Benchtops and furniture are impervious

Furniture in the lab must be appropriate for the anticipated use. Bench tops must be impervious to water and resistant to heat, organic solvents, acids, alkalis and other chemicals. Chairs and other furniture must be covered with a non-porous material that can be easily cleaned and disinfected in labs that handle biological or radioactive material.

References:

• NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules. April 2019. Appendix G-II-A-4-b, c and d., L-II-C-2-b-(6) and L-II-D-2-a-(7).
• BMBL 6th ed. HHS Publication No. (CDC) 300859.
• MSU Biosafety and Security Manual
• MSU Chemical Hygiene Plan

Corrective actions:

• Chairs with cracks or tears need to have the compromised areas sealed or covered
• Cloth chairs need to be replaced or covered with plastic or vinyl
• Carpet cannot be in the lab space