Appendix R: Laboratory Decommissioning and Relocation Procedures

Purpose and Applicability

It is the policy of Boston University that laboratory decommissioning take place prior to the relocation of any laboratory space or upon vacating laboratory space or leaving either institution. In addition, safe-moving practices must be adhered to at all times.

This policy is intended to minimize research and clinical lab downtime due to moving of a laboratory, and to protect contractors, laboratory personnel, and any other personnel involved in the process from laboratory hazards.

This policy applies to all Boston University employees and tenants occupying laboratory space within Boston University buildings.

Definitions

Abandoned Laboratory: A clinical or research laboratory that is left vacant by a Principal Investigator or Laboratory Director and his or her laboratory staff, and has laboratory materials (biological, surplus chemical, radioactive), equipment or waste that has not been disposed of.

Biological Materials: All human, plant, and animal pathogens; all human blood, blood components and products, tissues and body fluids; all human and animal cultured cells; all infected animals and animal tissues; all cultures/stocks of biological agents, including recombinant DNA materials; and all biological toxins. Also includes biomedical waste and physically dangerous (sharp) waste.

Decommissioning: The process whereby a Principal Investigator or Laboratory Director and his or her laboratory staff decontaminate existing laboratory space and make a clinical or research laboratory safe prior to vacating the space.

Decontamination: The process whereby the Principal Investigator or Laboratory Director and his or her laboratory staff clean and disinfect laboratory surfaces and equipment so they are safe to handle.

Roles and Responsibilities

The Principal Investigator or Laboratory Director is responsible for the complete decommissioning of the laboratory space prior to vacating the laboratory. In cases where an abandoned lab is identified, the department that the PI or Laboratory Supervisor reported to will be responsible for the decommissioning and all costs associated with the process.

EHS will distribute this policy and attachments and advise Principal Investigators, Laboratory Directors, and laboratory personnel on how to implement the various aspects of the policy. They will also verify that a lab has been appropriately decommissioned before a Principal Investigator or Laboratory Director may leave or move his or her laboratory.

The Move Coordinator for the laboratory is appointed by the Principal Investigator or Laboratory Director and is responsible for coordinating the laboratory decommissioning and move. The Move Coordinator is the primary contact with EHS.

Other personnel (Facilities, moving personnel, and contractors) should be aware of this policy and should not handle laboratory materials, equipment, or waste unless instructed to do so by their supervisor and/or EHS.

Procedures: Preparation

Prior planning is key to a successful laboratory decommissioning and move. Preparation and communication with EHS will be a major factor in minimizing delays, protecting property against damage and loss, and most importantly, reducing the potential for personal injury. Contact EHS at (617) 358-7840 with any questions or for assistance.

Procedures: Waste Disposal

All biological waste and hazardous waste must be disposed of according to current EHS policies and procedures as outlined in the EHS Policy Manual. All radioactive waste must be disposed of according to Radiation Safety policies and procedures. Boxes and trash must not be left in corridors. Prior arrangements for regular trash must be made with Custodial or Environmental Services.

Chemical waste must be labeled with hazardous waste stickers regardless of whether or not they are labeled from the manufacturer.

Unwanted, unopened, or uncontaminated chemicals should be offered to other labs that may be able to use them before the chemicals are considered for disposal.

Any unknown chemical must be identified and labeled as hazardous waste. For chemical unknowns that cannot be identified by the Principal Investigator, Laboratory Director or laboratory personnel, the laboratory may be assessed a service fee for hazardous waste analysis prior to disposal.

Darkroom tanks must be drained and the contents disposed of as hazardous waste. Empty compressed gas tanks must be returned to the distributor prior to the move. Mercury thermometers must be disposed of as hazardous waste, and vacuum pumps must be drained of oil and the oil disposed of as hazardous waste.

Procedures: Decontamination

All laboratory bench-top surfaces must be decontaminated prior to vacating the laboratory, and all laboratory equipment that is either remaining in the laboratory or being moved to a new laboratory must be decontaminated if potentially contaminated with biological, chemical, or radioactive materials.

Lab equipment requiring decontamination includes, but is not limited to, animal cages, centrifuges, fermenters, fish tanks, incubators, water baths, refrigerators, and freezers (if not moving intact).

Fume hoods must be decontaminated. Contact the Industrial Hygienist at (617) 358-7840 for decontamination and certification advice. Notify the Industrial Hygienist if there is any current or past practices that may reveal potential problems. Certain chemicals such as perchloric acid and mercury may remain on surfaces or equipment or in building systems.

Biological safety cabinets and glove boxes that have been used with potentially infectious materials must be decontaminated using paraformaldehyde gas before moving. This must be done by a qualified outside contractor. If BSCs are either being moved to new laboratory areas or being left behind, contact the Biological Safety Officer at (617) 638-8830 to discuss decontamination well in advance of the move. BSCs that are moved must be re-certified after installation. Contact B&V Testing at (781) 891-9081 to arrange for re-certification.

An appropriate disinfectant must be utilized in cases where biological materials were in use. A disinfectant is deemed appropriate if it targets the biological materials that were in use in the laboratory. In most cases, 70% alcohol, bleach solution (1:10 made fresh), or a phenolic disinfectant should be adequate for disinfection of lab furniture and equipment potentially contaminated with biological materials. Call the Biological Safety Officer at (617) 358-7840 with questions or concerns.

A BU Equipment Decontamination Record sticker must be affixed to all equipment that has been decontaminated. This will allow moving personnel to safely move the equipment to the new laboratory space. Only equipment with this sticker will be moved. Stickers may be obtained from EHS at (617) 358-7840.

The Principal Investigator or Laboratory Director must complete the “Laboratory Decontamination Certification Form” and submit the form to EHS (M-470) when decontamination and decommissioning activities are completed. This will allow EHS personnel to review the decommissioning activities, visit the decommissioned laboratory, and alert the appropriate administrative personnel that the decommissioning has been performed. Upon receipt of the completed form, EHS will contact the Principal Investigator or Laboratory Director to schedule a tour of the laboratory to confirm the decommissioning activities.

For more information regarding proper disinfection or decontamination procedures, contact EHS at (617) 358-7840 or the Radiation Safety at (617) 358-7688.

Procedures: Designation of New Laboratory Space

The Principal Investigator or Laboratory Director must inform EHS of any new laboratory space, so that the appropriate safety signage may be provided.

The Principal Investigator is responsible for notifying all applicable Boston University research committees and outside agencies, as necessary, of the move to new laboratory space. Research projects approved by the IBC must have updated laboratory location information. USDA Veterinary Service or Plant Service permits are laboratory site specific, as are CDC Select Agent registration permits. Contact the Biological Safety Officer at (617) 358-7840 for assistance.

Procedures: Packing and Moving Laboratory Materials

Laboratory personnel are responsible for collecting all packaging items needed before the move date. Carts, plastic bags, toweling, or other cushioning, absorbent materials, sealable plastic or plastic-lined boxes, labels (e.g. Fragile, Universal Biohazard, ID, Location, Caution, Radioactive Material), sturdy tape, and spill kits should be readily accessible. Each container or piece of equipment must be labeled. Labels must identify the agent, hazard, and necessary precautions.

The Principal Investigator or Laboratory Director is responsible for establishing safety and emergency procedures for all phases of the move. Potential emergencies include material spills, fires, slips and falls, and cuts. Protective clothing and spill absorbent materials must be available during packing, moving, and unpacking.

Procedures: Packing and Moving Laboratory Chemicals

In order to minimize the amount of chemicals that need to be packed and moved, new chemicals should be ordered only as necessary and in small quantities. Laboratory personnel should plan in advance to minimize the inventory of liquid volume and weight of materials being moved. In addition, reduction of active materials should be planned the week prior to the move. Laboratory chemicals must be packed and moved by an outside contractor approved by EHS. Prior to the packing and moving, laboratory personnel are responsible for labeling each chemical container with the chemical identity.

Compressed gas tanks that are to be moved must have regulators removed and caps secured prior to moving. If possible, have old tanks collected prior to a move and arrange for future tanks to be delivered to the new location.

Thermometers must be removed from refrigerators, water baths, and incubators prior to equipment moving.

Vacuum pump oil must be drained from pumps prior to equipment moving.

Procedures: Packing and Moving Biological Materials

Biological materials must be appropriately packed and moved by the laboratory personnel. Regulated materials and biological materials include all human, plant, and animal pathogens; all human blood, blood components and products, tissues and body fluids; all human and animal cultured cells; all animal carcasses and unfixed animal tissues; all cultures/stocks of biological agents including recombinant DNA materials; and all biological toxins.

Proper packaging consists of a primary sealed container placed within a secondary sealed, unbreakable container, with enough absorbent material in between to contain and absorb any spill. Some examples of proper packaging include petri dishes in a plastic sleeve within a plastic-lined box using paper towel spacers; stabs in a sealed Tupperware container with paper towels to cushion vials; sealed tubes in a rack placed into plastic sealable container with enough paper towels to absorb any spilled contents; tissue culture dishes placed into a plastic-lined dishpan or a sealable cardboard box with an absorbent. Freezers can be moved intact, provided all contents are in sealed, unbreakable containers and the freezer remains closed. Because shifting of contents may occur, enclose loose items in boxes, or fix in some other way to avoid breakage and spills when the freezer is reopened. Other equipment, such as fermenters, refrigerators, incubators, and biological safety cabinets must be empty and decontaminated prior to the move.

Labeling: Once packaged, all biological materials must be properly labeled. Labels must include the name, Principal Investigator (PI), new location, ID of agent, biosafety level, telephone number for assistance in the event of any breakage, and a FRAGILE notice if applicable. Also the universal biohazard label should be used whenever packaging a BSL2 or higher agent. Questions concerning the biosafety level of biological materials or requests for biohazard labels should be directed to the Biosafety Safety Officer at (617) 358-7840.

Procedures: Laboratory Furniture and Equipment

Furniture: The Move Coordinator must be informed if there is any furniture of particular concern (fragile, valuable, requires dismantling) not already mentioned. Different moving companies may have different requirements that should be ascertained in advance of the move.
Special Requirements: The Move Coordinator must be informed in advance of any equipment under service contract, as well as equipment not under contract but requiring servicing and/or special handling.

Alarms: Laboratory personnel must disconnect alarms on freezers (if moving intact) and any other sensor alarms on or before the day of the move.

Keys and Combinations: Laboratory personnel must keep keys and combinations to locks readily accessible.