LEED Gold BSL-3 Forensic Pathology/Autopsy Laboratory

Gurdaver Singh, Guttmann & Blaevoet
Russell McElroy, McClaren Wilson & Lawrie

The Office of the Chief Examiner (OCME), in San Francisco, will be located in a seismically retrofitted and expanded, existing industrial building meeting the requirements of an essential facility and shall be required to operate after an earthquake event. The facility is comprised of a large forensic medical complex (including a Bio-Safety Level 3, Isolation Autopsy Suite) and field investigation facilities.

Medical Examiners perform a unique and intriguing science. Their laboratories must perform in a similar unique manner by protecting the working staff and the evidence being examined in the form of the human body. Adding further complication to the laboratory designs and performance are cases entering the facilities contaminated with level three (BSL3) pathogens like Tuberculosis and Meningitis. Currently there are no formal written BSL3 guidelines for designing of higher containment autopsy laboratory. Presenters of this session have been instrumental in the preparation of BSL3-Aut guidelines that are anticipated to published in the American Society for Microbiology 3rd Edition. This presentation will define the levels of biological safety and how they have been applied to the special science of Pathology. Attendees will be given a solid understanding of the challenges imposed on Medical Examiners when performing high containment cases and how their laboratories assist them in their daily search for the truth.

In addition to the complexities and hazardous nature of the facility the project is being designed to meet one of the most stringent energy codes in the USA, California Energy Code 2013, and the facility will be designed to achieve LEED Gold Certification.

Our presentation will identify opportunities and benefits, and give real life examples of techniques used to maximize energy efficiency and sustainability techniques for the modern day laboratory with BSL-3 suite. We will focus on sustainability issues associated with the architecture and building services for this type of facility and how to overcome hurdles, challenges and myths. We will also explore ideas of hybrid designs using mixed mode systems including VAV systems with night setback, heat pump chiller producing chilled and hot water, CFD analysis to minimize air change rates, use of low pressure drop ductwork, selection criteria for the AHU's and exhaust fans, LED lighting & controls and day lighting which is essential for color rendering in an autopsy suites. We will provide examination of the pros/cons of salient decisions made to deliver appropriate solution based on process needs, client requirements, environmental health and safety issues, essential facility requirements as well as sustainability goals.

Learning Objectives

• Understanding the different levels of biosafety and how they are incorporated in level three autopsy biological containment.
• Understanding the special practices of BSL3 containment when working with the human body
• Understanding building services strategies that may be employed to create a high containment, essential services facility in a safe and sustainable environment

Biographies:

Gurdaver brings over 25 years of experience and passionate about using effective project management skills to deliver projects on time and within budget. A strong proponent of sustainable design, he has an effective track record of delivering in low to net-zero energy buildings including research and BSL-3 laboratories. Educated and professionally trained in the United Kingdom, he is very familiar with both LEED and BREEAM (UK) criteria.

Russell's broad experience includes the design of a wide variety of laboratories, including high containment BSL3 and BSL4 laboratories. His work on medical examiner/coroner facilities is unmatched by pioneering the design of the first autopsy suite to seek BSL3 certification with the CDC/NIH in the U.S. He is recognized internationally for designing the first CL3 autopsy suite in Canada and for designing the Haitian Nation Labs' first public health BSL3 lab dedicated to TB diagnostics.

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