Industry Insights

World BioHazTec has been a leader in biosafety and biosecurity since its inception in 1995. Over the years, we have successfully completed numerous groundbreaking projects and received prestigious awards, showcasing our dedication to excellence and innovation.

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Five Design Considerations for Animal Laboratories

At the beginning of the design process, there are many decisions that must be made regarding equipment, sinks, showers, biological safety cabinets (BSCs), and other primary barrier equipment, the configuration of the HVAC system, and contingencies based upon the facility design elements required by the agents that will be worked with or studied. Sustainability, maintainability, and energy usage must also be factored into the design. Organizational preferred operations must be included, and SOPs often dictate final designs. Spatial relationships need to be evaluated to determine flow and function. When animals are part of the laboratory work, additional design features are needed which add complexity to the design. 1.  Design Standards, Guidelines, and Regulations for Animal Laboratories Paramount to safety is the understanding of the application and intent of biosafety and biocontainment guidelines. Biosafety design is based upon risk assessment. The design team should be accustomed to working with the Biosafety Officer, users, and stakeholders in formulating and documenting risk assessments when needed to support design decision-making. Determining your research goals or planned laboratory work, grant design requirements, and regulatory compliance will drive the design criteria. When designing an animal facility such as an ABSL-2 or ABSL-3 laboratory, beyond the compulsory local national and international guidance documents, you may want to also consider the following guidelines and standards: NIH Design Requirements Manual for Biocontainment Laboratories; U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Research Service Guidelines, (as applicable); Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC); National Research Council Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals; National Research Council Occupational Health and Safety in the Care and Use of Research Animals; and National Research Council Occupational Health and Safety in the Care and Use of Nonhuman Primates. 2.  Odor  The management of odor from animal facilities, autoclaving, waste treatment, and tissue digesters is unique to containment facilities. Elevator shafts and loading docks serve as pathways for the distribution of odors. Using positive pressured elevator vestibules, adjoining positive pressured corridors, and local ventilation can contain odors. Dedicating an elevator for vertical movement of animals from receiving to the animal suite will also control odors. Adding a pneumatic waste removal system can contain waste removal odors from the animal suite to the building loading dock area. These engineering controls allow for the placement of vivariums anywhere vertically in a research tower instead of the traditional basement location. 3.  Noise Subjecting animals to noise and vibration can have significant impact on animal reproduction and sensory development, behavior, and can expose animals to injury startle responses. The location of rotating machinery in animal facilities can stress animals, so cage washing areas and mechanical spaces with fans and pumps need to be distanced from animal holding areas. Another source of noise is the ventilation system with elevated room level supply and exhaust noise. In addition to negatively affecting animals, this can also affect workers’ communication and awareness to their surroundings. 4.  Space Requirements Caging design, rack sizes and types, and animal model are key factors in analyzing space requirements. Identifying the maximum number of types of animals to be housed according to biosafety level can maximize space utilization for the present and the future. This information bears heavily on the design approach to room space allocation, cage washing equipment, whether disposable caging is more economical, cage changing stations or BSCs, and watering system versus bottle caging. 5.  Emergency Signaling Systems Placement of emergency signaling systems (e.g., fire alarm, HVAC failure alarm, room pressurization alarm, security alarm) is essential to alert personnel to act. Signaling systems must be accessible for lab personnel, biosafety officers, and emergency response personnel. Ever conscious of animals, the alarms cannot be strobing in holding facilities so as not to stress animals. Animal Laboratory Design Recommendations In analyzing the final design, emphasis needs to be placed on the details. Constant referral to the research program requirements, containment guidelines, lessons learned, project construction and operating budgets, and the completeness of the design documents are essential to a successful design that meets the users’ and the stakeholders’ needs and provides sustainability. Efforts spent in design by an integrated team of users, professionals, and stakeholders will culminate in a safe, sustainable, efficient, and secure research facility. Are you planning to build or renovate a BSL-3/ABSL-3 laboratory? No matter what project phase you are in, contact World BioHazTec (WBHT) to schedule a free 30-minute consultation or send us an email. We can prepare a feasibility study, develop conceptual designs with cost estimates, perform a site assessment, peer review design documents, commission/certify your animal facility, and train staff. You are a conversation away from starting down a successful pathway to meet containment compliance and sustainability.

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Emergency Extrication from Containment Laboratories

A laboratory team member has collapsed in containment. Will other team members know how to properly extricate and transfer them to emergency services? An important part of laboratory worker safety is emergency preparedness and incident response. An emergency is typically defined as “an event that poses an immediate risk to health, life, property, or the environment.” Most emergencies require urgent intervention to prevent a worsening of the situation. In the case of responding to a worker who has become incapacitated within a containment laboratory, rapid response is crucial. Training on the proper procedures for emergency extrication should be conducted regularly to ensure the safety of not only the injured worker, but also that of the responding worker. Most of all, laboratory workers must be confident in the procedures, know how to quickly locate rescue equipment, and know the proper calls to make to be effective. Although the agencies involved and the procedures used may vary due to government requirements and facility layouts, there are basic guidelines that are universal. After 16 years as a First Responder, I have been on scenes where workers did not know how to respond to an emergency. Below are recommendations specifically for containment laboratory settings and tips for proper extrication to ensure the safety of all. The first step is for the responding worker to remain calm and control their breathing. It is human nature for stress to increase in emergency situations. Providing training and keeping workers informed in emergency response will build workers’ confidence and ability to remain calm. Alertness Level (AVPU Scale): Upon initial contact with the patient, the responding worker should first determine if the patient is: 1. Alert and conscious? 2. Verbal (Do they look at you when you speak to them?) If not, then: 3. Pain (Do they respond to touch, such as patting hand, shaking the shoulder?) If not, then they are: 4. Unresponsive (There is no response.) Visual/Tactile: • Are they breathing? Does the chest rise? • Is the PAPR working? Do I Perform CPR Before Calling Emergency Services? No. Call 911 first or your country’s emergency services contact number. It is urgent that emergency services are called first to minimize response time. If there is more than one co-worker in the lab, one worker can proceed with decontamination and prepare to move the patient while the other notifies 911 and the safety team. Also, there are no AEDs in containment. Getting them to the anteroom for CPR and other lifesaving measures is crucial. Call Script For Emergency Response Posted By The Phone. It is also recommended to have an emergency call script posted by the laboratory phone to ensure that important information is not missed. It should include: 1. The location, including building and precise room number. Do not leave blanks. People under stress may not recall the precise location. 2. Description of the type of lab by biosafety level. Use layman’s terms for 911 call takers and fire/EMS personnel as they may not be familiar with laboratories and containment levels. 3. Has there been a breach of containment outside of the suite? 4. Describe the emergency and how many people are involved. 5. The patient status: conscious, (not) breathing, non-responsive, approximate age. Locate The Portable Transport Unit The portable transport unit may also be known as a portable stretcher or gurney. There are many styles and manufacturers. Instructions for use should be reviewed with workers as part of training and left with the unit inside the lab. Unfold and prepare the unit. It may be marked to indicate where the patient’s head and feet should be placed. There may also be long drag straps at the head of the unit. These straps are used to drag the patient to minimize strain on the responder and prevent injury. These units can be used by a single responder. Some institutions recommend decontamination prior to being placed on the stretcher. Decontaminate the patient’s first level of personal protective equipment (PPE) and remove outer gloves and booties. Then the responder decontaminates themselves to prepare to enter the anteroom. (See your institution’s procedures for decontamination procedures.) Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on rolling the patient onto the unit. Your institution’s SOP will dictate good practice to move a patient. Remember that practice makes perfect execution. Remember: The portable transport unit is now considered contaminated. It must not be given to First Responders. First Responders will have their own transport unit. When transferring the patient to First Responders, place the unit and all PPE that has been removed into the lab for decontamination/disposal after it is safe to enter. Work with your local Fire and EMS to arrange for review of procedures, call numbers, and conduct demonstrations for safe extrication. World BioHazTec provides training, reviews emergency procedures, runs tabletop exercises and designs scripts for drills to ensure safe operations for laboratory workers.   About Officer Jacob “Jake” Haskell, MBA Officer Jacob “Jake” Haskell has served as a First Responder for sixteen years. He is a police officer working for the state of Maryland. Prior to becoming a police officer, he was a firefighter for the City of Annapolis. Officer Haskell is a volunteer firefighter and officer for Kensington Volunteer Fire Department. Officer Haskell has provided EMS training for the Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institutes of Health. As an American Heart Association (AHA) certified trainer, Officer Haskell provides certified training in first aid and CPR. Officer Haskell has a master’s and an undergraduate degree in business administration and has associate degrees in criminal justice, political science, and culinary arts.

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Biosafety and Biosecurity Professional Development Courses

Advancements in biocontainment and biosecurity have emerged as biodefense research rapidly expands. In the past two decades, the global density of biocontainment laboratories has increased and in turn, advancements in laboratory design and methods have materialized. There are approximately 1,500 high-containment laboratories in the U.S. These laboratories are designed for working safely with the most highly pathogenic agents. To support this vital research, it is critical to identify and train qualified individuals who can ensure the continued availability and safe operation of these facilities. Biosafety professionals train specifically to support high-containment (BSL-3, ABSL-3), and maximum-containment (BSL-4) research environments by acquiring knowledge and skills necessary to meet the scientific, regulatory, biocontainment, biosafety, engineering, communications, management, and public relations challenges associated with the conduct of research in these facilities. Biosafety professionals should demonstrate proficiency in the areas of risk assessment, biosafety program management, engineering and facilities design, operations, and management. It is vital to preparedness against threats to public health, both in this nation and globally, that research organizations offer effective continuing professional development. World BioHazTec has designed professional development courses to advance biosafety professionals’ knowledge and strengthen organizations’ safety and health posture. Our courses include: Biosafety Principles, Biological Select Agents and Toxins, Aerosol Hazards in the Laboratory Decontamination and Sterilization, Biosafety Cabinets and Autoclaves Risk Assessment, Working with Institutional Biosafety Committees (IBCs) Engineering for the Biosafety Professional Part I Engineering for the Biosafety Professional Part II IACET CEUs World BioHazTec is an Accredited Provider (AP) of the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET). IACET is the only standards-developing organization (SDO) approved by the American National Standards Institutes (ANSI). IACET’s mission is “to advance the global workforce by providing the standard framework for quality learning and development through accreditation.” Recognition as an AP is verification that the provider’s training program has been thoroughly reviewed and meets the highest standards for excellence in continuing education and training for adult learners. World BioHazTec chose the rigorous path toward accreditation to ensure it provides the highest quality training consistently and is reliable. Training requests are evaluated with our clients to ensure that they meet the organizations’ goals and measurements of success.  IACET CEUs are also accepted by numerous professional organizations as evidence of the learner’s continued competence. As an IACET Accredited Provider, Council Rock Consulting dba World BioHazTec offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard.     Biosafety Principles, Select Agents and Toxins, Aerosol Hazards The success of research in biological laboratories requires knowledge and implementation of biosafety principles, awareness of potential hazards, and mitigation of those hazards. World BioHazTec offers this principles course to those new to biological laboratories. Instructors will cover resources and regulations, best practices for work in a biological laboratory, identifying the characteristics of work at different biosafety levels, potential risks, and prevention of laboratory-acquired infections. This course is also an overview of the history and purpose of the Federal Select Agent Program (FSAP), locating and interpreting regulations and associated guidance documents, and the importance of inactivating Biological Select Agents and Toxins (BSATs). Almost every activity in the laboratory has the potential to produce aerosols. Minimizing the creation of aerosols and protection against transmission to laboratory workers, outside the laboratory, and the environment is required to maintain containment. Participants will review the nature of aerosols, how they are created in the laboratory, and mitigation of potential hazards. World BioHazTec subject matter experts and instructors are leaders in the biosafety community with a combined 100 years of experience. They include High- and Maximum-Containment Engineers, Biosafety Officers, and Employee Health and Safety Directors specializing in biosafety and biosecurity. We are an Accredited Provider (AP) of the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET). As an IACET Accredited Provider, World BioHazTec offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Information. Contact World BioHazTec (WBHT) to schedule a free 30-minute consultation or send us an email to learn more about our courses. Decontamination and Sterilization; Autoclaves; Biosafety Cabinets Safe work practices protect laboratory workers, research, and the environment from potential hazards associated with biological, biomedical, and clinical research. World BioHazTec encourages safety through training and education so that laboratory workers will be confident to perform their work, and also to observe and mitigate potential risks. Decontamination and sterilization are commonly mistaken to be the same. This course will cover the differences and proper methods to achieve efficacy and render laboratory equipment safe to use. This course will also discuss the varieties of autoclaves used for sterilization and the level of containment provided through each design. Biological safety cabinets (BSCs) are a prime example of engineering controls in the laboratory that are designed to protect workers, the product, and the environment. While BSCs are used throughout the world, there are some variations that could compromise safety during operations. Therefore, this course will review the different types of BSCs, how they function, and correct use. World BioHazTec subject matter experts and instructors are leaders in the biosafety community with a combined 100 years of experience. They include High- and Maximum-Containment Engineers, Biosafety Officers, and Employee Health and Safety Directors specializing in biosafety and biosecurity. We are an Accredited Provider (AP) of the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET). As an IACET Accredited Provider, World BioHazTec offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Information. Contact World BioHazTec (WBHT) to schedule a free 30-minute consultation or send us an email to learn more about our courses. Risk Assessments and Working with Institutional Biosafety Committees World BioHazTec encourages safety through training and education to mitigate potential risks of biological and biomedical research. Biological risk assessment is the process of characterizing risks of potential pathogens or toxins to determine the likelihood and consequences of an adverse event to support decision-making regarding acceptability and mitigation. Proper risk assessment includes both biosafety and biosecurity. It is the requirement of the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) to review risk assessments and to determine on behalf of the organization acceptance or rejection of potential risk and steps to mitigate any potential risk. This course covers the basis for risk assessment, types of risk assessments, and factors to be considered. Also covered are mitigation factors and bases for decision-making. Highlights: Biosafety guidelines for conducting safe laboratory operations, including Dual Use Research of Concern (DURC). Importance and benefits of risk assessments. Process for conducting a risk assessment and available risk mitigation strategies. Roles and responsibilities. Elements of a Biosecurity Program. Risk response strategies. Demonstrate a risk assessment review. World BioHazTec subject matter experts and instructors are leaders in the biosafety community. They include High- and Maximum-Containment Engineers, Biosafety Officers, and Employee Health and Safety Directors specializing in biosafety and biosecurity. We are an Accredited Provider (AP) of the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET). As an IACET Accredited Provider, World BioHazTec offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Information. Contact World BioHazTec (WBHT) to schedule a free 30-minute consultation or send us an email to learn more about our courses. Engineering for the Biosafety Professional, Part I World BioHazTec encourages safety through training and education to mitigate potential risks of biological and biomedical research. Proactive researchers, administrators, biosafety professionals, and facilities personnel are required to be involved and knowledgeable in the operation, maintenance, verification and certification of their containment facilities and building systems. Frequently, they are called upon to participate in the planning, design, and validation of a new biocontainment laboratory or renovation of an existing facility. This course is intended to provide basic engineering principles that are useful in the planning, design, construction, maintenance and operation of a BSL-3 facility. The overall outcome of this course is that participants will have a foundation of engineering fundamentals, develop skills to ask questions in engineering terms, and will have the confidence to question the answers. Highlights: BSL-3 laboratory design. Directional airflow and calculating cubic feet per minute. Directional airflow schemes using supply and exhaust. HVAC controls system and failure scenarios for testing and importance. Differential pressure testing and reading results. Laboratory certification and equipment. Quality assurance program. World BioHazTec subject matter experts and instructors are leaders in the biosafety community. They include High- and Maximum-Containment Engineers, Biosafety Officers, and Employee Health and Safety Directors specializing in biosafety and biosecurity. We are an Accredited Provider (AP) of the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET). As an IACET Accredited Provider, World BioHazTec offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Information. Contact World BioHazTec (WBHT) to schedule a free 30-minute consultation or send us an email to learn more about our courses. Engineering for the Biosafety Professional, Part II World BioHazTec encourages safety through training and education to mitigate potential risks of biological and biomedical research. Proactive researchers, administrators, biosafety professionals, and facilities personnel are required to be involved and knowledgeable in the operation, maintenance, verification and certification of their containment facilities and building systems. Frequently, they are called upon to participate in the planning, design, and validation of a new biocontainment laboratory or renovation of an existing facility. This course is intended to provide intermediate engineering principles that are useful in the planning, design, construction, maintenance and operation of a BSL-3 or high-containment facility. The overall outcome of this course is that participants will have a foundation of engineering fundamentals, develop skills to ask questions in engineering terms and have the confidence to question the answers. Highlights Identify architectural and engineering (A/E) plans and plan views. Identify barriers, barrier types, personnel flow, and pressure zones. Apply engineering assessment tool for A/E drawings. Calculate measurements using an architect’s scale. Identify barriers, barrier types, personnel flow, and pressure zones. Review and discuss design documents by the “Drawing Clues Method.” Evaluate engineering solutions. Discuss the difference between commissioning and certification. Identify and discuss the requirements of annual certification. Explain the purpose of failure scenarios during pressure testing and analyze pressure testing data. World BioHazTec subject matter experts and instructors are leaders in the biosafety community. They include High- and Maximum-Containment Engineers, Biosafety Officers, and Employee Health and Safety Directors specializing in biosafety and biosecurity. We are an Accredited Provider (AP) of the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET). As an IACET Accredited Provider, World BioHazTec offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Information. Contact World BioHazTec (WBHT) to schedule a free 30-minute consultation or send us an email to learn more about our courses.

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World BioHazTec is an Accredited Provider (AP) of the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET). As an IACET Accredited Provider, World BioHazTec offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Information.

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