When you move a lab or area you should do some documentation to show that it is left in safe condition, .i.e. safe regarding biological / chemical / radiological hazards. An example comes up to exemplify this point. We had moved a laboratory  out of an old Quonset hut and it was slated to be eventually demolished.  The lab folks  did no cleaning or taking down signs when they left.  Well the other folks we share the campus with thought it would be good area for a break room so they started using it……..when they went in they said, Is this place safe!!??  So they called in our equivalent of OSHA, we had to hire contractors (~15,000) to show that it was clean and safe…. Some simple cleaning would have been all that was needed.

 

 

Suggestions:

-develop a room / area clearance, decontamination form much like you have for a piece of equipment.  Use when an area is being cleaned out / remodeled where one work function is changing to another. We used this when we remodeled areas and other functions moved in.

 

Steve

 

Steve LaCroix MS, CBSP

Quality Assurance and Safety Officer

Department of Health

Epidemiology, Health Statistics, and Public Health Laboratories

1610 NE 150th St.

Shoreline, WA 98155

Phone: (206) 418-5437

Cell: 206-391-9025

FAX: (206) 418-5485

email: steve.lacroix**At_Symbol_Here**doh.wa.gov

ergonomic information: http://dohweb/Risk/employee_safety_and_health/ergo/ergonomics.htm

"The Department of Health works to protect and improve the health of people in Washington State"

 

From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:dchas-l**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU] On Behalf Of Daniel Crowl
Sent: Thursday, March 27, 2014 7:41 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Food in a former lab space