Growing biomanufacturers all face a major challenge: As they ramp up from R&D to production, or as they move to a larger space, they must still maintain safety and compliance. New, larger facilities offer different safety challenges than smaller, differently poised ones—and because workplace safety is crucial for employee wellbeing, smooth operations, and to avoid costly penalties, it is critical that managers tackle these safety obstacles head-on as their organization grows and evolves.
These complexities will not be easy to overcome. Obviously, the greater the scale and speed of growth, the harder it is to extend and expand the existing environmental, health, and safety (EHS) programs—and it can be a challenge to keep up with the many safety needs in a larger manufacturing space. It is part of the industry’s lifecycle for every successful biomanufacturer and cannot be ignored.
Unfortunately, organizations often attempt to replicate the same EHS protocols they used to use in their smaller space. This routinely results in noncompliance and leaves staff and the larger community at risk of injury. What works in a smaller facility usually is inadequate in a larger, more complex facility.
Accordingly for laboratory managers in growth mode, it’s a priority to make provisions to ensure enhanced safety during a laboratory relocation or expansion.
