industry matters
Training Laboratories:
The Unsung Heroes of PHLs
by Warren Hendrickson, public health director, HDR Inc.
The important role that training
laboratories play in modern-day public
health laboratories (PHLs) is not always
fully appreciated or understood. This is
not for a lack of understanding about
the importance of training itself. Indeed,
when HDR engages PHLs to program
new space, many of the public health
professionals we work with emphasize
the need for training spaces. Most of them
understand the unequivocal role that
training plays in advancing public health
best practices and improving technical
and scientific skills within the system.
Still, when PHLs need to accommodate an
increased volume in testing but struggle
with reduced funding, the training
laboratory is often one of the first spaces
targeted for removal or repurposing.
Underestimating the value of
training laboratories can lead to
missed opportunities for:
• Training First Responders
Training laboratories enable very
specific hands-on laboratory training
for first responders. It is highly
preferable to conduct outbreak
response and emerging infectious
disease trainings in laboratories
that are equipped with the proper
equipment to train on techniques,
but that limit trainee exposure to the
biohazards of a typical laboratory. The
training laboratory is the perfect space
to do so, as it provides a fully functional
BSL-2 laboratory, but does not routinely
handle viable samples during training.
Additionally, including BSL-3 support
spaces allows for biosafety and
biosecurity training with even higher
hazard protocols. Ideally, this would
include an adjacent anteroom to train
on personal protective equipment (PPE)
donning and doffing protocols and
procedures and appropriate equipment
for decontamination and sterilization.
PublicHealthLabs
@APHL
• Community Outreach
Training laboratories put public
health “on display” by providing a
front door for PHLs, welcoming the
community and giving them proof
that important work happens in the
laboratory. PHLs often use training
laboratories as a home base for tours,
trainings and meetings for a variety
of community groups including
K-12 students, community colleges,
politicians, laboratory professionals
and many others. Flexible classroom
and conferencing space can be used to
accommodate different size groups and
provide a place to present an overview
of the laboratory, teach classes or host
discussions. Since training laboratories
are fully functional, these groups
can experience actual laboratory
environments and techniques
firsthand without risk of exposure.
The key to all of this is functionality
and flexibility. Training laboratories that
are fully functional and flexible enough
to quickly adapt and accommodate a
new use or purpose provide great value
and are a critical piece of the program
in every public health laboratory. n
HDR Inc. is a Diamond Level Sustaining
Member of APHL.
Training laboratories put public health
“on display” by providing a front door
for PHLs, welcoming the community
and giving them proof that important
work happens in the laboratory.
• Equipment and Standards Training
Setting up and testing equipment
before bringing it into the laboratory
for its final setup is yet another
essential use for training laboratories.
They can also serve as a critical
teaching tool for various laboratory
equipment such as fume hoods in
chemical laboratories, biological safety
cabinets in biology laboratories and
autoclaves for sterilization techniques.
• Surge Capacity and Swing Space
If a training laboratory is located in
the right place—with access to both
the public and to the “back of house”
(e.g., central accessioning, loading
docks, currier drop-off, etc.)—it can
be an ideal space for added surge
capacity in case of an emergency
event. A fully functional training
laboratory can also provide “swing
space” that can be utilized for routine
testing and analysis when necessary
due to renovation or maintenance
in other areas of the facility.
APHL.org
Laboratorians participate in a training session at North Carolina
State Laboratory of Public Health. Courtesy of NC State
Laboratory of Public Health
Summer 2017 LAB MATTERS
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