Laboratory Design Guideline - Ministry of Health

Laboratory Design Guideline

Guideline Laboratory Design NSWHP_PG_018

Page 2 of 32 Approver: Transformation Governance Committee, Version Number: V1.0, Publication Date: 6/12/2019 This document is subject to change and a printed copy may not be up to date. The current version is only available online in the NSW Health Pathology Policy Library

www.pathology.health.nsw.gov.au

Contents 1. Introduction 3

How were these guidelines developed? 4 What can I expect in this document? 4

2. Definitions 4

3. Principles of Design 5

4. The Process of Hospital and Laboratory Design in NSW 6

4.1. Planning 6 4.2. Design 7 4.3. Delivery and Evaluation 8

5. Laboratory Design 8

5.1. Preferred Layout 8 5.2. Flexible Zones 9 5.3. Core Services 11 5.4. The Core Laboratory 11 5.5. Core and Specialised Services by Type of Hospital and Location 12 5.6. Entry / Reception Area 12 5.7. Pre-Analytical Laboratory (PAL) 12 5.8. Records and Specimen Retention 13 5.9. Laboratory Storage Areas 13 5.10. Education and Research 14 5.11. Pathology Administration and Staff Amenities 14

6. Laboratory Functional Relationships 15

6.1. External Functional Relationships 15 6.2. Internal Functional Relationships 16 6.3. Internal Laboratory Travel Distances 19

7. Other Design Factors 20

7.1. Pneumatic Transportation System (PTS) 20 7.2. Network and Courier Services 20 7.3. Point of Care Testing 20 7.4. Information, Communications and Technology (ICT) 20 7.5. Work Health and Safety 21 7.6. Security 21 7.7. Laboratory Acoustics and Heat 21 7.8. Have you considered? 22

8. Specific Design Factors 23

8.1. Core Laboratory Functional Areas 23 Specialist Laboratory Functional Areas 27

9. Sample Floor Plans 29

9.1. Small Laboratory 29 9.2. Medium Lab 30 9.3. Large Lab 31

10. Detailed Laboratory Design by Clinical Stream 32

10.1. Design Requirements for Anatomical Pathology Departments 32

11. Review 32

12. Risk 32

13. Further Information 32

14. Version History 32

https://intranet.pathology.health.nsw.gov.au/toolbox/policies-and-procedures/policies




1. Introduction

The once in a generation infrastructure redevelopment of NSW Health facilities and laboratories, is

providing opportunities in new buildings or alternatively, redevelopment/refurbishment of existing sites.

Laboratories in either situation are usually constrained by existing structures or designed within floorplans

worked around the design of acute hospital services. During laboratory refurbishment or redevelopment,

many local staff are part of a local Project User Group (PUG) to ensure that lab design is suitable for local

conditions and services.

NSW Health Pathology (NSWHP) will monitor and endorse pathology redevelopments to ensure alignment

of pathology services and design of infrastructure supports the strategies outlined in the NSWHP Strategic

Plan Towards 2025 and the NSWHP Clinical Services Plan (CSP) and facility planning guidelines and

design notes

The focus of a single, connected and integrated NSWHP is to deliver a high quality innovative diagnostic

and screening service (ie appropriate, timely and accurate set of results) that supports clinical decision-

making for patients and clients irrespective of their geographic distribution, as opposed to focusing on

performing the collection and test on the site where they present.

The key design principle informing all other design guidelines in this document reinforces the focus on

service not tests and onsite laboratories will be designed to support timely service provision rather than

every laboratory containing every piece of testing equipment. Careful planning across LHDs and supra-

regions will determine the onsite testing requirements for each laboratory.

NSWHP will build an integrated statewide pathology service. Laboratories will be interconnected with

other pathology support services, such as specimen collection centres, to provide a single statewide

network of pathology services and expert advice to support high quality outcomes. The role of laboratories

will be reshaped with a primary role to be the advocate of customers and clinicians supporting them to gain

access to clinical and scientific advice and services they need. The key planning guideline in any

laboratory redevelopment and design is to ensure that pathology services are provided in a timely manner

and support the clinical services provided in hospitals. The focus is the service, not the test. All

laboratories may not require all tests if alternative solutions such as clinical couriers or digital technology

can ensure that a service to a hospital

NSWHP has resources to assist this process. We have a Planning Team including senior planners,

change and redesign managers to work beside operational directors, laboratory managers and local staff.

We assist local pathology teams to reimagine their services and work out how to best adapt to new

laboratory design and innovations. This is best commenced before new or redeveloped laboratories are

occupied. In addition to support in the early phase, our team can also support planning the transition into a

new facility and/or adopting new ways of working.

We request that operational directors and laboratory managers contact the Planning Team when any

hospital or laboratory redevelopment is considered/proposed. Planning for redevelopment should start

early so that pathology services are included and optimal laboratories are planned and incorporated into

broader plans and budgets. On occasions this does not happen and we have not maximised our

opportunity to improve functional relationships with acute and emergency services to support time-critical

services. Collective state-wide experiences and post occupancy assessments provide detailed information

on lessons learnt that can be considered in future redevelopments.





How were these guidelines developed?

NSWHP planners have consulted the Service Redevelopment Working Group, relevant building codes,

endorsed design guidance notes, and the Australasian Health Facility Guidelines to collate a guideline to

laboratory design. During development of these guidelines, the successes and mistakes of previous

laboratories were reviewed to ensure that we take these learnings forward into new designs. The Planning

Team also provides information to local staff in planning for future potential for innovation such as

specimen tracks or innovative technology.

If you have questions about this guideline, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with:

Deborah Lawson [email protected] or

Geoff Channells [email protected]

What can I expect in this document?

• This document starts with the principles of design and lean management that support efficient

laboratory processing. We then move to process of laboratory design in NSW and how hospitals are

planned and built. The document then goes through laboratory design, functional relationships within

laboratories and other design considerations. Specific design factors, design guidance notes and

sample floorplans are at the end of the document.

2. Definitions

Turnaround time: the time measured from receipt at Central Specimen Reception to delivery of digital

availability of result.

Time to report: aligns with the definition by ACHS measure - “Collect to Validate”. The time measured

from collection of specimen to digital availability of result.


mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]




3. Principles of Design

Laboratory development and design should:

• Be guided by the key design principle that reinforces the focus on service not tests and onsite

laboratories designed to support timely service provision rather than onsite testing. Careful planning

across LHDs and supra-regions will determine the onsite testing requirements for each laboratory.

• Be guided by LHD and NSWHP clinical services planning. Clinical services planning identifies current

issues and opportunities, and outlines future demand, future models of care and service delivery

change. It uses value based healthcare, and considers data, consultation and future service delivery.

• Meet the Australasian Health Facilities Guidelines, SafeWork NSW and the Building Code of Australia.

• Use Lean Thinking Principles and Tools. Lean thinking identifies what creates value and eliminates

other activities as they are, by definition, ‘waste’. The core areas of laboratories are a linear process

analysing clinical specimens - and research in these types of settings shows that only 5% of activities

add value, 35% are necessary non-value adding activities and many tasks or movements undertaken

by staff add little value.

Ask and answer these key questions until the answer to them all is consistently ‘No!’

1. Is there unnecessary (non-value adding) transportation of specimens, materials, or information

between your processes?

2. Are you testing sooner, faster, or in greater quantities than your customer is demanding?

3. Does your process result in anything that your customers would judge to be unacceptable?

4. Do you have any specimens, work-in-progress (WIP), or finished goods that are not having value

added to them?

5. Do you, and by how much do you, move specimens, people, equipment, and goods e.g. reagents

within any step of your process?

6. Do you perform any extra work beyond the standard required by your customer?

Source: http://leanaust.com/services/lean-thinking

• Human Factors which are managed by designing the work environment to suit human characteristics.

Design considers both the psychological, cognitive and physical factors of human performance. High

priorities in laboratories include manual handling and sustained poor postures. In specimen

processing and product processing products are heavy, bulky and required specific storage that allows

them to be receipted, moved, packed, unpacked and transported within the laboratory. Laboratory

staff spend time examining samples where seating posture and time spent in these postures need to

be designed to reduce potential for injury. • Improve efficiency as much as possible. This will include designing streamlined specimen workflow

and the elimination, or reduction, of unnecessary manual specimen transport between the internal departments within the pathology laboratory. High volume, time critical specimen processing such as biochemistry and haematology specimens, should be located as close as possible to the Pre-Analytical Laboratory (PAL) to facilitate priority specimen processing. The only exception to this would be the use of an automated specimen delivery track system which may negate the need for adjacent location of these high volume, time critical testing areas to the PAL. By creating savings through efficiency, we can reinvest into service and technology that help create better health and justice outcomes for the people we serve. We are all custodians of the public purse, so each saving we make can stretch the health dollar further and makes the state health system more sustainable into the future.


https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Value/Pages/default.aspx

https://www.healthfacilityguidelines.com.au/hpu/pathology-unit-0

https://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/

http://www.abcb.gov.au/

http://leanaust.com/services/lean-thinking

https://simplicable.com/new/human-factors-in-design




4. The Process of Hospital and Laboratory Design in NSW

We aim to provide flexible, efficient, comfortable and safe workplaces within appropriate budgets and

aligned to the Australasian Health Facility Guidelines. Both local knowledge and user experience, along

with our collective statewide experience from laboratory redesign and redevelopments are key to

understanding the requirements for each laboratory function to create a more efficient and contemporary

laboratory.

An important part of Laboratory Design Guidelines includes collaboration between LHD’s, NSW Health

Infrastructure (HI) and NSW Health Pathology (NSWHP) and other organisations requiring pathology

laboratories such as private/public partnership projects. The formal inclusion of NSWHP Planning and

Operations teams ensures that the appropriate information, including experience from other

redevelopments, is provided to HI, LHD’s and others to inform the redevelopment.

NSW Health Infrastructure is the public organisation involved in the planning, design and construction of

health facilities, including hospitals, costing greater than $10million.

NSW Health Infrastructure indicated in 2018 that the cost of a pathology laboratory is around $14,000 to

$16,000 per square metre. Creating efficient space and specimen workflow is a key consideration. It has

been suggested that the cost of running a laboratory is largely staff salaries (70% to 80%), and only a

small proportion is accounted for by building costs. It is sound economics to make laboratories as efficient

and effective as possible.1

Before NSWHP can start planning a new laboratory it’s helpful to understand the Hospital building capital

redevelopment process.

There are three distinct phases in building hospitals:

4.1. Planning

Clinical Services Plan: the LHD produces this plan with a vision of clinical services for at least 10 years

into the future. They compare current and future health data and include population and ageing population

growth.

Master Planning: is creating a map of key clinical connections between different types of infrastructure

and how these interface with existing infrastructure. Master planning also considers relationships between

transport infrastructure and supporting services (for example, roads, hotel services).

Functional Brief: is the key part of the planning phase where user groups are asked to describe their

services and key internal functional relationships within and across departments. This Brief then informs

the first iteration of department floor plans so it is very important that NSW Health Pathology provides the

right level of explanation and detail about our requirements.

Architects refer to the detailed information supplied in the Functional Brief provided by each department,

including the pathology unit, to provide all the descriptive details included in the infrastructure and services

required to support the LHD into the future.

Business Case Development looks at providing value for money for the redevelopment and community.

1 Principles of Laboratory Design, J. Musgrove.

Planning DesignDelivery and evaluation





4.2. Design

Concept Design: is a high-level plan site that considers the on-site relationships between all departments

and buildings, including where departments are placed and on which floor level. It is commonly known as

“block and stacking”.

Schematic Design: is where the plan becomes department focused and considers the internal

relationships between different activities as described from the Functional Brief. During this phase Project

User Groups (PUG) are formed to provide user experience to modify and confirm the inter-lab relationships

and consider the locations of key pieces of equipment and supporting infrastructure.

Generally, during Health Infrastructure redevelopments, laboratory staff will not become involved in Project

User Group (PUG) meetings until architects have completed their first iteration of the laboratory design

based on the information supplied to them in the Functional Brief. If the detail supplied by NSWHP in the

Functional Brief is not correct, then the laboratory design may not meet needs or expectations. It is at the

first Schematic Design where laboratory staff contribute to laboratory design

Detailed Design: this is a finer plan that details specifications for the layout of furniture, fittings and

includes details such as placement of services, such as power, data, and plumbing.

It is important to use the Australasian Health Facility Guidelines, particularly during the Functional Brief

and Schematic Design as it helps provide extra detail to support contemporary design and compliance.

NSWHP is committed to ensuring high standards of design and environmental sustainability. The

Australasian Health Facility Guidelines (AHFG) links to NSW Health Policies and guidelines designed to

assist designers to meet these standards and ‘encourage innovation above prescriptive requirements,

where benefits can be proven2”. The current AHFG for Pathology refers to the AHFG standard

components including:

• Part A – Introduction and Instruction for Use;

• Part B – Health Facility Briefing and Planning

• Part C – Design for Access, Mobility, OHS and Security

• Part D – Infection Prevention and Control; and

• Part E – Building Services and Environmental Design

Ergonomics or “Human Engineering” aims to fit the work practices, FF&E and work environment to the

physical and cognitive capabilities of all people”3.

Please note that some rooms and areas are exempt from compliance to Australian Standard 1428.1

outlined in Part C – Design for Access, Mobility, OHS and Security (Building Code Australia Clause D3.4)

above. Accessible access is not required to areas within a hospital where the function of the area would

pose a health or safety risk for people with a disability. In major redevelopments, Health Infrastructure

employ a Disability Advisor to review compliance. Examples include:

• Wet Laboratories

• Store rooms

• Loading docks.

2https://www1.health.nsw.gov.au/pds/ActivePDSDocuments/GL2016_020.pdf 3 https://aushfg-prod-com-au.s3.amazonaws.com/Part%20C%2018%20Sept_4.pdf


https://www.healthfacilityguidelines.com.au/standard-components

https://www.healthfacilityguidelines.com.au/standard-components

https://www.healthfacilityguidelines.com.au/part/part-introduction-and-instructions-use-0

https://www.healthfacilityguidelines.com.au/part/part-b-health-facility-briefing-and-planning-0

https://www.healthfacilityguidelines.com.au/part/part-c-design-access-mobility-safety-and-security

https://www.healthfacilityguidelines.com.au/part/part-d-infection-prevention-and-control-0

https://www.healthfacilityguidelines.com.au/part/part-e-building-services-and-environmental-design-1

https://www1.health.nsw.gov.au/pds/ActivePDSDocuments/GL2016_020.pdf

https://aushfg-prod-com-au.s3.amazonaws.com/Part%20C%2018%20Sept_4.pdf




4.3. Delivery and Evaluation

This phase involves procurement, construction, completion and commissioning, finishing with post

occupancy evaluation.

To support these phases, NSW Health Pathology has developed cascading levels of lab design and

planning to guide Health Infrastructure and Laboratory Managers. These include

1. Principles of design

2. Guidelines

3. Sample floor plans.

Unfortunately, during the redevelopment process with Health Infrastructure there is no set standard

laboratory design as each facility offers different services and test profiles along with each site having

different existing structures and topographies. Consequently, all new laboratory spaces are different in size

and shape, often with site specific limitations due to building structures including stair wells, lifts, structural

support columns and may also have limited laboratory reception frontage which also impacts on site

specific laboratory design.

5. Laboratory Design

This section includes laboratory design guidelines endorsed by NSW Health Pathology, that provides

criteria to ensure that laboratories are as efficient, safe and flexible as possible.

5.1. Preferred Layout

Where possible, the laboratory should be a single level open plan design, with a clear line of sight

across the laboratory, although this may be difficult for larger laboratories. It is desirable the

laboratory has access to controlled natural light for a pleasant work space. Balance between this

desirable content and efficient specimen workflow must be considered. The laboratory will require:

• Access points to power, data and water, ideally accessed from the ceiling with access to waste

plumbing

• Some benches may need to be height adjustable

• Reinforced flooring for large equipment

• Customised trolleys for specialist laboratory equipment may be required

• Rear access to machines for maintenance, cleaning and servicing requirements

• Adequate air conditioning and ventilation to offset the temperatures generated by laboratory analysers,

fridges and freezers

• Sufficient space to accommodate waste management including clean, infectious, chemical and

flammable waste

• Adequate centralised storage for refrigerated and frozen goods, preferably a walk-in cool room, where

appropriate, with clean and dirty storage

• A centralised freezer cool room may also be considered at larger sites if required

• Transfusion labs need efficient, access to driveways for large deliveries 24/7.





Open plan flexible design with movable benches is the preferred design principle. The use of fixed or built

benches and walls reduces future laboratory orientations and the inclusion of these is not recommended

where possible except for areas requiring fixed plumbing &/or ventilation requirements. When designing an

open plan laboratory, there should be consideration of noise abatement and specific air conditioning

requirements and airflow impact on specific services.

The most frequent and urgent testing platforms should be readily accessible and aligned with specimen

reception, specimen processing and data entry realms; and there should be consideration for those

services that interface closely with the clinical services e.g. blood storage and cross-matching, blood

culture systems etc.

For example the most frequently used automated testing analysers should be physically located close to

centralised processing and receiving areas - continuous with the Pre-Analytical Laboratory (PAL). As

automation and technology increases, some sites may move to front-end automated track systems

although analysers on “tracks” may negate the need for direct adjacency of analysers to PAL as

specimens would be delivered efficiently to the testing platform via the track system.

All laboratories should have:

• Analytical platforms (some common to core laboratory testing)

• Sample handling, transport and storage

• Scheduling of less time-critical tests to low activity periods

• Hand wash basin/s, eyewash and safety shower station/s

• Wash up / clean up facilities.

Staff amenities, including meal rooms, change rooms, sick bays, and toilets, should be positioned in a

convenient location to support laboratory and non-laboratory staff. Depending on the size of the unit,

multiple smaller toilet facilities may be required. Consideration of a small beverage bay and/or toilet to

support out of hours staff should be considered. Access to administrative areas should not be through

laboratory areas.

5.2. Flexible Zones

All NSWHP laboratories provide services and testing that is time-critical and require fast reporting

timeframes and are mostly undertaken in a central or ‘core’ laboratory.

Laboratories should be organised into three flexible zones:

• Highly flexible

• Semi-flexible and

• Least flexible.

This corresponds to the technological and infrastructure requirements since equipment is central to the

function of the lab. Workflow analysis suggests that organising the laboratory by technology, for example

automated versus manual processing rather than by traditional lab-specific departments is recommended.





Highly flexible zone

Clinical areas that primarily use automated systems, such as the core lab (which may include

components of chemistry, haematology, transfusion, immunology and serology), along with central

receiving and processing areas should be designed as a highly flexible zone as this area is also the

most susceptible to change. This area processes the majority of testing and accounts for approximately

75% of the testing volume.

Highly flexible zones align with core laboratory testing areas and generally do not include additional

fixed walls within the zone. Highly flexible zones are designed with movable benches which

accommodates changes in analysers and equipment which supports the future proofing and a “highly

flexible” adaptable laboratory. Increases in technology and automation will result in more testing

performed in the highly flexible zone of the laboratory. Regular access to power, data and water, ideally

accessed from the ceiling with access to waste plumbing.

Automated transfusion processing will also fit in the highly flexible zone. In 2019/20 the Australian

Health Facility Guidelines are being reviewed and NSW Health Pathology will advise on changes in

transfusion processing and subsequent design features to support this move. Laboratories with manual

transfusion processing may need an adjacent interface with specimen reception and also require an

external reception to facilitate ease of pickup of blood products with LHD staff.

Semi flexible zone

A semi-flexible zone would include semi-automated testing and manual processing for lower volume and

esoteric tests. The open plan from the highly flexible zone should extend into the semi-flexible zone to

accommodate equipment that spans laboratory areas where this is practical. Zones that require a

degree of enclosure such as microbiology, anatomical pathology and more specialised testing areas are

included in semi-flexible zones. This area should contain reporting and consulting spaces with

appropriate microscopes and connection to internet/intranet and some autonomy to support these tasks.

Some types of testing mandate separate areas.

Least flexible

Combined and shared offices, reporting spaces, meeting rooms and training rooms should be located on

the periphery in a least flexible zone to avoid workflow disruptions, acknowledging that some will need to

be close to, and accessible from, the testing floor to facilitate proper oversight and supervision of the

laboratory. Office spaces should meet the NSW Health policy on office accommodation as well as agile

spaces to accommodate new ways of working. Meetings rooms should also be flexible to provide

alternative sized rooms depending on the meeting group size.





5.3. Core Services

All Core Laboratories provide specimen processing and testing and they provide a minimum service that

meets the requirements of the clinical services provided. In general, it includes general biochemistry,

haematology and transfusion (blood bank) specimen processing along with a Pre-Analytical Laboratory for

specimen reception and dispatch.

The services and range of testing provided on-site is scalable according to the role delineation of the

hospital, the location, demand and services provided by the hospital. Some tests considered “core” in say

a Level 6 lab may not be offered in another such as a Level 3 lab.

The NSWHP Clinical Services Plan details the Laboratory Service Models Test Profiles for each range of

different laboratory services and associated tests based on size and location and aligns laboratory

services with the tiers described in the role delineation of a hospital. All the tests listed in the smallest tier

laboratory in the NSWHP Clinical Services Plan, ie the Small lab / Point of Care Testing (L3), include

general biochemistry, haematology and transfusion (blood bank) and would be designed around a core

laboratory concept. Other variations in core laboratories will occur in sub-specialties for example: not all

laboratories will provide microbiology testing as this will vary depending on the location and size of the

facility and distance to other NSWHP laboratories. However, smaller laboratories that do provide limited

microbiology testing may also be included in the core laboratory area.

5.4. The Core Laboratory

A core lab4 includes:

• General chemistry assays

• Full blood counts

• General coagulation

• Serology

• Rapid Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (+/-)

• Blood cultures (+/-)

• Transfusion and blood product management

• Pre-analytical, centrifugation, aliquoting

• Specimen Storage.

A core lab does not include:

• Mass spectrometry

• Dynamic endocrine testing

• Blood film morphology (although it can be performed in the core laboratory)

• Specialised coagulations, platelet studies, haemoglobinopathy testing

• Flow cytometry (characterisation)

• Anatomical pathology/cytology

• Genomics (cancer, rare diseases, pathogen genomics)

• Specialised immunology.

4 Core Laboratory profiles will be further defined in NSWHP’s Clinical Service Plan – Framework of Lab Service Models – due for publication in Sept 2019.





5.5. Core and Specialised Services by Type of Hospital and Location

Suggested levels of pathology services will align with the size and role delineation level of acute hospitals

and the role of the hospital within a network of hospitals.

NSWHP’s proposed Framework for Lab Service Models outlines these services. Not all services are

available in regional and metropolitan labs. Clinical service planning would determine where specialised

and low volume/long turn-around-time (TAT) services would be located.

Source: Clinical Stream feedback. Key: Dark Blue = Highly Flexible Core Lab, Light Blue = Semi Flexible Zones, PoCT = Point of Care

Testing, NAAT = Nucleic Acid Amplification Testing.

5.6. Entry / Reception Area

• A single auto-locking public entry will be provided to the Pathology Department via a reception area

• A secure environment is required for staff to receive patients and specimens

• A visitor notification system such as a door bell and /or an intercom system is required

• The reception area will include a workstation and will provide general reception and call centre

responsibilities. It may require a PA system

• The entry / reception area will be adjacent and /or co-exist with the PAL

• Waiting chairs and amenities (TV, toilets, family friendly areas etc) may also need to be provided for

visitors.

5.7. Pre-Analytical Laboratory (PAL)

A single large and open-plan PAL is required, divided into a number of zones:

• Specimen reception area

• Flexible workspace for specimens delivered by hand or Pneumatic Tube System (PTS), including

space for canisters to arrive, specimens to be sorted, scanned, labelled and triaged

• Computer workstations for patient data entry/specimen checking and triaging





• Front end automation, possibly including automated specimen sorting, specimen track systems, to

facilitate specimen delivery to primary core laboratory analysers in Chemical Pathology and

Haematology, along with Microbiology, Serology and Molecular genetics testing

• Bench space and height adjustable benches for centrifuges for preparation of specimens

• For non 24-hour laboratories, a small secure room and fridge will be required to support and preserve

non urgent specimens until the laboratory re-opens. This room may also include access to secure

blood products after-hours to support acute situations. Access to this space, and the blood product

fridge should be via common realm, adjacent to, but outside the laboratory precinct (for use by hospital

staff). Where possible, the transfusion laboratory should have direct access to the afterhours blood

fridge room to maintain transfusion workflow

• In 24-hour labs Freezers and fridges must be located in 24 hour staffed areas to minimise remote

alarming (which fails) and blood product waste

• A Send away / Specimen Referral area:

• on the periphery of PAL

• Space for preparing, packing and transport of samples to other laboratories as well as receipt

specimens arriving by courier

• Space for an incubator, a centrifuge and a large storage space / pigeon hole arrangement for

storing specimen transport containers and blood transport containers ready for transporting

• A fridge and freezer with a workstation with a printer and PC

• In larger labs this space should be adequate to allow automated specimen sampling and

allocation for send aways, including an automated aliquoting machine.

5.8. Records and Specimen Retention

Specimens and reports will be retained in accordance with the requirements of NPAAC and the Health

Insurance Act. Generally, specimens are retained for up to one week; transfusion samples are kept for one

month and positive blood culture isolates are frozen and kept indefinitely. Serology and molecular

microbiology samples and products can be kept for long periods of time due to NPAAC requirements but

also for good lab practice and for validations etc. of new tests.

Anatomical Pathology storage for up to three years of slides and specimens will be required, additional

storage for older blocks and slides is also required, but this can be located offsite. Formalin fixed gross

specimens are required to be stored for a minimum of 1 month in a well-ventilated facility. Consideration

must also be given to the size and weight of glass microscope slides storing specimens. Storage

requirements of slides may change into the future as NPAAC regulations change to address digital and

whole slide imaging.

Records regarding maintenance and Quality Assurance activities will also need to be retained in line with

regulatory policies and NSWHP procedures.

5.9. Laboratory Storage Areas

A range of scalable support spaces will be required including:





• Cool storage supporting both clean and dirty storage requirements. Cool rooms provide space

efficiencies, in lieu of multiple household fridges and reduce heat generation within the laboratory,

however contingencies must be considered for mechanical breakdowns either via a second cool room

motor or a suitable sized back up refrigerator. Cool room storage should be linked to the LHD Building

Management System (BMS) and connected to emergency power

• For larger sites, a walk-in freezer will improve efficient use of space and reduce the need for multiple

freezer options in the core laboratory and shall be linked to the BMS and emergency power

• A suitably sized centralised dry storage for consumables including compactus, for laboratory reagent

and consumable storage. This should ideally be located adjacent to the Pathology testing laboratories.

A specific pathology loading dock area may increase LHD efficiencies for general consumable receipt.

A separate storage area for other departments such as Anatomical Pathology and Microbiology,

possibly shared depending on size and location, will also be required

• Separate chemical storage area/s for flammable liquids, corrosive liquids

• Centralised area for waste, including recycling and general waste along with equipment clean-up

facilities

• Storage available to conform with department operation and relevant NPAAC guidelines for ‘Retention

of Laboratory Records and Diagnostic Material’.

Limited consumables will be stored in the core laboratory as stock will be decanted, as required, from the

central dry and refrigerated storage area. Space should also be provided to accommodate used and clean

waste bins, including sharps bins. There may be some small fridges required in some areas of the

laboratory to supply frequent access to refrigerated consumables.

5.10. Education and Research

Education spaces will enable collaboration, integrate learning and translational research and future digital

platforms. These spaces should maximise shared use, with easy access from clinical areas and should

include design flexibility to support different sized groups.

5.11. Pathology Administration and Staff Amenities

• The administration zone will include office accommodation for executive, operations, IT and

administrative staff as well as pathologists and registrars as required for the efficient running of the

laboratory

• Pathologists will require a dedicated quiet work facility collated with specific laboratory zones where

they can undertake their work

• Registrars will require a dedicated group work facility adjacent to the pathologists where they can

undertake their work

• Office accommodation will be provided consistent with the Whole of Government policy. This policy

moves towards less individual office spaces and more combined and shared work spaces

• Office accommodation shall incorporate videoconferencing and digital pathology facilities

• Staff not allocated office accommodation will require lockers

• Adequate meeting and training rooms.





6. Laboratory Functional Relationships

Functional relationships indicate where spatial, time and work relationships are required. These

relationships are required to support patient, staff and public movements.

6.1. External Functional Relationships

Pathology is a critical clinical service in improving patient outcomes and enabling effective operation of

hospitals. Pathology investigations are an integral part of clinical decision-making with pathologists as

part of the clinical management team. They support high quality patient care by providing information and

expert medical opinion to facilitate decision making about accurate and timely diagnosis and management

of patients.

Site master planning and positioning of laboratories on acute hospital sites needs to consider both the

functional relationships between pathologists and acute and emergency clinicians, as well as the timely

transport of specimens and time to reporting. Infrastructure such as Pneumatic Tube Systems can only

alleviate issues with specimen transport times, however the functional relationship of pathologists to

clinicians is still a high priority in any acute hospital campus layout.

The Pathology Laboratory should have direct access to the high acuity clinical areas of the hospital.

Functional relationships are prioritised as:

Direct Immediately adjacent (two spaces within the department, or two departments that are

adjacent to each other)

Ready Close proximity (one corridor with minimal turns)

Easy The travel time between the two areas is not more than 10 minutes

Positioning of the laboratory away from acute areas of the hospital including the Emergency Department,

will impact ‘time to report’ turnaround times (which includes time measured between collect, deliver,

receipt, process and report on a sample), blood product delivery and Point of Care Testing support. In

addition, it may incur additional infrastructure and equipment costs such as the need for a Pneumatic Tube

System (PTS) and blood fridges if the laboratory is removed away from these acute areas of the hospital.

If laboratories are moved away from acute areas, and a PTS is not installed, an agreement regarding

workflows between the two areas need to be agreed on to ensure that ‘time to report’ meets the needs of

the hospital.

The best solution is to maintain a direct link between high acuity areas by positioning the laboratory close

to these areas. By having a direct link with the high acuity areas of the hospital, including ED, means the

laboratory is more likely to provide patient results in an appropriate turnaround time and ensures that

pathologists and acute clinicians maintain a functional relationship that ensures timely clinical decision

making.

The problem here, is that a lot of other departments also want to be close to the ED. If a direct relationship

is not possible, inclusion of a PTS will prevent delays in urgent specimen transport to the laboratory and

ensures the collection to validation/report times of acute samples into the future. However, it will not

address the functional relationships between clinicians. NSW Health Infrastructure are currently completing

a Design Guidance Note which will help inform when to include PTS in redevelopments across the state.





It is important to note, that there is no design guidance note for pneumatic tubes for blood delivery for

massive transfusion events and is to be developed.

Pathology’s functional relationships with hospital units are:

• Direct access to a delivery / drop-off zone for couriers

• Ready access to Intensive Care and Emergency for urgent tests, blood products and support for

Point of Care Testing devices (noting that PTS and blood fridges may reduce this requirement). It

also allows laboratory staff to attend these sites for short notice service obligations, for clinical

liaison or to manage devices or repairs

• Ready access to clinical services particularly short notice clinical liaison

• Ready access to Inpatient Units (IPUs)

• Ready access to loading docks

• Ready access to operating suites for frozen section particularly short notice clinical liaison

• Easy access to the main hospital building.

6.2. Internal Functional Relationships

The Pathology Unit includes distinct functional areas:

• Entry / reception

• Pathology Administration: accessible to visitors without entering the laboratory

• Specimen Collection: collocated with the laboratory and/or in ambulatory care zone

• Laboratory areas incorporating:

• Pre-Analytical Laboratory (PAL) (Highly flexible zone)

• Core labs (Highly flexible zone)

• Transfusion

• Haematology

• Chemical pathology

• Immunopathology (core services)

• Molecular Testing (core services)

• Microbiology (core services)

• Specialist labs (Semi flexible zone)

• Bone Marrow Transplant

• Anatomical Pathology/Cytopathology

• Microbiology (specialist services)

• Morphology

• Immunopathology (specialist services)

• Molecular Genetics (specialist services)

• Laboratory storage areas

• Laboratory cleaning / decontamination areas.





Core labs are best organised around basic laboratory functional relationships and testing areas. As the

function of the lab grows, additional areas can be added to achieve optimal efficiency.

Pathology front of house will include a visitor reception and a specimen reception area that includes

appropriate intercom systems to notify staff of visitors. The Transfusion Laboratory must also have an

external reception to facilitate blood product dispatching which may also be located adjacent to visitor.

and/or specimen reception areas. The location of the transfusion external reception and dispatch area can

vary depending on the orientation of the laboratory envelope. Access is required for dispatch and receipt of

large deliveries 24/7 of products often required for immediate use as well as storage.

Where possible, all testing laboratories should have direct access to the Pre-Analytical Laboratory (PAL),

however this is not always possible in large complex laboratories. Priority placement of Chemical

Pathology, Haematology and Transfusion with the PAL is required as these departments generally process

more specimens and perform the majority of the time critical tests.

Transfusion is also responsible for the dispatch of blood products and requires direct access to the PAL

and an external reception area particularly for LHD Staff presenting to transfusion directly to pick up blood

products.

When describing the internal relationships in the Functional Brief, the distance required to manually deliver

specimens within the laboratory for all departments should be minimised to reduce delivery times and

reduce batch delivery of specimens which will improve result turnaround times. Departments and or tests

that have longer turnaround time bench marks such as Anatomical Pathology, are less required to have

direct access to the PAL.

Where possible, Microbiology should have direct access to the PAL but not at the expense of

Biochemistry, Haematology and Transfusion. This direct access is also affected by the size and shape of

the laboratory ie a narrow rectangular design will limit how many departments can have direct access to

the PAL at the front of the laboratory whereas a wider laboratory footprint may improve direct access to

PAL for more laboratory departments including Microbiology. It must be noted that some Microbiology

testing is acute and requires express result times so proximal location of testing to the PAL is preferred. As

technology advances, some Microbiology testing is moving towards core laboratory testing and these will

increasingly become a part of the core laboratory area. Laboratory design should aim to have direct

(proximal) functional relationships between sections of the core laboratory and the similar sub-specialty

areas in semi-flexible zones to enable staff workflows and maximise staff capacity and liaison.

It is important to understand the workload and test profiles for each department lies as this helps prioritise

department and analyser locations to ensure optimum and logical specimen workflow is achieved. It is also

wise to compare existing workflows and specimen distances travelled with the new laboratory plan to

sense check the appropriateness of the laboratory design.

Another useful benchmarking exercise is to identify current space, including bench space requirements, to

compare to the proposed new plan. Laboratories must ensure there is sufficient bench space provided in

the new facility to accommodate appropriate equipment and ensure enough bench space and flexibility is

included to support increase workloads and new technology and equipment into the future. Use of an

updated equipment list will ensure all pieces of laboratory equipment have been accommodated in the new

facility.





Below is an example of a large laboratory that has direct access to the PAL for all testing laboratories. It

will be rare to have a favourable, single level space to facilitate optimum laboratory design.

Pre Analytical Laboratory

(Pneumatic Tube System / Triage /

Data Entry)

Lab Reception

/ Lab Admin /

Lab waiting

area

Send

aways and

Clinical

Trials

Courier

Zone

Transfusion Lab

Molecular

Biology /

Genomics Lab

Microbiology Lab

Loading

dock

Staff amenities

Zone (toilets,

meals, lockers)

Pathology

Admin & ICT

Anatomical

Pathology Lab

Work

benches /

Analy

sers

Work

benches /

Analy

sers

Work

benches /

Analy

sers

Work

benches /

Analy

sers

Work

benches /

Analy

sers

Work

benches /

Analy

sers

Bone Marrow

Transplant Lab

Education /

Training /

Meeting Zone

(MDT)

Hatc

h

Work

benches / A

naly

sers

Haematology Lab

Work

benches / A

naly

sers

Work

benches / A

naly

sers

Work

benches / A

naly

sers

Work

benches / A

naly

sers

Chemistry Lab

Work

benches / A

naly

sers

Work

benches / A

naly

sers

Frid

ges /

Fre

ezers

Work

benches / A

naly

sers

Lab Utilities

(gas, water,

clean up, UPS,

servers,

chemical stores) Morphology Immunology /

Serology / Special

Chemistry Lab

Dry Store

Staff amenities

Zone (toilets,

meals, lockers)





The following diagram show these relationships in further detail:

6.3. Internal Laboratory Travel Distances

On large hospital campuses, the majority of samples will be transferred to the Pathology Laboratory from

clinical units via a PTS to the PAL. Selected specimens, such as tissue samples in formalin and larger

specimens are generally hand delivered to the pathology unit, usually from theatres, to the reception of the

PAL.

To overcome extended specimen delivery times from the PAL, larger laboratories, long narrow laboratories

or laboratories spread over multiple levels may benefit from an internal transport system such as tracks,

conveyer belt systems or even robotic units to prevent delayed specimen delivery times These internal

transport systems may utilise ceiling space.





7. Other Design Factors

7.1. Pneumatic Transportation System (PTS)

The PTS will link all clinical areas of the hospital to the pathology laboratory and should include canisters

equipped with the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) to assist in locating canisters with delayed or

missing pathology specimens. RFID also assists in the correct return of canisters to their home department

or ward.

7.2. Network and Courier Services

Courier services require dedicated parking spaces with all-weather access to the entry. After hours,

couriers use a video intercom system. Provision should be made for car washing facilities in the courier

parking bay area. Ideally, a covered access from the parking space/s to the laboratory will help protect

Australian Red Cross Blood deliveries, patient specimens and courier staff.

7.3. Point of Care Testing

Point of Care Testing (PoCT) is defined as pathology testing performed in close proximity to a patient by a

healthcare worker. The testing is performed outside the precinct of a traditional Pathology Laboratory.

Depending on the size and acuity of the service, Blood Gas Analysers are usually located in EDs, ICU,

NICU, Birthing Unit and theatres. There are also PoCT devices in clinics for example diabetes clinics and

sexual health, and Community Health Centres.

PoCT is a supplement to and not a replacement for pathology laboratory services and does not impact on

the overall design of a laboratory. Provision should be made to accommodate more PoCT devices and

equipment in hospital departments around the campus as the range of testing profiles increases into the

future.

All Blood Gas Analysers and PoCT devices should be managed and supervised by the laboratory and are

supported in accordance with NSW Health Managed Point of Care Testing (PoCT) Service Policy Directive

PD2018_028. There are possibly other, multiple, PoCT devices in use in different facilities and/or units that

are not currently under the supervision of the NSWHP.

7.4. Information, Communications and Technology (ICT)

As pathology services are ordered and reported using e-systems, the use of ICT within Pathology is

significant. For example:

• Most instruments used for specimen analysis or to store samples and other products in

fridges/freezers are networked and increasingly up to four data outlets per item is needed

• Access to specialised digital technology for Anatomical Pathology, Haematology and Microbiology will

also be required, including access in conference / meeting rooms and pathologist and registrars’

offices

• There will need to be capacity for:

• Images and data storage

• Interface equipment and backup

• A Laboratory Information Management System


https://www1.health.nsw.gov.au/pds/ActivePDSDocuments/PD2018_028.pdf

https://www1.health.nsw.gov.au/pds/ActivePDSDocuments/PD2018_028.pdf




• Middleware servers that will enable changing technology and machines to be accommodated without a noticeable change by end users

• Each instrument has ICT requirements and these will only increase. Large communications spaces

will be required to support pathology ICT requirements

• Increasingly, laboratory equipment is being remotely monitored by the suppliers as part of a service

contract. Equipment, including cool rooms and freezers, are remotely monitored by the Building

Management System (BMS) and emergency power to ensure the integrity of expensive reagents and

patient samples are not compromised during equipment &/or power failures

• The laboratory shouldhave mobile phone reception and a laboratory Wi-Fi system. A backup phone/s

is required within the laboratory as VOIP (Voice Over the Internet phones) does not always provide

100% reception. A Public Address (PA) system may also be required for larger laboratories

• Transfusion requires wall space for wall monitors for test turnaround times, blood product orders from

wards, and inventory management.

7.5. Work Health and Safety

Considerations will include:

• Provision of emergency showers and eye wash stations meeting the AS4775 and located throughout

the all testing laboratories including the PAL, core laboratory, Microbiology and Anatomical Pathology

• Provision of hand hygiene, both basins and alcohol-based hand rub delivery points

• Ergonomic layout of benches, some may be height adjustable

• Service poles to supply power and data from the ceiling to benches

• Access to plumbing to dispose of analyser liquid waste

• Power point and data outlets used for equipment, particularly blood fridges must be accessible without

having to move large and heavy equipment

• First aid cabinet and supplies.

7.6. Security

Controlled access to the laboratory will ensure the security of staff. Staff security outside the laboratory

shall also be considered particularly when supporting other areas and units on the campus and accessing

different units outside the laboratory building.

7.7. Laboratory Acoustics and Heat

Open plan core laboratories are subject to considerable equipment noise and heat particularly as more

analysers and equipment enter processing areas. Sound dampening strategies and heat extraction

controls must be considered to ensure a pleasant working environment is created and maintained. Fridges

and freezers contribute significantly to laboratory noise and heat generation and strategies must be

deployed and may include cool rooms, centralised fridge and/or freezer areas.





7.8. Have you considered?

Laundry services

A laundry bay will be required to accommodate gowns near staff entry to the laboratory. Linen skips will be

provided for disposal of used gowns on the way out. Laundry will be managed and provided by

HealthShare.

Clean-up services

A small clean-up room is required in the core laboratory to wash and drain some equipment including

glassware as well as a dedicated sink to dispose of urine samples. A pipette washer will be needed. Some

departments, such as Anatomical Pathology and Microbiology, may require their own dedicated clean

rooms to support the nature of on-site testing for these departments.

Cleaning services

A cleaner’s room is required within the laboratory for storage of cleaning equipment and consumables.

Supplies

Where possible, consumables should be delivered directly to a specific pathology dock by external

couriers, with direct access to the laboratory dry storage area. This will eliminate hospital ward staff re-

delivering consumables to the laboratory. Any consumable requiring refrigeration should be received and

stored by pathology staff.

Waste services

Waste includes general waste, recycling, clinical waste and flammable liquids. Most waste will be

generated locally and transferred to the disposal room and or hospital waste area. Microbiology generates

a large amount of bulky waste and needs to be supported by autoclaves, commercial dishwashers and

infectious waste disposal. Anatomical Pathology also generates a large amount of bulky waste and require

access to infectious waste disposal.

Firefighting equipment

Hoses, blankets, exits, signage etc.


Page 23 of 32 Approver: Transformation Governance Committee, Version Number: V1.0, Publication Date: 3/12/2019 This document is subject to change and a printed copy may not be up to date. The current version is only available online in the NSW Health Pathology Policy Library www.pathology.health.nsw.gov.au

8. Specific Design Factors

8.1. Core Laboratory Functional Areas

Please note that activities and tests listed here may not be performed at all sites. Accordingly, these are requirements are scalable relevant to the

local facility needs and is considerate and supported by the NSWHP networked approach.

Lab Design requirements

Pre

-An

aly

tica

l La

bo

rato

ry

The Specimen Reception in the Pre-Analytical Laboratory area is the first contact point of the laboratory and contains arrangements for

drop off and pick up of samples sent through pneumatic tubes, couriers and facility staff. The following is required:

• Large window for drop off and pick up of samples, blood products and send aways. Must be large enough for samples within eskies

and other packaging to be passed through. A bench located just below the reception window will allow for paper records and

processing requirements. Means for closing the window (for security) is also required

• A larger ergonomic workstation (Type from Office accommodation) located near the receiving window for sorting, triaging and

registering of samples with access to the Laboratory Information System (LIS). A corkboard for notifications, etc

• A Pneumatic tube station located close to the workstation used for sorting, triaging and registration of samples

• Internal bench for sorting and registration of samples collected from wards

• Large internal bench for sorting and packing send aways with overhead shelving for container and packing storage. This area

requires access to refrigerated (-4 degrees) and freezer (-20 degrees) space within a short distance from the main Specimen

Reception window.

Specimen Reception should be open to the rest of the laboratory for easy access by out of hours and night shift staff attending to other

essential laboratory testing. The specimen reception area may also serve as a reception area for visitors to the laboratory and/or the

specimen collection area. For these functions, the following are required:

• Access to a PABX system and appropriate software and documentation for visitors

• A security access to the laboratory for staff and visitors

• A duress alarm for staff.





Tra

nsfu

sio

n

• Entry for blood product delivery that accommodates large trolley loads of deliveries in large facilities

• A dedicated hatch that hospital staff will access to pick-up blood products which will include a doorbell or intercom notification system

• Open plan area with flexible benches with access to workstation/s and computer/s and a range of analyser/s

• A specimen delivery / drop off area which will allow sorting of specimens and blood product deliveries

• An automated area where analysers perform bulk specimen testing

• Analysers require rear access to complete regular servicing requirement.

• A discrete laboratory work space to complete more complex specimen testing

• A bench top water bath with access to a sink and a free-standing &/or bench top platelet shaker machine as required

• A blood product fridge/freezer (cool room) area containing sufficient room to house the multiple blood bank fridges and freezers. This

area will require appropriate ventilation to accommodate the heat generated from the fridges and freezers

• All Blood fridges and freezer must be connected to the Building Management System (BMS) and connected to emergency power

• Temperature controlled devices are required as air conditioning may not always meet constant regulatory temperatures

• The fridge used to issue blood products to clinical areas will be located closest to the dispense hatch

• Administration areas will include clean work station areas for the senior scientists / staff along with sufficient workstations to complete

clerical and compliance administrative duties

• Power point and data outlets used for equipment such as fridges and analysers must be accessible without having to move large and

heavy equipment to complete mandatory power testing.





Ha

em

ato

log

y

• Open plan area with flexible benches with access to workstation/s and computer/s and a range of analyser/s

• An integrated Full Blood Count Analysers system. Depending on the size of the unit, this may include slide maker, stainer and digital

morphology

• Other analysers including coagulation analyser/s, shall be positioned to improve specimen workflow and result turnaround times.

Generally, each analyser will have a dedicated computer supporting analyser activities

• Analysers require rear access to complete regular servicing requirement

• A discrete morphology area towards the periphery of the core laboratory area is required to support morphology activities. The size is

scalable to activity noting some smaller sites may have morphology included within the core laboratory space. Digital morphology

requirements including computer screen requirements, must also be considered. Larger sites, may require a larger separate space for

multi-header microscopes &/or large screen/s for the reporting, teaching and MDT’s

• Fridge and freezer storage including -800 (could be a shared central cool room

• When testing is completed, specimens are transferred manually to a central cold storage room supporting all core laboratory activities

or via automated robotics / track system to an assigned storage position

Ch

em

ica

l P

ath

olo

gy

• Open plan area with flexible benches with access to multiple workstations and computers and a range of analysers

• A flexible specimen triage zone is required for miscellaneous testing

• The main chemical pathology analysers are modular systems, and maybe linked by a track system at larger sites so provision must be

made to accommodate the growth and expansion of these analysers into the future

• Main chemistry analysers require access to a purified water source and appropriate water storage and waste amenities

• Analysers require rear access to complete regular servicing requirement

• Less common, more manual and specialised chemical testing will be processed towards the periphery of the Chemical Pathology area

• When testing is completed, specimens maybe stored automatically into a dirty cool room via a track / automated robotics system in a

central cold storage system or stored manually

• Fridge and freezer storage including -800 (could be a shared central cool room). As technology evolves, personalised pathology such

as proteomics and metabolomics may require dedicated laboratory spaces outside of core chemistry spaces. These new pathology

services will have high pathologist involvement requiring space, bioinformatics and multidisciplinary collaborations





Imm

un

opa

tho

log

y • Flexible bench space sufficient for analysers

• Fume cupboard access

• Fridge and freezer storage including -800 (could be a shared central cool room )

• Access to facilities for PCR/genetics analysis is likely to be required as personalised medical therapies involving immune modulation

evolve in the future. Similarly assays using live-cells may become more widespread and capability to implement these should be

considered for the future

Sta

t M

icro

• Open area with flexible benches with access to multiple workstations and computers and a range of analysers

• Microbiology reagents and culture media are large and bulky and will require extensive dedicated cold and dry storage areas

• Microbiology samples require prolonged storage at various temperatures and so extensive room temperature, fridge temperature,

freezer temperature and -800 temperature storage will be required

Mo

lecu

lar

ge

ne

tics • Open area with flexible benches with access to multiple workstations and computers and a range of analysers

• When testing is completed, specimens are transferred manually to a central cold storage room supporting all core laboratory activities

or via automated robotics / track system to an assigned storage position.





Specialist Laboratory Functional Areas

Lab Design requirements

Mic

robio

log

y

• Microbiology testing will continue to require higher level of microbiological containment, and protection from environmental

contamination and so should be partitioned away from the core laboratory in satellite areas nearby

• Larger sites will require a PC3 containment laboratory to cater to high level pathogen testing such as for Mycobacterium

tuberculosis, and so that new and emerging pathogens can be dealt with in a safe environment for all pathology and clinical staff

• The Microbiology department will require its own walk-in cool room and incubators for culturing purposes

• Specialist areas within microbiology including parasitology, mycology, virology and mycology do not require direct access to the

PAL and would be located towards the back of the department

• Requires access to medical gases and to high pressure oil-free air to run various robotic instruments

• Rooms for decontamination (autoclaving) and disposal of infectious waste and for limited preparation of sterile laboratory

reagents and equipment

An

ato

mic

al P

ath

olo

gy • Anatomical Pathology testing will require a higher level of containment to control exposure to department processing fumes and

needs appropriate ventilation to support tissue processing areas including specimen cut-up work areas

• Fume extraction arrangements that meet Australian Standards for tissue processing are required in a separate and vented

workroom

• Facility to do Fine Needle Aspirates is to be provided within the Department precinct adjacent to Cytology section

• Frozen Section Services will be done within the department, assuming the proximity to theatres remains

• Consideration of solvent recycling facilities should be included to reduce solvent water and its associated costs. This should be

located in the tissue processing room. WHS risks associated with manual handling associated with solvents must be considered

to reduce the risk of injury.





Bo

ne

Ma

rrow

Tra

nsp

lan

t (B

MT

) • The BMT lab will be a secured and dedicated laboratory

• The laboratory is required to be segregated into receipt, processing, storage and documentation areas

• The laboratory must be designed to comply the National Pathology Accreditation Advisory Council ‘Requirements for procedures

related to the collection, processing, storage and issue of human haematopietic progenitor cells’ (Fifth Edition 2015)

• It requires a separate Cryo storage room with Oxygen monitor sensors to accommodate two Control Rate Freezers

• Liquid Nitrogen (LN2) resistance floor.





9. Sample Floor Plans

Laboratory size will vary between small and larger laboratories.

The following floor plans generally follow design principles and functional relationships.

9.1. Small Laboratory

Includes a patient waiting area, collocated specimen reception room, core laboratory area, cool room and

after-hours blood room.

Nb: this is indicative only, some aspects of this design have changed including a second entry point into the lab area.





9.2. Medium Lab

In this floor plan the design has been adjusted to accommodate a central lift and stairwell, see grey area

below.





9.3. Large Lab

The sample floor plan adapts to building design, but again follows the functional relationship outlined

above.





10. Detailed Laboratory Design by Clinical Stream

10.1. Design Requirements for Anatomical Pathology Departments

For the design requirements for future developments of Anatomical Pathology Departments within

NSW Health Pathology please refer to the NSW Health Pathology Design Requirements for Anatomical

Pathology Departments Guideline NSWHP_PG_019.

11. Review

This policy will be reviewed by 31/12/2021.

12. Risk

Risk Statement

Compliance with this guideline will ensure that NSW Health Pathology

continues to provide high quality services to our customers that meet quality

standards and regulatory and legislative requirements.

Risk Category Clinical Care and Patient Safety

13. Further Information

For further information, please contact:

Policy Contact Officer

Position: Senior Pathology Services Planner

Name: Deborah Lawson

Telephone: 0401 920 500

Email: [email protected]

14. Version History

The approval and amendment history for this document must be listed in the following table.

Version

No

Effective

Date

Approved

By

Approval

Date

Policy Author Risk Rating Sections

Modified

1.0 06/12/2019 Executive Director, Clinical Operations

03/12/2019 Senior Pathology Services Planner

Medium New guideline.


https://intranet.pathology.health.nsw.gov.au/ArticleDocuments/280/NSWHP_PG_019%20-%20Design%20Requirements%20for%20Anatomical%20Pathology%20Departments%20Guideline.pdf.aspx

https://intranet.pathology.health.nsw.gov.au/ArticleDocuments/280/NSWHP_PG_019%20-%20Design%20Requirements%20for%20Anatomical%20Pathology%20Departments%20Guideline.pdf.aspx