In modern building design, many systems are integrated, including ventilation, fire protection, and chemical use and storage. This integration enables increased efficiency, communication between systems, and centralized control and monitoring of performance parameters. For example, integrated ventilation systems can automatically adjust airflow based on the presence of carbon dioxide exhaled by occupants, enhancing safety and energy efficiency. However, the interconnectedness of these systems also means that a single point of failure can cascade through multiple systems. After the comprehensive effort to design and construct a new laboratory, a commissioning assessment can be an important final step in providing a safe and healthy environment for the occupants.

The building commissioning process has traditionally been used to evaluate the operational aspects of a new or recently renovated facility. In addition to the typical commissioning activities for a laboratory, it is important to evaluate aspects that will ensure a safe and ergonomically sound environment for the laboratory occupants. An assessment of indoor air quality, thermal comfort, lighting, noise, and other critical elements will ensure that the facility is ready for safe and comfortable operation.

An innovative new approach proposed at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is to combine elements of the traditional building commissioning process with additional safety and environmental checks to generate an initial baseline before the laboratory begins operation. The NIH has branded this initiative as the BaseLINE program. A BaseLINE review is a systematic assessment conducted to evaluate a facility’s overall indoor environmental quality and laboratory safety readiness. The name is a fusion of two acronyms, with “base” referring to the safety aspects of the process (building assessment of safety elements) while “line” covers environmental issues (lighting, indoor air quality, noise, and ergonomics).

Currently, NIH safety engineers participate in the design review of new construction and renovation projects to ensure the proper selection and placement of engineering controls. Workplaces are typically surveyed for hazards on an annual basis. The BaseLINE program targets the period between the design phase and the start of annual surveys, just before building occupancy begins. While the annual survey is an opportunity to collect data on safety and health conditions, the BaseLINE initiative focuses on evaluating, measuring, and assessing the performance of safety devices and safety design. This framework can be used to evaluate laboratory conditions between the design/construction phase and the operational/maintenance phase, and it allows a facility to commence operations with the fixed safety systems at their optimal state. True to its name, the space assessment results in a baseline dataset of air quality measures for future reference when investigating IAQ-related complaints. This IAQ profile represents the conditions of the space when systems are optimized and operating as designed.

BASE (SAFETY) The BaseLINE review involves assessing various systems and components that contribute to safe laboratory operations that meet NIH, OSHA, and safety consensus standards as well as other industry safety standards. It covers such topics as: • laboratory architectural finishes and functional requirements • mechanical requirements for containment airflow/pressurization • hood requirements for biosafety cabinets (BSCs) and chemical fume hoods • emergency eyewashes and showers • storage of corrosive and flammable chemicals • general safety and occupational health • requirements for specialty labs Most of these laboratory safety requirements are based on NIH’s Design Requirements Manual (DRM). This 1,400-page publication contains design standards from NIH for use with ANSI, ASHRAE, and other industry consensus standards. It is available for the public as a PDF.

DRM requirements are generally checked and verified during the design phase of a project. However, BaseLINE provides the opportunity to physically verify that the safety requirements, which were addressed in the design phase, are constructed in accordance with DRM requirements.

BaseLINE review can be an integral element of a successful construction project. Certain green regulations might require this process to ensure the readiness and reliability of a building for occupancy. A list of some of the key assessment questions can be found in Table 1.

The “base” portion of BaseLINE will help ensure that all facility safety features and requirements are appropriately and adequately addressed in a laboratory before it commences research operations. This will help the research laboratory be safe and productive from its initial occupancy. Major safety and industrial hygiene defects can be quickly identified and resolved.

As noted in Table 2, NIH has developed a list of concentration thresholds for air contaminants based on standards from OSHA, EPA, and the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). Following LEED recommendations, industrial hygiene samples are collected using a statistical strategy to check all parts of the building for compliance. Noise, lighting, and comfort are included in the BaseLine assessment conducted prior to occupancy.

The LINE section of BaseLINE covers new building materials and their potential for off-gassing of air contaminants as they cure. Note that the standards for the BaseLINE program are not just health based; they are intended to result in a superior working space based on comfort and odor analysis. When occupants arrive at the new laboratory, there should be minimal odors or none at all.

LEED AND BASELINE Under President Biden’s Executive Order 14057, NIH is required to have a sustainability program for new construction. The Department of Health and Human Services, where NIH resides, permits LEED certification to meet the sustainability requirement. Thus, the LINE section of the program has been designed to meet the LEED IEQ requirements for new buildings.

Applying the BaseLINE process can earn up to 13 points in the IEQ section of the LEED evaluation. Points are awarded for using lower-emitting materials; enhanced IAQ strategies such as naturally vented spaces, improved filtration, and continuous carbon dioxide monitoring to examine the performance of the ventilation system; and designs that allow more daylight into the building. To be certified under LEED, 40–49 points are needed. Gold LEED certification requires 60–79 points, while 80 or more points earn platinum certification.

The LEED program provides guidance for air sampling in its Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction, V4. For best sampling results, all interior finishes should be installed before testing. Ventilation conditions should be typical for occupancy. The sampling sites should be locations that are representative of the building space and where occupants will normally spend their time. The LEED guidance says to sample at least one location for each ventilation system, building floor, and type of occupied space. If the air is not well mixed, another location within the space type may need to be sampled. Zones that are likely to have the highest concentrations of contaminants should be included. Similar spaces or building floors can be grouped together in the sampling protocol.

The measurement equipment should be positioned in the breathing zone area, between 3 and 6 feet above the floor. The test should occur during normal projected occupied hours, with the HVAC system starting at the normal start time and delivering outdoor air at the minimum rate. For regular LEED certification, the recommended sampling time is twenty minutes.

The BaseLINE test report will include the procedure, how locations were determined, and the dates and results of each test. Air quality sampling methods used in the BaseLINE program include industrial hygiene direct-reading instruments.

MINIMIZING COSTS, MAXIMIZING PERFORMANCE Adoption of the BaseLINE initiative may help decrease operational and maintenance costs. The process allows managers and principal investigators to detect problems early, when they are typically less expensive to address. Issues that are discovered when the facility is already up and running may require a disruption of research work to resolve. According to the General Services Administration’s building commissioning guide, the operating costs of a commissioned building range from eight to twenty percent less than that of a non-commissioned building over the first five years.

Ultimately, the BaseLINE program is about optimizing building systems and equipment for better performance. It can elevate an existing facility’s performance by enhancing overall building safety, improving the air quality inside the building, meeting the expectations of the NIH building and maintenance groups, and addressing and mitigating risks associated with poor building safety systems performance.

The BaseLINE initiative showcases the anticipation component within the industrial hygiene decision-making framework (anticipate, recognize, evaluate, control, and confirm). This initiative further demonstrates the significance of proactive industrial hygiene services for the safe operation of new laboratories, and it provides industrial hygienists with a reference point for future assessments in the event of air quality complaints.

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