BSL-2 Plus:
When and How to Implement It

  |  September 14, 2018

Biosafety Level 2 Plus (BSL-2+) is the common term for laboratories where work with microorganisms is conducted in a BSL-2 laboratory with biosafety practices and procedures that are typically found at BSL-3. The need for this hybrid approach is on the rise in recent years due to increased research with viral vectors, arboviruses, and other... Read More

Sterile Drug Compounding Contamination: What Facility Managers Need to Know and How to Maintain Compliance

  |  July 30, 2018

The most widely publicized sterile drug compound contamination outbreak was traced back to the New England Compounding Center in 2012. This outbreak led to more than 800 cases and 64 deaths. The direct cause of these infections was fungal contamination of methylprednisolone that led to the development of fungal meningitis. Perhaps the most shocking detail... Read More

Construction Air Quality Monitoring for Higher Education

  |  June 28, 2018

Putting a real-time air quality monitoring plan in place prior to a complicated demolition or interior renovation project can give universities an additional layer of assurance that they’re protecting sensitive populations in the area. Too often plans to control dust emission on demolition or renovation projects get overlooked. Once demolition has begun—and complaints of dust... Read More

PCBs on Campus: What Colleges and Universities Need to Know About This Emerging Environmental Concern

  |  May 14, 2018

As an institution of higher education, you’re focused on protecting the health and safety of your students, faculty and staff — all while maintaining the quality of your campus environment. But now, on campuses across the US, there is growing anxiety about potential health concerns from an old contaminant found in building materials: polychlorinated biphenyls,... Read More

Tips for Avoiding Healthcare Construction Site Contamination

  |  April 20, 2018

Construction is an inevitability at healthcare facilities. Improvements and updates need to be made and construction can be a complex — and potentially dangerous — process within hospitals. Any size construction project can risk exposing patients to dust and mold spores, noise, vibrations, odors or chemicals. Luckily, by planning ahead and taking necessary precautions, you... Read More

Lab Energy Optimization: How to Do it Safely

  |  March 30, 2018

College campuses across the country are instituting green initiatives and signing aggressive carbon reduction goals to become better stewards of the environment. While this aim is admirable and necessary, many colleges and universities set these goals without fully developing a plan for how to achieve them. Once they discover their plan isn’t as easy to... Read More

How to Protect Your Hospital From Legionella Growth

  |  March 14, 2018

Between 2011 and 2014, 29 patients at the Veterans Administration hospital in Pittsburgh, PA were diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease, with confirmation of at least five of the cases acquired at the hospital. The Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General later tied the deadly outbreak to deficiencies in the water system. Records show that not only... Read More

Commissioning is Critical to Validating Containment in the Biosafety Level-3 (BSL-3) Environment

  |  March 7, 2018

Design standards, biosafety level criteria, and performance requirements are continually evolving to keep pace with the rapidly changing technologies used in Biosafety Level-3 (BSL-3) laboratories. For BSL-3 laboratory mechanical systems, ventilation and specific design features are vital to containment and protecting workers, the community, and critical research. Commissioning is an essential risk management strategy because... Read More