INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
FEATURE
This tension highlights a recurring theme: balancing innovation with reliability. In highstakes environments, engineers are wary of unproven or overly complex designs.
HOSPITAL PRESSURES, PARTICLES AND PRACTICALITY
The discussion turned to operating theatres, where design decisions carry life-or-death consequences.
Most theatres are kept under positive pressure, ensuring air flows outward to protect patients from external contaminants. But when infectious diseases such as COVID-19 are in play, the design must adapt. Neutral or negative pressure systems are deployed, with careful calibration of supply versus extraction.
Here, cost intersects with compliance. Some hospitals question whether expensive BIBO housings are necessary in theatres. Engineers argue that pharmaceutical-style terminal housings may suffice so long as they trap pathogens internally.“ The truth is, if pathogens are entering a theatre the hospital is non-conforming.”
Another recurring dilemma is energy. Hospitals spend heavily to condition supply air – heating, cooling and filtering it to strict specifications. Losing that energy through exhaust systems is wasteful.
Enter heat recovery systems, which reclaim energy from outgoing air. But the risk is of infectious particles transferring from exhaust to supply streams if systems are not carefully designed. Here again, design choices depend on application. Engineers must weigh cost, efficiency and risk, with no one-size-fits-all solution.
Technology is only as strong as its weakest link – and often that link is maintenance. In theory, HEPA filters last up to five years. In practice, lifespan can shrink dramatically in polluted environments. Baxter cited Pretoria’ s industrial zones, where filters can clog in as little as six months.
Frequent loading not only raises costs but also increases risk: a blocked filter compromises airflows, potentially allowing pathogens to bypass containment. For hospitals and labs, routine monitoring and timely replacement are as critical as the initial design.
PATHOGENS, POLITICS AND PERMISSION
South Africa’ s biosafety landscape is also shaped by geopolitics. Certain pathogens require international approvals before equipment can be sold.“ For TB hospitals we’ re fine, but if you’ re creating viruses, air filtration companies won’ t sell you a BIBO without extensive documentation.”
Funding sources influence approvals too. US-funded labs, such as the anthrax facility at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases( NICD) in Sandringham, more easily secure equipment. Japanese support follows, albeit with more scrutiny. Chinese funding, however, faces“ a lot of question marks”.
This reflects the sensitive global politics of biosafety, where equipment supply intersects with security concerns.
AFMS AND ALPA: TWO SIDES OF A SYSTEM
Behind many projects stand two sister companies:
• AFMS: a contracting and engineering firm specialising in lab design, HVAC and containment systems
• ALPA: a supplier of lab equipment, from biosafety cabinets to decontamination units
Together, they deliver turnkey solutions – AFMS handling installation and engineering, ALPA supplying specialised devices. For clients, the partnership offers a single point of accountability.
LESSONS FROM TB LABS
Perhaps the most consistent theme was TB. Active TB laboratories remain South Africa’ s largest market for containment technologies, given the country’ s disease burden.
Here, technologies like the Trinity Carts and Camfil BIBO housings prove indispensable. But so too do clear protocols, rigorous training and strong partnerships between engineers, contractors and hospital managers.
Ultimately, the focus is not on equipment alone, but on systems thinking: how design, operation and maintenance combine to protect both patients and staff. From positive pressure theatres to hydrogen peroxide decontamination cycles, the discussions made one point clear: biosafety is‘ engineering in motion’.
Technologies evolve, pathogens shift and costs rise – but the underlying principle remains constant: safe air saves lives. For South Africa, the challenge is twofold: adapting international best practice to local conditions, and ensuring compliance in environments where resources are stretched thin.
“ At the end of the day, it doesn’ t matter how advanced your system is. If pathogens are escaping, the hospital / lab is non-conforming. Full stop.”
June 2026 COLD LINK AFRICA
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