| dc.description.abstract | According to the report by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development
in 1992, it was revealed that biotechnology could contribute to a nation’s development. This
may be through providing better health care, enhancing food security, improving supplies of
portable water, sustainable methods of afforestation and reforestation, and detoxification of
hazardous wastes. However, participation in modern biotechnology had safety challenges
especially with the developing nations, since they didn’t have the capacity to handle the
associated risks though they also needed to participate so that they may partake of its
benefits. Biosafety guidelines were then formulated to regulate the practice. Due to the rapid
advancements and epidemic outbreaks, more research has been conducted on how to protect
the workers, community and the environment from the associated risks, in the line of
equipment and practices or work procedure. Little attention has therefore been paid to the
infrastructure (built environment) and its impact on the safety of workers. The researcher,
therefore, wants to find out how the architecture of biosafety level three (BSL-3) laboratories
affects the safety of workers. This research, therefore, aims to assess the suitability of the
architectural design of biosafety level three (BSL-3) laboratories in Uganda for the safety of
the workers, community, and the environment at large. The researcher took a case study of
the TB culture laboratory at the Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Health
Sciences in Mulago.
To make the above assessment, the researcher based on concepts that include; legal policy,
spatial layout, spatial functionality, and spatial quality while conducting a review of the
existing literature in relation to biosafety in containment (BSL-3) units.
Collection of data findings in the quest to answer the research questions why by the
qualitative and quantitative methods. The qualitative methods include; interviews,
observation, photography, and field sketching. The quantitative method used was taking
measurements in the facility.
Based on the analysis and discussions of the findings of the field study, it was revealed that
little attention was paid to the needs of the workers in these facilities. Recommendations for
an appropriate design for biosafety level three laboratories were then made, in an effort to
enhance the ability of the built environment in BSL-3 laboratories in ensuring the safety of
workers, the community, and the environment at large. | en_US |
