Power failures can be disruptive and costly for laboratories, leading to equipment damage, lost samples, and downtime. While most laboratory operators focus on scientific operations, many overlook critical infrastructure concerns such as power reliability and contingency planning.

A well-structured checklist and preinstallation guide can help labs mitigate risks, ensuring new equipment is installed properly and laboratory operations remain resilient in the face of unexpected power failures.

The Importance of Checklists in Laboratory Management

Checklists are essential tools for maintaining operational safety, standardization, and efficiency in laboratory environments. They help labs:

✔ Avoid project oversights – Ensuring that all aspects of budgeting, installation, and infrastructure planning are addressed.
✔ Prevent costly delays – Reducing the likelihood of unforeseen expenses or operational downtime.
✔ Ensure compliance – Meeting safety and regulatory requirements for laboratory facilities.
✔ Enhance contingency planning – Preparing for power failures and emergencies to protect critical research.

Many laboratory managers are experts in scientific operations, but not in facility infrastructure planning. However, electrical infrastructure plays a pivotal role in laboratory functionality, especially when installing new capital instrumentation systems.

The Role of Preinstallation Checklists in Lab Equipment Installation

A preinstallation checklist ensures that all laboratory staff, facilities management, and external contractors understand the requirements for integrating new instrumentation.

Key Benefits of a Preinstallation Checklist:

✔ Standardizes installation procedures to ensure compliance with OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) specifications.
✔ Helps identify potential electrical issues before installation.
✔ Ensures that necessary facility upgrades (e.g., electrical capacity, environmental conditions) are in place.
✔ Prevents delays and rework, which can increase costs and extend downtime.

🔹 Example: A laboratory investing in a high-performance chromatography system must verify that the electrical supply, HVAC, and backup power systems can support the instrument's requirements. A preinstallation checklist helps ensure that all infrastructure needs are met before installation.

Why Electrical Infrastructure Matters in Laboratory Operations

Electrical infrastructure is a complex yet crucial aspect of laboratory management. Many labs assume that the electrical supply is stable and sufficient, but power disruptions and voltage fluctuations can severely impact laboratory performance.

Key Challenges in Laboratory Electrical Infrastructure:

1️⃣ Regulatory Complexity: Electrical standards and safety requirements are highly specialized and regulated, making it difficult for laboratory managers to navigate them.
2️⃣ Unreliable Utility Power: Many labs underestimate the risk of power fluctuations, surges, and outages, which can cause equipment failures and data loss.
3️⃣ Infrastructure Coordination: Large-scale laboratory projects require engineering design, contractor coordination, permits, and inspections—all of which can introduce delays and budget overruns.

🔹 Example: If a laboratory does not account for voltage fluctuations in its electrical planning, a new mass spectrometer may experience frequent shutdowns due to inconsistent power delivery.

Critical Electrical Considerations for Laboratory Equipment

Laboratory equipment requires stable and reliable power to function correctly. Below are key electrical factors to consider when installing new laboratory instrumentation:

1. Voltage and Power Requirements

✔ Ensure instrument voltage specifications match facility supply.
✔ Verify frequency compatibility (50 Hz / 60 Hz).
✔ Consider higher voltage configurations to improve efficiency.

2. Power Quality and Protection

✔ Voltage fluctuations and harmonic distortion can damage sensitive instruments.
✔ Use ground-fault circuit interruptors, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), and surge protectors.
✔ Galvanic isolation may be needed to prevent interference from other lab equipment.

3. Emergency Power and Backup Systems

✔ Laboratories with critical experiments should have an emergency generator or battery backup system.
✔ Ensure that emergency power is correctly connected to avoid failures.
✔ Test backup systems regularly to confirm reliability during outages.

🔹 Example: A genetics lab conducting long-duration sequencing experiments must have an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to prevent data loss in case of a sudden power outage.

Developing a Contingency Plan for Power Failures

A comprehensive contingency plan ensures that laboratory operations can continue with minimal disruption during power failures.

Steps to Develop a Laboratory Power Failure Plan:

✔ Conduct a risk assessment: Identify high-risk instruments and critical experiments.
✔ Implement redundancy measures: Use UPS systems and emergency generators for essential equipment.
✔ Establish emergency protocols: Train staff on proper shutdown procedures and backup power activation.
✔ Regularly inspect power infrastructure: Ensure electrical systems meet current and future laboratory needs.
✔ Develop a recovery plan: Outline how the lab will resume full operations after an outage.

🔹 Case Study: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL)
During Superstorm Sandy (2012), CSHL maintained full operations while many neighboring laboratories suffered devastating losses. Their success was attributed to:
✔ Advanced planning and infrastructure improvements.
✔ Emergency generator capacity to sustain laboratory functions.
✔ Smart monitoring and reporting systems for real-time power management.

This example highlights how proper planning and investment in power redundancy can protect laboratory research and resources.

Final Thoughts: The Value of Proactive Electrical Planning

Laboratories that fail to plan for electrical needs and power failures face costly disruptions and equipment damage. A structured preinstallation checklist and power failure contingency plan ensure that laboratory operations remain resilient and uninterrupted.

Key Takeaways:

✔ Checklists help standardize and streamline laboratory equipment installation.
✔ Proper electrical infrastructure is critical for instrument reliability.
✔ Power failures can result in costly downtime—backup systems are essential.
✔ Regular risk assessments and emergency planning enhance laboratory resilience.

Would your lab survive a power failure? Investing in checklists, power quality protection, and emergency preparedness ensures that your facility remains operational and efficient—even during unexpected disruptions.

This content includes text that has been generated with the assistance of AI. Lab Manager’s AI policy can be found here.