Tecomak Environmental Service offer a full range of containment laboratory services for colleges and universities, in addition to research and healthcare facilities. Our highly qualified engineers undergo regular training to keep up with the latest changes in legislation, so you can be confident your laboratories are fully compliant with the latest changes in the law.

We also keep abreast of forthcoming changes, such as proposed alterations to the BREEAM New Construction regulations in 2018, which are currently the subject of a consultation.

Healthcare Sector Compliance

Tecomak carry out a whole range of services for hospitals and laboratories to make sure they satisfy all their legal requirements.

We inspect and test your lab to make sure it meets the regulations relating to the 2002 Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) and the latest Health Technical Memorandum (HTM). This includes regularly testing and replacing of High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters in air supply systems which are a common feature of containment labs. Tecomak can also provide high-quality services for other specific items in your laboratory, such as microbiological safety cabinets and fume cupboards, which we can also supply.

Research and Engineering Sector Laboratories

Containment laboratories in research and engineering environments are often dealing with substances and organisms which can be harmful to human health, so it is essential that the labs meet the most stringent safety regulations.

Tecomak can offer certification and compliance testing to make sure your containment lab, and any fume cupboards and safety cabinets inside it, are safe to use, in line with the requirements of COSHH. We also test air filters for their integrity, whether they are in walls, ceilings or adjoining airlocks.

We carry out regular maintenance checks of items within the lab, and repairs can usually be carried out on the spot if required. Many containment labs will also require frequent biological sampling, and if this ever identifies an issue, we can carry out a full bio decontamination quickly and efficiently.

Safe Containment in Laboratories

Tecomak ensure full compliance with the regulations drawn up by The Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), and which are currently being updated, with consultation currently under way.

BREEAM is recommending that a proper risk assessment is carried out on all containment labs and that both the lab and any equipment inside it should meet best practice requirements, and all the guidelines laid down by the Health and Safety Executive.

Proposed new measures on fume dispersion and dilution will apply to different types of fume cupboard, and other items such as microbiological safety cabinets and articulated exhaust arms. Schools and sixth form colleges are not included in these proposals but are covered by guidelines issued by CLEAPSS, a nationwide education advisory service.

Energy Efficient Laboratory Systems

BREEAM is also proposing to update its rating system for the energy efficiency of lab systems. All labs must meet certain minimum safety requirements and any additional energy-saving qualities are reflected in a series of rating credits. For instance, design specification can attract up to one additional credit, and includes individual items such as fume cupboards, average air flow rates, as well as the overall design.

BREEAM also rates buildings according to best practice. This can mean each containment laboratory can gain up to four additional credits, depending on factors such as its energy recovery, cooling, load responsiveness, room air change rates and the power of any fans used inside the lab.

Tecomak Environmental Services and our sister company Tecomak Furniture Solutions keep fully up to date with any changes in the regulations, so you can be sure that our containment laboratory services are fully compliant with the law. Follow the link above and fill in the online form if you would like to know more about our range of services.