Commissioning

After research objectives are defined and funding is obtained, an owner’s next major concern in the development of a new lab animal facility should be an activity that is, in majority, conducted at the very end of the facility’s construction – commissioning,

After research objectives are defined and funding is obtained, an owner’s next major concern in the development of a new lab animal facility should be an activity that is, in majority, conducted at the very end of the facility’s construction – commissioning, a testing process to verify, prior to move-in, that a new lab and its systems and equipment are performing properly.

Commissioning Benefits
Over the last five years, commissioning of labs has become almost standard – a trend driven by labs’ increasing complexity and the federal government starting to require commissioning on a majority of its new lab facilities. Commissioning also grew as owners began to see firsthand the benefits of this quality control process.

Provides Energy Cost Savings
Without testing systems to confirm that equipment and the overall operations of a lab are running properly, a facility can experience high energy bills – sometimes double or triple the cost of an efficiently running facility. Commissioning also includes detailed training of the incoming staff to ensure they will continue to operate the facility at peak efficiency.

Catches Issues Early
The commissioning process catches concerns, challenges, and issues before construction and design even begins. This helps avoid change orders or design and construction rework that can complicate the project schedule and result in additional costs.

Reduces Transition Time
By training end-users and the operating staff, the commissioning process prepares the research team to use the new systems, controls, and equipment prior to move-in, helping reduce the time it takes to transition into a new lab environment and begin research work.

Ensures the Most Accurate Research Results
Due to the sensitive nature of research animal studies, a newly constructed lab may even be required to go through commissioning to prove the accuracy of its research results. Without commissioning, a lab runs the risk of skewing results. For example, if a facility’s pressurization or isolation systems are not operating properly, it can cause cross-contamination of studies. Lab animal facilities often require 100 percent fresh air versus the 30 percent that most standard office buildings use. By testing the HVAC system to determine that it’s working correctly, researchers can eliminate indoor air quality as a variable in research studies. In addition, many animal studies are based on specific environmental requirements. If the temperature, humidity, or lighting systems do not function properly, it can result in distorted results.