Why is it Essential to regulate Visitor entry to your Laboratory?

Regulating visitor entry to a laboratory means controlling who may access its tightly monitored environment, since uncontrolled outsider access threatens both contamination of test conditions and the security of samples, equipment, and confidential materials.

Code secured door entry

Your laboratory is a controlled environment where conditions such as temperature, humidity, air- conditioning, external vibrations, biological sterility, stable power supply, etc need careful monitoring and control to get consistency of results day after day. Clause 5.3 of ISO 17025:2005  on Accommodation and Environmental conditions provides general guidelines but does not provide specific guidance on access to the laboratory by outsiders. Laboratories have the liberty to adopt the practices based on their individual circumstances.

The need for exercising control on visitor access arises mainly for two reasons, namely, prevention of contamination and security. The present article will introduce you to measures that you can adopt depending on your laboratory requirements and the nature of activities carried out.

First of all you should analyze what categories of visitors are likely to visit your laboratory and ascertain their visit objectives in advance. Ideally the laboratory should be kept out of bound because visitors can be a source of distraction, pilferage or contribute to contamination but there will be occasions when such visits will become unavoidable. Let us begin by listing out the type of visitors which you can expect

• Management and staff working in other sections
• Auditors
• Clients
• Trainees
• Maintenance personnel including service engineers
• Housekeeping and sanitation staff

The article suggests some measures that you can adopt to regulate access to your laboratory without compromising on environmental contamination or laboratory security.

Laboratory Environment

Protective clothing – all visitors should be made to wear prescribed protective clothing, shoe- covers, and head covers so that external dust or contamination is not carried inside the laboratory. This should apply universally to all visitors including internal staff, management, auditors and trainees

Double door entry – sensitive areas of the laboratory should be provided double door entry with air curtain installed in the intervening space

Sample access – A visitor should not be permitted to handle any test sample to prevent contamination or even theft/ replacement by interested persons.

Laboratory Security

Laboratory security is also a major concern and gives rise to the need to regulate visitor access. Some measures you can adopt are suggested below:

Authorization – every visitor must have a valid reason for visiting the laboratory. Visit requests should be routed through a dedicated person.

Monitoring – before granting entry visitor credentials should be verified and stored electronically. These should include details of organization, purpose of visit, contact number, person to be contacted and purpose of visit. It is necessary to keep a record of his/her movements inside the premises with the help of CCTV’s. Visitor should be checked physically so that no dangerous material is carried inside the laboratory.

Staff credentials verification – it is important to verify the credentials of housekeeping and sanitation staff and ensure that they have no vested interests

**Limited access –**Access to areas that house confidential documents or highly dangerous materials should be authorized only through digital locks with secret codes

Modern technology has provided means of surveillance such as CCTV’s with or without voice recording but as far as possible visitors should not be left alone in the laboratory and someone should be deputed to accompany or liaise with them during their presence. This will prevent pilferage is or even mishaps resulting in injury through contact with hazardous laboratory materials or equipment due to non-familiarity with the premises.