Documentation

1: Restricting Equipment & Room Access with Training Prerequisites

The Scenario

Prevent unauthorized use, damage, and compliance violations by restricting equipment reservations to trained or certified users. Automatically enforce safety protocols and orientation requirements before a user can make a booking—whether in a research core, a communal maker space, or a high-demand media facility.

🔬 Research Labs & Core Facilities

  • Example: Restrict high-end instruments (e.g., Mass Spectrometers, Electron Microscopes) to researchers who have passed safety and operational training.

🛠️ Makerspaces & Machine Shops

  • Example: Gate access to dangerous or complex machinery (e.g., 3D printers, CNC routers, laser cutters) until members complete an introductory safety walkthrough.

🎙️ Media Studios & Equipment Libraries

  • Example: Require a podcast studio orientation before booking space, or verify camera/lighting training before letting users check out specialized AV kit gear.

QReserve Subscription: Standard
Implementation Difficulty: Beginner

Implementation Steps

    1. Navigate to Users → Credentials and create a new credential (e.g., "Instrument X Certified").
    2. If your credential expires, define expiration parameters such as a 1-year auto-expiry for mandatory annual recertification. Otherwise leave it set to never expire. 
    3. Apply the requirement by navigating to Resources → [Instrument Name] → Reservations → Credentials.
    4. Add the Required Credential to the resource profile. Alternatively, you may include the credential requirement in your resource CSV for bulk updates.
    5. Finally, assign the credential to users under Users → [User Name] → Identifiers and Records → Credentials to grant them access to the restricted resource.

📖 Learn more about Credentials
📖 Learn more about Credential Requirements

🎬 [ ▶ Watch Setup Video Guide: How to Restrict Equipment Access by Training Level (3 Min)]:
In this video, we use a lab mass spectrometer as an example. However, the exact same steps apply to restricting access to 3D printers in a makerspace, camera gear in an equipment library, or booking access for a podcast studio.