Containment Laboratory room design

Containment Laboratory Room Design or Thinking Inside the Box ... 

The NIEHS has two high hazard containment laboratories one for chemical research ( ) and the other for biological research involving hazardous chemicals ( ). Programs are currently being developed for monitoring these rooms. The Chemical Containment Laboratory is designed for three purposes ... 

The converse situation is the housing of primates. They are extremely susceptible to human diseases such as measles and tuberculosis. It is sometimes advisable to design their holding facilities under positive pressure with limited access. A typical design is similar to containment laboratories with an ante room for clothes change and showering. 

The facility consists of two distinct areas. The office and laboratory area is a "B" rated occupancy containing offices, conference rooms, and laboratories. The laboratories are designed specifically for the type of research that is being supported— biological laboratories (BSL-1 and BSL-2- -), deposition/epitaxy laboratories, laser/nanophotonics laboratories, surface-analysis laboratories, electron-microscopy laboratories, etc. 

Because of the sensitivity of PCR assays, it is most important to minimise the potential danger of cross-contamination. Ideally, PCR laboratories should consist of two separate rooms, each containing their own equipment (e.g., pipetors). One room should be dedicated to the setting up of RT reactions and PCR assays only. Both laboratories should use aerosol-resistant tips to prevent carry-over of sample within the barrel of the pipet. Post-PCR tubes should never be opened in the room used to set up PCRs as this is probably the most potent source for potential contamination. A laminar-flow cabinet, particularly one designed for PCR, should be considered a requirement for a PCR room in situations where a large number of samples will be processed. 

ACDP UK, Guidance on the Use, Testing, and Maintenance of Laboratory and Animal Flexible Film Isolators, Dec. 1995. Qean Rooms and Associated Controlled Environments. A family of new standards produced by ISO and CEN. EN/ISO 14644-1-14644-8 (Progressive Publication from May 1999). Refer to ISO 10648. In Containment Enclosures—Part 1 Design Principles 1997. 

All operations (cleaning, filtration, acidification and sample handling) were carried out in a specially designed Class 100 room, either fitted in a standard 20 ft transport container which was fully equipped as a chemical laboratory or in a room transformed as such on board of the research ship. All operations with the sample were performed in a closed system, except for the sample acidification and the filling of the bottles, which were performed in a laminar flow clean bench inside the clean room. All personnel working in the clean area used polythene gloves, dust-free garments and shoe-covers. 

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