Lab Design

Andrew Whitelaw

(a microbiologist, not an architect!)

Why bother?

• Improve efficiency

– Reduce wasted time waiting for work

– Reduce unnecessary staff movement

– Improve flow

– Minimise handling distances and costs

– Reducing walking distances

• Can save up to 30% of material handling costs

Basic lab components

• Pre-analytical– Phlebotomy areas– Reception / sorting– Data capture– Filing

• Analytical – Variable

• Post analytical– Office space– Filing– Printing / sorting

The process

Programming SchematicsDesign

Development

Construction documents and

contractsConstruction

All issues discussed Floor plan outline

More detailed floor plan, casework, engineering equipment etc

Final stages, usually only architect / builders involved

Where to start?

• Three major elements to consider

Efficiency

Equipment

Safety

Reducing costs, waiting times, walking times, errors

Reducing accidents / exposures

Functioning, properly located and installed

Efficiency

• Space– Quality and quantity

– Access and Movement• Between labs and within lab

– Staff in the space

• Storage

• Ventilation

• Lighting

• Plumbing

Space – the final frontier

• Usually too little

• Existing space gets squeezed

– Unsafe

– Inefficient

– Error prone

• Control space by

– Quantity

– Quality

– Access and traffic

Space – how much?– Needs assessment

• Functional

• Storage (see later)

• Support

Space

• Quantity– Needs assessment

• Functional

• Storage (see later)

• Support

• Quality– Functional

relationships

– Proximity diagram / bubble diagram

Movement

• Personnel, patients and specimens

• Functional relationships between depts

– Reflect all of above

CLSI

Movement

• Personnel, patients and specimens

• Functional relationships between depts

– Reflect all of above

• Details of casework, doors, equipment in a lab

– Specimen movement most useful

Some design concepts

• Single entry point

– Access control, streamlining

• L-shaped benches

• Mobile benches

• Try to separate disciplines

• Use spaghetti diagrams

Specimen Movement

Spaghetti diagrams

Single entry point L-shaped benches

Separate disciplines

Flexibility

• Plan for expansion– Don’t let “unused” expansion

space be hijacked!

• Flexible casework– Affected by plumbing,

electricity supply, ventilation

– Place floors before casework

• Size of doors – changing large pieces of equipment

• Electrical supply, ventilation, plumbing, etc etc…

People

People• Space for people to move

comfortable

• Not too much space –inefficient

• Some take up more space than others

• Cater for staff with disabilities

• Rest/personal space (tea room, sleeping area, locker rooms etc)

Ventilation, lighting

• Ventilation expensive, important– Safety and comfort

– Must build in expansion capacity (15-25%)

– Ideally directional (clean to dirty)

• Lighting– Different types of lighting for

different work

– Plan for expansion!

NCCLS, 1998

Storage design

• Space (again…)

• Storage conditions

• Location

• Nature of materials being stored

• Access control

• Safety

Storage space

• Determined by

– Workload

• Current and projected

– Nature of testing

– Annual orders and usage

– Stock management systems

• Lead time

• Shelf life

Location, location, location

• Hazardous substances

– Away from lab / office areas

– In line with local / national regulations

• Adequate ventilation – not into working areas

• Adequate drainage if necessary

• But also accessible for retrieval…

Conditions

• Temperature

– Room temp – 18-26 C

– Fridge – 2-8

– Freezer - <-20

• Walk in fridge / freezer vs portable units

• Humidity

– <20% - static electricity

– >50% - condensation

Nature of materials

• Hazardous

– Structural safety, location

• Weight

– Paper records, heavy containers

• Duration

– Paper records may need to be stored for 2 years or more

Access control

• Who needs access to storage?

• What form of access control

• Number of doors

• Centralised vs decentralised

Safety

• Nature of materials

– Fire risk

– Fume risk

– Corrosive liquids

• Additional requirements

– Ducting, drainage, access control, monitoring

Safety – general design

• Access control (again…)– More doors = more difficult to maintain

• No carpets in lab – difficult to keep clean

• Chairs – easily cleanable

• Sinks and hand washing– Number and location

• Spacing between equipment / furniture

• Benches impervious to solvents etc

Biosafety levels

0: No contact with blood, body fluids, secretions, infectious agents

1: Contact with closed biological specimens; work with well characterised agents that rarely cause disease

2: Direct exposure to body fluids, tissue; little chance of exposure through inhalation

3: Agents can cause serious / lethal disease through inhalation

4: High risk of aerosol transmitted infections, frequently fatal, treatment unknown / not available

Level 1

• Pre-analytical area

• Some research labs (depending on work)

• No specific extra design features

Level 2

• Most clinical laboratories

• Biosafety cabinet (or other containment)

– If procedures produce aerosols

– High concentration of infectious agents

– Located away from doors / windows; away from heavy people traffic

• Eyewash station available

Level 3

• TB lab

• Access through anteroom

• Sealable doors

• Sealed windows

• Ducted air ventilation; unidirectional flow (clean to dirty)

• All work in BSCs

Level 4

• Either working in suit, or a cabinet

• HEPA filters

• Showers

• Double door autoclave

• Hands free sinks

Equipment

• Automation

– Chemistry, immunology, haem, toxicology

• more automated

• often consolidated

– Linear arrangement often best

– Adjacent to specimen receiving / prep area

– Microbiology – less automated, but changing

Equipment issues

• Comprehensive list– Current and future

• Size / footprint / weight

• Electrical supply / emergency power

• Plumbing / type of water

• Noise / vibration

• Cables

• Clearance

• Heat generation

• Fumes generated / ventilation

• Airflow around equipment

Summary

• One size does not fit all• Need to understand your laboratory• Use diagrams to illustrate workflow, and

arrangement of labs• Don’t forget

– Storage– Safety– Equipment– Ventilation– Lighting– People!