Teamwork delivers another safe and successful lab shutdown

Estates' Maintenance teams, together with colleagues from across the University, have successfully completed the latest biannual Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) shutdown of the CL3 laboratory at Gibbet Hill.

This is a legally required programme planned every six months to ensure the University's high‑containment facilities are kept safe, compliant and operating as designed.

These ten‑day shutdowns require close coordination between Estates maintenance colleagues, Health & Safety, specialist contractors, School of Life Sciences (SLS) technical teams and research institutes. Because CL3 laboratories can only be accessed during these carefully controlled windows, smooth planning and collaboration are essential.

Managed by Michael Keenan, Electrical Services Officer for Estates, the Containment Level 3 (CL3) shutdown refers to the way biological agents are managed in the laboratory to prevent or control the exposure of workers, co-workers and the outside environment. These biological agents can cause severe human disease and may spread to the community if not managed correctly.

Thanks to this joint effort, all checks on ventilation, negative pressure systems, security and access controls, equipment servicing and HEPA filtration were completed on schedule. This work ensures the University continues to meet strict Ministry of Defence licence requirements and maintains its CL3 status.

A huge thank‑you to everyone involved for delivering another safe, compliant and well-executed shutdown.