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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!
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