25 Questions Every Lab Manager Should Ask About Facility Risk

What happens to our laboratory if the HVAC system fails for 30 minutes, 2 hours, or overnight?

Which laboratory spaces depend on tightly controlled temperature, humidity, pressure, or airflow?

Do we know which equipment and experiments are most vulnerable to environmental excursions?

What is the consequence of losing emergency power to critical laboratory equipment?

Are all critical freezers, refrigerators, incubators, and environmental chambers connected to emergency power where required?

How long can our cold-storage systems maintain acceptable temperatures during a power outage?

Do we have backup capacity if a critical freezer, refrigerator, or cold room fails?

Are critical temperature, humidity, pressure, and equipment alarms monitored 24/7?

Who receives critical alarms after hours, and what is the escalation process if no one responds?

Have our BAS and critical alarm points been tested recently to confirm they are functioning correctly?

Are alarm limits, delays, deadbands, and priorities appropriate for the actual laboratory risk?

Could a BAS, network, server, or communications failure prevent critical alarms from reaching staff?

Which laboratory systems have a single point of failure?

Do we understand the dependencies between HVAC, electrical power, emergency power, cooling, controls, and laboratory equipment?

What happens to containment, room pressurization, or ventilation if an exhaust or supply fan fails?

Are critical laboratory areas adequately protected against water leaks, flooding, roof leaks, or pipe failures?

Do staff know where the nearest isolation valves, electrical disconnects, and emergency shutoffs are located?

Could construction, maintenance, or utility shutdowns unintentionally affect critical laboratory operations?

Do we have current drawings showing the systems that support our laboratory?

Is critical equipment connected to infrastructure that has sufficient capacity for future growth?

Are aging infrastructure components creating risks that are not visible during normal operation?

Do we have documented response procedures for HVAC failure, power loss, freezer failure, water leaks, and critical alarms?

Have those emergency response procedures actually been tested through drills or simulations?

Can we quantify the financial, operational, regulatory, and research impact of a major facility failure?

If a critical facility failure happened tonight, would we know exactly what to do, who to call, and which assets to protect first?