Lab designing and Planning
Dr Poonam Sharma
Associate Professor
Department of Pathology
AIIMS Vijaypur, Jammu
Ideal Medical Laboratory
Set up which is functional, adaptable, expandable, efficient and most
importantly safe for all users.
A comprehensive consideration of:
• Overall planning of lab
• Rational layout, and graphic design
• Economic and eco-friendly use of electricity, air and water
• Due consideration to ventilation, air purification
• Effluent treatment, safety, environmental protection
PLANNING AND DESIGNING
Fundamental to the process of diagnostic
facility planning is an understanding of
basic design principles that ensure future
adaptability to technological advances.
Modular design →simplified approach to
achieving a wide range of goals in
laboratory design.
THE BASICS OF LABORATORY DESIGN AND
DEVELOPMENT
Understand the purpose of the set up. A lab designed for typical commercial analysis of samples
can be far different from a laboratory designed for meeting the needs of a process quality control
lab, or an analytical research lab.
The foundation for setting up a good lab lies in the precise planning of five mainstream services:
• Civil interiors
• Electrical
• HVAC (Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning)
• Utility services
• Safety aspects
Over and above the utmost focus has to be on maintaining the HSE (Health, Safety & Environment)
standards.
Classification of lab
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) codes give three classifications for labs depending
upon the amounts of inflammable and combustible chemicals that are stored.
Laboratory Classifications
• Class A
High Hazard
10 to 20 gal. of various inflammable or combustible liquids allowed
• Class B
Intermediate Hazard
5 to 10 gal. of various inflammable or combustible liquids allowed
• Class C
Low Hazard
2 to 4 gal. of various inflammable or combustible liquids allowed
NABL classification
Small Laboratory: A laboratory receiving up to 100 patients per day
Medium Laboratory: A laboratory receiving up to 101-400 patients per day
Large Laboratory: A laboratory receiving above 400 patients per day
The number of laboratory units
✓ Nature and type of healthcare facility
✓ Volume of tests
✓ Available resources
Determine whether a central laboratory is sufficient or sub-units are required in acute and ambulatory patient
care units.
FLOW DIAGRAM OF LABORATORY SERVICES
Essential to plan the location of lab
Locations
Laboratory should preferably be situated on the ground floor in close proximity to the ambulatory
and acute patient care areas as well as in-patient areas.
Space Requirements
• Extent of automation and type of technology used are the main space determinant in a
laboratory.
• Rule of thumb is 5-7.5 sq. ft/bed or 0.7-0.8 m2 / bed.
• U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) specified the area required for hospital lab :
• 50 bed hospital area = 25 m2
• 100 bed hospital area = 60 m2
• 200 bed hospital area = 103 m2
• Or area can be counted by the number of the beds, 0.7-0.8 m2 / bed.
Departments in Lab
Histopathology
Electron Microscopy Room
A separate room shall be allotted for tissue processing with a fume hood for handling osmium
tetroxide.
A separate dust-free facility, with air-conditioning shall be available for preparation of specimen
and performing electron microscopy.
The electron microscopy room shall have:
• Facilities in place for temperature control and chilled water supply
• Insulated cabling kept away from the work areas
• Proper seating available to allow for optimal ergometric positioning of the person using the
microscope
• Dark room with adequate ventilation.
• Warning light on the door of the dark room indicating usage.
Cytopathology
The laboratory shall have a dedicated space for FNAC procedure.
Microbiology
• A separate biological safety cabinet, certified at least annually to ensure that
filters are functioning properly and that air flow rates meet specifications, must
be available for bacteriological and mycological work
• The laboratory performing fungus culture shall be equipped with heating and
cooling (BOD) incubator to meet with the environmental conditions for the
isolation of fungi
SUPPORTIVE SERVICES
Lighting
Natural light should be used to provide the requisite illumination. Fixtures should be positioned to
provide uniform, shadow-free and glare-free illumination of the laboratory bench top.
The light required is as under
Reception areas and stores: 200 lux
Offices: 400 lux
Working places: 600 lux (1 lux = 11 lumen/m2)
• Fluorescent light fixtures should be directly above and parallel to the front edge of the laboratory
bench to prevent shadows
Electricity
• Essential equipment should be on emergency power backup systems and uninterrupted power
supply (UPS)
• The laboratory shall ensure that adequate electrical service is available so that there is no
interruption in power supply that may lead to compromise of stored data.
• All computers, peripherals, equipment and communication devices should be supported in such a
way that service is not likely to be interrupted.
• The laboratory shall have procedures in place to ensure the integrity of refrigerated and/or
frozen stored samples/reagents/consumables in the event of an electrical failure.
• The use of exposed cables should be minimum.
Floors
• It should be of materials that may be cleaned and disinfected easily.
• Floor materials should be non-absorbent, skid-proof, resistant to wear, and
resistant to the adverse effects of acids, solvents, and detergents.
• Materials may be monolithic (sheet flooring) or have a minimal number of joints
such as vinyl composition tile (VCT) or rubber tile.
• Seamless or self-levelling: Epoxy flooring is preferable.
Floors…..
Load-bearing capacity of the floor should not be less than 500kg/sqm. Labs handling radio-isotope
should have 2000 kg/sqm.
Vibrating equipment exerts a load of two or three times its static weight, hence requires a high load
bearing capacity.
Desirable to have some sections of floor isolated from their surroundings to prevent vibration from
one piece of equipment affecting other equipment.
Wall
Wall surfaces should be free from cracks, unsealed penetrations, and imperfect junctions with
ceiling and floors. Materials should be capable of withstanding washing with strong detergents and
disinfectants.
Doors
• Laboratory doors should not be of less than 1m wide.
• In laboratories where the use of larger equipment is anticipated, wider/higher doors should be
considered. Laboratory doors should be recessed and swing outward in the direction of egress.
Some double doors of total width of 1.50 m should be constructed one of the doors in these may
be 1.0 m width and the other of 0.50 m.
• Vision panels are recommended for all laboratory doors.
• Door assemblies should comply with all appropriate codes.
• Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2) laboratories should have doors that are self-closing and have locks.
Laboratory doors are considered high-use doors. All hardware should be appropriately specified
to withstand this type of use.
Ceilings
Ceilings such as washable lay-in acoustical tiles (Mylar face with smooth surface or
equivalent) should be provided for most laboratory spaces. Open ceilings are acceptable
provided minimal ducting and piping is present and all exposed surfaces are smooth and
cleanable.
Windows and Window Treatment
Windows should be non-operable and should be sealed and caulked . Window systems that
use energy-efficient glass are recommended. Treatments should meet all functional and
aesthetic needs and standards.
Corridors
Width should be 2m to 2.5 m to facilitate movement of patients including those on
wheelchairs.
Benches
• Height for counter top should be 750-mm for sitting and 900 mm for standing works
• Depth of wall tables 700 mm- 1050mm
• The height of competently reached overhead table cupboards should be 1500 mm
• Length of bench needed for each technician ranges from 1.6 m to 1.8 m
• Each lab bench should have lab sink with swan neck sittings with facilities (cool & hot water
supply)
• In planning the under-bench units, adequate knee space should be left at intervals for the
convenience of workers
• The bench tops are to be seamless and acid /alkali resistant
Service Spines
In order to satisfy the servicing demands of said procedures as well as
to allow for the rearrangement of working positions under bench
storage and each of repair and maintenance, the bench services should
be run in a spine behind and completely independent of benches
themselves. This should permit easy access to service pipe, electrical
fittings, plumbing and other fittings in service pipes.
Summary till now….
• Lab: functional, adaptable, expandable, efficient and most
importantly safe for all users
• Modular
• Classification of labs
• Location
• Space
• Special labs
• Light, electricity, floors, walls, doors, ceiling, windows, corridors,
benches, service spines
Plumbing
• The plumbing systems should be coordinated with the laboratory planning
module
• A piping distribution method (i.e. mains, risers, and branch lines) should be
designed to accommodate easy service isolation and system maintenance while
minimizing disruption to laboratory functions
• Adequate fluid temperature, pressure, and volume should be delivered to
required lab functions through conservatively sized pipe mains. Future capacity
allowances need to be considered in building designs
• Emergency isolation valves should be conveniently located on branch lines so
that segments can be taken offline quickly in the advent of failures
Sinks
• Laboratories must have a sink for hand washing. The sink may be manually,
hands-free, or automatically operated
• Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2) laboratories should have the sink located near the exit
door
• When a separate tissue culture room is located within a main lab room, there
should be a hand-washing sink located inside the tissue culture room
Emergency Showers and Eyewash Stations
• At least one emergency shower and eyewash station should be available in each
laboratory
• Should be tapped to the laboratory water supply
• When installing showers, the pull handle should be located in direct proximity to
the shower head
• Safety showers should be no more than 25 feet from the chemical fume hood or
other area where corrosive chemicals will be used
• An eyewash station must be readily available in all Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2)
laboratories
• When a tissue culture room is located within a main lab room, the eyewash station
should be installed next to the hand washing sink located inside the tissue culture
room
Emergency Eyewash should have following criteria:
• Water remains on without use of hands (hands to hold eyes open)
• Goes from off to on in one second or less
• Large and easy-to-operate controls
• Delivers 0.4 gal of water per minute
• Water nozzles 33 to 45 inches above floor
• Visible sign
• Checked and flushed weekly
Emergency Shower should have following criteria:
• Opens in one second
• Water remains on without use of hands
• Delivers 30 gals of water per minute
• Easy-to-locate and accessible controls
• Head at 84" from floor
• Adjustable water supply
• Visible sign
• Checked and flushed weekly
Pneumatic tube transport system
• The transportation of samples requires a reliable solution
that ensures a safe and efficient delivery
• Rapid sample delivery systems, usually pneumatic tube
system (PTSs), have been installed in hospitals to transport
blood specimens from the phlebotomy site to the core
laboratory and deliver patient reports to clinicians
• Transport of samples for blood gas analysis via a modern
pneumatic tube system is safe when samples are correctly
prepared
• The use of rapid sample delivery systems can significantly
reduce the turnaround times (TATs) of results, which
account for approximately 40% in the laboratory median
TATs
Vacuum Systems
• Vacuum pump systems will have hydrophobic (water-resistant) filters on the
suction side, with the exhaust to the outside of the facility. Vacuum system
exhaust should be vented to the outside of the building and not re-circulated to
the mechanical room. A sampling port may be needed to sample exhaust. Filter
housing should be designed for easy replacement of the filter, with maximum
protection for maintenance employees from possible contamination
• Vacuum systems should be protected with appropriate filtration (0.2 micron
hydrophobic filter or equivalent) to minimize the potential contamination of
vacuum pumps. Some mechanism for decontamination of filters should be
incorporated in the design of the vacuum system.
Ventilation
• A mechanical ventilation system is required with 4-8 to 14-16 air changes per hour
• Systems should have adequate ventilation capacity to control fumes, odours, and
airborne contaminants, permit safe operation of fume hoods, and cool the
significant heat loads that can be generated in the lab
• Laboratory HVAC systems should utilise 100 per cent outdoor air, conditioned by
central station air handling systems to offset exhaust air requirements
• Laboratory supply air should not be recirculated or reused for other ventilation
needs. Laboratories containing harmful substances should be designed and field-
balanced so that air flows into the laboratory from adjacent (clean) spaces, offices,
and corridors
• This requires directional airflow into the laboratory to contain odours and toxic
chemicals, i.e., negative pressurisation
• Air supplied to the corridor and adjacent clean spaces should be exhausted
through the laboratory to achieve effective negative pressurisation
• Laboratories should remain at a negative air pressure in relation to the corridors
and other non-laboratory spaces
• Laboratory air should flow from low-hazard to high-hazard use areas.
Administrative areas in laboratory buildings should always be positive with
respect to corridors and laboratories
• Special areas- positive pressure
HVAC for Hospital Laboratory
Gas Cylinders
If gas cylinders are to be placed in the lab, they should be properly secured to a vertical surface or
counter, out of the way of traffic in the space. Appropriate space for such cylinders should be
provided within the laboratory to minimize potential hazards associated with the use of these
cylinders and to maximize usable laboratory space.
Flammable Chemicals and Waste Storage
• Flammable-chemical storage cabinets should be placed in each laboratory and meet applicable
fire safety requirements. Flammable storage cabinets should not be located near exit doorways,
stairways, or in a location that would impede egress.
• Space should be allocated in each laboratory for storage of chemical waste.
Biosafety levels in the laboratory
Biosafety levels are more important today with the expanding usage of DNA
amplification. The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the
National Institutes of Health (NIH) have categorised the requirements of the four
levels:
Biosafety Levels
BSL 1 -Infectious agents not known to cause disease in healthy adults
BSL 2 -Infectious agents associated with human disease. Ability to infect through
autoinoculation, ingestion, and mucous membrane exposure
BSL 3 -Infectious agents with potential for aerosol transmission. Effects may be
serious or lethal
BSL 4 -Infectious agents which pose a high risk of life-threatening disease, aerosol-
transmitted lab infections, or agents with unknown risk of transmission
Fire Extinguishers
• The distribution of fire extinguishers is specified by fire code. For example, a fire
extinguisher must be within 30 feet of an inflammable liquid storage area.
• Extinguishers should be conspicuously located where they will be readily
accessible in the event of fire.
• They should be located close to the exits from an area and along normal paths of
travel.
• Fire protection and fire detection equipment should not be obstructed.
Hazard Communication Signage
• Each laboratory should have a signage holder for prominently displaying hazard
communication information at the entrance door
• Individual labs should have signage holders that are consistent with the type used
by other laboratories within each department or building
Alarm and Monitoring Systems
• The increasing sophistication and fine control of laboratory instruments and the
unique quality of many experiments demand closely monitored and alarmed
systems that can be connected to individual pieces of equipment or
temperature-controlled rooms
• They can be connected to a central monitoring facility at several levels of
observation or can be used internally within a laboratory setting
CONCLUSION
• Laboratories are process-intensive centres and are vital services in
patient care delivery. It is thus essential that the complex task of
planning laboratories should receive due consideration on all facets
• The laboratory building is a complicated system; in the modern
laboratory, advanced scientific instruments and superior sound lab
are to enhance the level of modern technology, a prerequisite for the
growth of scientific research.
THANK YOU
