Wright Patterson Air Force Base’s dedicated HVAC system for the 711 Human Performance Wing, Air Research Laboratory, BSL-3 laboratory was undergoing renovations. The laboratory conducts laboratory testing on human specimens for medical treatment facilities across the Department of Defense (DoD). Over one million specimens are processed for over 200 DoD facilities worldwide. The clinical reference laboratory meets DoD, Federal and civilian agency accreditation standards. The laboratory interfaces with commercial and academic institutions for broad based medical scientific technologies. The laboratory is heavily dependent on DoD Composite Health Care System Armed Forces Health Longitudinal Technology Application (AHLTA).
CRC was tasked to provide consultation on the detailed design to meet all biocontainment regulations including Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories, 5th Edition (BMBL); Biological Defense Safety Program AR 385- 69 and PAM 385-69; Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC) 4-510-01, Design: Military Medical Facilities Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC) 4-010-01, DoD Minimum Antiterrorism Standards for Buildings including applicable DoD Security Engineering criteria; and UFC 4-510-01 (formerly Military Handbook 1191), DoD Medical Military Facilities Design Criteria. Through periodic construction site assessments, CRC evaluated the laboratory’s ability to be commissioned/certified and consulted with the commissioning agent to run HVAC failure scenarios. CRC evaluated the Biosafety Policies and Procedures and filled in gaps as needed to have the SOPs exceed expectations for the CDC/APHIS Federal Select Agent Program inspection. The laboratory was then pre- commissioned by CRC’s engineers to verify that the BSL-3 laboratory’s HVAC worked optimally to the regulations and guidelines as stated in the BMBL and NIH BSL-3 Certification Requirements and Checklist.