Unexpected Loss of a Lab Space Risk AnalysisBusiness Continuity

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Unexpected Loss of a Lab Space Risk
Analysis/Business Continuity

• Prof. William Davison
• Nicole Lauren-Manuera
• School of Biological Sciences

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Why should we make plans?

• Because things go wrong

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Why Labs?

• Science revolves around its laboratory spaces
• The undergraduate programme demands that students
  acquire practical skills
• Research is carried out mainly in labs

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Why Labs?

• Labs are difficult to replace because
• They are often big
• They contain specialised equipment
• They are fully serviced
• They need to be compliant
• HSNO
• ERMA/MAF

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Types of loss

• Predicted but unavoidable - Planned
  upgrades/refurbishments
• Unpredicted but avoidable - Events
• Acts of God The totally unexpected

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Risks

• Teaching Labs
• Student safety
• Closure of lab
• What alternatives are there?
• Within the department
• On campus
• Off campus
• Degree completions
• Will students be able to complete their degrees?
• Financial
• Will we lose students?

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Risks

• Research Labs
• Loss of research time and ability
• Loss of research funding
• Inability to honour contract work
• Non compliance

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Planning and risk analysis action rather than
reaction

• Is there a response plan in place?
• Know your current situation
• How likely are events?
• How can risks be mediated?

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Is there a response plan in place?

• Every lab needs its own response plan
• Location can we move the functions elsewhere?
• Compliance is the lab organised such that most
  events will not compromise compliance
  requirements?
• Timing are plans in place for both short term
  and longer term disruptions?

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Prioritising your response

• Critical Functions
• What must be done
• Key Staff
• Who are they
• Strategies
• What are the alternatives

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What are the implications

• Time frames
• Timing planned events
• The unexpected
• Compliance and or Health Safety issues
• What are the requirements
• Is alternative space available
• Business Continuity
• Financial implications
• Impact on students and courses

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Case Study 1 predicted loss

• Upgrade to the Biological Sciences Buildings,
  University of Canterbury
• The whole of Biological Sciences is planned for
  upgrading over a 6 year, or longer period
• Involves both research and teaching labs

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Research Labs

• No expected problems
• New Building will house all of our research
• Current functions are unaffected
• Small amount of downtime expected as we move in
• Analysis required of how we move labs and in what
  order

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Teaching Labs

• During Stage Two (refurbishment of old Zoology)
  we will lose about half of our undergraduate labs
  for up to 4 years
• Need for new temporary labs
• Rearrangement of course occurrences to make
  maximum use of existing labs
• Note that course timetables need to be finalised
  by early July in one year for implementation the
  following year

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And then things go wrong

• We were told that we had to close a research lab
  (PC2) with 2 weeks notice
• We had a spare one available
• Note that it can take up to 3 months to gain PC2
  status for a lab
• We have just been evicted from two teaching areas
• We predicted this would happen so were prepared

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Case Study 2
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Event

• Type of Event
• Flood cause by equipment failure
• Was it avoidable
• Unsupervised equipment
• Critical Functions
• Is there work or equipment that must be kept
  going
• Impacts
• Physical damage
• Teaching programme
• Alternative strategies
• Other space
• Alternative assessment

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Impact

• V249
• Capacity 36(40)
• Current Occupation (2009)
• Term 1 BIOL352, 16 students, project work daily
• Term 2 Unused
• Term 3 BIOL252, 46 students, labs mon/tue
  thurs/fri
• Term 4 BCHM285, 45 students, labs mon/tue
  thurs/fri

• V137
• Capacity 52
• Current Occupation (2009)
• Term 1 2 BIOL111, 271 students, daily labs
• Term 3 BCHM381, 27 students, labs mon/tue
  thurs/fri
• Term 3 BIOL116, 194 students, daily labs
• Term 4 ENCH281 47 students

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Conclusions

• Outcomes
• Future planning

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Acknowledgements

• Erica Seville
• Risk Strategies Research and Consulting
• 021 456 706