CSS employee owners were part of a team of scientists at the National Institutes of Health who developed an approach to evaluating new laboratory space to determine if the space will fit operational needs. This concept, titled The BaseLINE Approach, combines traditional safety processes with additional safety and environmental factors to assess before operations begin. The term “BaseLINE” is a compound acronym of terms that combine these traditional concepts with safety and environmental terms. “Base” refers to the safety aspects of the process (building assessment of safety elements) while “line” covers environmental issues (lighting, indoor air quality, noise, and ergonomics). This assessment helps ensure additional safety measures for laboratory occupants. 

Visit this article to view the full approach.  

Congratulations to the team on this accomplishment!

*Feature photo credit: Hans Reniers, Unsplash

Design Requirements manual cover
The BaseLINE approach is based in the NIH Design Man Requirements.

See More CSS Insights

Responding to HazMat Spills

CSS supports several Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) campuses throughout the U.S. On-site CSS personnel are trained in hazardous material spill response and clean-up and provide this support within buildings and throughout campuses. As part of our contract with the CDC Hazardous Waste Program, CSS hazmat-trained employee owners are responsible for safely collecting,…

Quality Assurance Audit Reports 

Since 1985 we’ve supported the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and have provided more than 1,600 quality assurance audit reports that the client has used to assess the quality of toxicology studies they sponsor.    Over the last year our employee owners reviewed several studies involving per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS) compounds, or “forever chemicals”,…

Employee Owners Nominated for NOAA Gold Medal Award 

Congratulations to CSS employee owners supporting NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science for their nomination for the NOAA Gold Medal Award! CSS employee owners have been critical members of the team charged with the rapid development of spatial models that aid in offshore wind planning in the Gulf of Mexico. The team has collected…