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The very definition of the word indicates that biosafety involves the containment of hazardous agents.
Consideration of containment – using multiple levels of barriers as defined by ‘Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories,’ should begin in the planning phase – especially in BSL-3 facilities where there is more of an emphasis on primary and secondary barriers. While the BMBL, published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is a good guide, not every recommendation can fill every need.
“Although this document is thorough and well written, ambiguity can arise when it comes time to apply it to situations that inevitably occur during the design and construction process,” Carl Schultz, Chief Mechanical Engineer with URS Corporation, said in a recent article he wrote for ALN Magazine.
(Discuss Biosafety containment at the 2008 TurnKey Conference in Baltimore, MD.)
Here’s a closer look at the checklist Schultz compiled for animal biosafety level 3 laboratories:
- Signage: Is there a biohazard sign, a listing of agents used, name and telephone number?
- Location, location, location: The lab should be separated from everyday building traffic.
- Security: Make sure there is a self-closing and self-locking door at the entry.
- In and out: Movement of supplies or waste can be through a separate double-door access or autoclave.
- Animal room entry: Be sure to have a double-door entry (inward opening) into the animal room that includes a change room and a shower.
- Washing up: A hands-free or automatically operated hand washing sink should be provided in each animal room near the exit door.
- Fixtures: Internal building services such as light fixtures, duct work and piping are arranged to minimize horizontal services.
- Surfaces: Make sure the interior surfaces of walls, floors and ceilings where BSL-3 agents are handled are constructed for easy cleaning and decontamination. Walls, ceilings and floors should be smooth, impermeable to liquids and resistant to chemicals. Seams, if present, should be sealed.
- A room with a view: Windows are not recommended. Any windows must be resistant to breakage and must be sealed.
- Breathe easy: Ventilation should be provided in accordance with criteria from the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals.
- Breathe easy, part 2: A ducted ventilation system is provided to create directional airflow from clean areas toward contaminated areas.
- Exhausted: Exhaust air should not be recirculated to any other area of the building.
- Clearing the air: The outside exhaust must be dispersed away from occupied areas and air intakes or must be HEPA filtered.
- Airflow: Lab personnel must verify direction of airflow and provide a visual monitoring device at the animal room entry.
- Under pressure: Consideration should be given to installing an HVAC control system to prevent sustained positive pressurization of the animal spaces.
- Alert: Use audible alarms to notify personnel of HVAC system failure.
- Safety cabinets: Biological safety cabinets, when connected to the exhaust system must be done in a manner that avoids interference with the air balance of the cabinets or building exhaust system.
- Safety cabinets, part 2: Biological safety cabinets are located away from doors, room supply louvers and from heavily traveled areas.
- Cleaning the cleaners: Vacuum lines are to be protected with disinfectant traps and HEPA filters.
- Eyeing safety: Eyewash stations should be available inside the lab.
- A bright idea: Is illumination adequate for all activities?
- Waste not, want not: A method for decontamination all lab wastes should be available in the facility.
Carl Schultz is Chief Mechanical Engineer with URS Corporation in their Columbus, Ohio office. He is a graduate of the Ohio State University with a BSME and has 18 years of experience designing and commissioning mechanical systems for laboratories, hospitals, and other complex institutional facility types. He has earned two Technical Excellence Awards during his tenure at URS Corporation. He is a registered professional engineer in over a dozen states and is the author of many technical articles related to HVAC and plumbing system design.
Read the full text of the original article.
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