The Challenge

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) recently onboarded new facilities personnel responsible for the operation and maintenance of its high-containment laboratories. As part of a robust Laboratory Quality Management System (LQMS), LLNL recognized the need to ensure that its complex systems—ranging from supply and exhaust to engineering controls and primary barrier equipment—are routinely inspected, verified, and maintained to meet strict NIH/CDC guidelines. To facilitate this, LLNL partnered with World BioHazTec to design an Operations and Maintenance Refresher Course specifically for ABSL-3/BSL-3 laboratories.

The Solution

World BioHazTec delivered a comprehensive two-day, in-person training session for 13 LLNL personnel. This course was tailored to address the specific needs of LLNL’s high-containment operations, covering essential engineering principles critical to the planning, design, construction, maintenance, and operation of ABSL-3/BSL-3 facilities. Prior to the training, World BioHazTec held a teleconference with LLNL to discuss learner needs, which helped inform the site-specific content. The course also incorporated an evaluation plan to ensure comprehension and mastery of the material, based on the defined learning outcomes.

The Result

The training proved highly effective, with measurable improvements in learner knowledge. A pre-course knowledge assessment revealed an average score of 71%, while the post-course assessment saw this increase to 92%, surpassing the minimum passing score of 80%. Additionally, upon successful completion of the course, participants were awarded IACET Continuing Education Units (CEUs), meeting the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard. This partnership has ensured that LLNL’s facilities maintenance staff are now better equipped to maintain biosafety engineering controls and meet regulatory requirements, ultimately supporting the sustainability and safety of LLNL’s high-containment laboratories.