
Defrosting and cleaning laboratory refrigerators and freezers according to schedule.

SHEQ and Compliance

The General Laboratory Assistant must maintain high standards of safety and quality by:

Following all applicable Standard Operating Procedures.
Complying with SANBS standards of practice.
Supporting Safety, Health and Environmental requirements.
Participating in continuous SHE legislative compliance.
Assisting with investigations into non-conformances, errors and deviations from SOPs.
Assisting with information gathering when customer complaints or quality-related issues arise.
Retrieving relevant destruction records and other documentation when required.

General Duties

The employee may also be required to:

Perform additional laboratory-related duties assigned by supervisors or senior staff.
Support the smooth operation of the blood bank laboratory.
Maintain a clean, organised and safe working environment.
Complete the specified Laboratory Assistants course within the required timeframe.
Work collaboratively with laboratory supervisors and other members of the blood-bank team.

Minimum Requirements

Education

Applicants must have:

Grade 12 / National Senior Certificate
Mathematics
At least one Science subject

Experience

No previous work experience is required.

This makes the opportunity particularly suitable for candidates looking to establish themselves in the medical laboratory, blood-bank or healthcare support environment.

Computer Skills

Candidates should have basic computer literacy, including:

Microsoft Word
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Outlook

Skills and Competencies

Applicants should demonstrate:

Attention to detail
Ability to follow detailed procedures and SOPs
Good organisational skills
Ability to handle laboratory materials responsibly
Ability to maintain accurate records
Basic computer skills
Good housekeeping practices
Awareness of workplace safety
Ability to work effectively as part of a team
Reliability and willingness to learn
Ability to follow instructions from supervisors and senior laboratory staff

Who Can Apply?

This vacancy may be particularly suitable for Grade 12 graduates with Mathematics and a Science subject who are seeking an opportunity to gain practical exposure in a blood-bank and laboratory environment.

Because no previous experience is required, applicants who meet the educational requirements can consider applying, provided they can meet the full requirements of the position.

Salary

R293,376.00

The advertised remuneration is R293,376 per annum for the position.

Employment Type

Fixed-Term Contract

The vacancy is listed as a fixed-term position at the SANBS Tembisa Business Unit.

Closing Date

20 August 2026

Applicants are encouraged to submit their applications before the closing date.

Important Application Information

Position: General Laboratory Assistant (Blood Bank)
Reference: SANBS_003414
Location: Tembisa, Gauteng
Closing Date: 20 August 2026

Candidates should ensure that they meet the stated educational and computer-literacy requirements before submitting an application.

Note: Applicants should rely on the official SANBS vacancy information for the application process and any additional conditions attached to the position.

Apply Here