The events of 9/11 have increased the need for more biocontainment labs, not only for the typical activities related to emerging diseases, but also to address research and development of solutions to bio-terrorism defense.

A comprehensive commissioning program of these facilities is critical. It not only can improve the safety of the labs both in terms of the biohazard containment issues, but also the potential of external attack.

There are some who believe commissioning delays a project. Contrary to that opinion, experience has shown that a rigorous commissioning program can improve the delivery time of the facility by eliminating the numerous “callbacks” normally associated with a complex lab.