Basic Documentation

Siemens Industry, Inc. Page 3 of 10
Document No. 149-997
controlled as required by the substances present
and provide for wo
rker comfort.
4
5. Walls, ceilings, floors, and fixtures should be
smooth, easy to clean, impermeable to liquids
and resistant to chemicals and disinfectants
normally used. Ceilings constructed of gypsum
board are preferable to conventional lay-in
ceiling tiles. A continuous cove floor that curves
up at the wall is desirable. Exposed piping and
ductwork should be avoided. Floors should be
seamless (for example, epoxy coated), slip-
resistant and only have drains where needed
such as under emergency showers or for hand
washing. Drains may not be directly connected
to a sanitary sewer and must have backflow
prevention and first lead to tanks where liquid
waste will undergo decontamination.
6. Penetrations made in walls, floors, and ceilings
for installing electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and
other services must be properly sealed to
facilitate maintaining negative room
pressurization, prevent entry of insects or
vermin, and allow effective gaseous
decontamination of the room. Electrical outlets
are preferably surface mounted to reduce wall
penetrations.
7. If present, windows should be non-operable and
break-resistant.
8. Bench tops that extend to a wall should be
sealed at the wall to prevent liquids from
entering crevices at the wall. Bench tops and
work surfaces should be impervious to liquids
and resistant to disinfectants, acids, alkalis,
solvents, and moderate heat.
9. Biological safety cabinets and fume hoods
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should not be located near the normal laboratory
room entry area or along regular walk routes.
10. Room illumination should be adequate and
designed to minimize glare in the glass panels of
biological safety cabinets and fume hoods.
11. Open spaces between and under furniture
should allow ready access for cleaning.
12. Sufficient storage space for laboratory supplies
should be provided so that such items are not
4. Since workers typically wear lab coats, gloves, and other
protective outer garments, rooms must typically be able to
maintain cooler temperatures than non-laboratory areas.
Shower rooms and clothes changing areas will of course
need to be sufficiently warm to maintain comfort.
5. Biological laboratories often include a fume hood for use
when chemical solutions must be prepared.
stored on bench tops, biosafety cabinets, or in
other functional space within the room.
13. Provision for storing outer garments and
personal items should be provided in a separate
room (locker room/gowning room) outside of the
laboratory room, but within the laboratory suite.
Ideally, passage through these rooms should be
a part of the normal laboratory suite entry
procedure. When warranted, shower, and
clothes changing provisions should be available.
14. A hand-wash sink that is operated by a foot
pedal, elbow lever, or automatic proximity
sensor should be provided near each laboratory
room exit door. At least one emergency
eyewash sink must also be present in each
laboratory room.
15. Provision for eating and drinking should be
outside of, but convenient to, the laboratory
rooms.
16. There should be no cross-connections between
sources of laboratory water and the drinkable
water supply. Anti-backflow devices must protect
the public water system.
17. Stand-by power is desirable for critical
laboratory equipment, such as incubators,
freezers, certain biological safety cabinets, and
for ventilating animal cages and animal holding
rooms. Emergency lighting should ensure safe
exit from the laboratory rooms and suite in the
event of a power failure.
18. Reliable and adequate gas service should be
available for laboratory room equipment.
19. Provision for waste disposal should include:
 Autoclaves
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or incinerators for solid waste
treatment
 Emission controls on incinerators
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 Wastewater decontamination tanks
6. An autoclave uses steam to sterilize equipment and destroy
living organisms. Autoclaves work by first creating a near
vacuum within the interior space and then allowing steam at
15 psi (103 kPa) to enter. The internal autoclave
temperature becomes approximately 485
0
F (120
0
C) and is
then maintained for at least 15 minutes. Pass-Through
autoclaves are designed to mount in a barrier wall and thus
enable the loading and removal operations to be conducted
from separate rooms.
7. Incinerators are generally only necessary when larger
masses of biological matter must be disinfected, as is the
case when large animals are utilized in laboratories. Since
incinerators are subject to very stringent federal and local
codes it is best to only provide them if necessary.