About Preconference course F - The Biocontainment Challenge: BSL2 to BSL3 Upgrade Simulation Game

Instructors
Vips Halkjaer-Knudsen (DK) and Faye Litherland (UK)

Upgrading an operational BSL2 laboratory to BSL3 is a significantly different process than designing a brand-new BSL3 facility, where budgets, expectations, and design principles are established from the beginning. Retrofitting presents an entirely different challenge. Many initiatives start with internal enthusiasm, often from scientific staff who believe the upgrade mainly involves adding a pass-through autoclave or creating a curved floor-to-wall transition. The shift from “minimise release” to “prevent release” is much more complex than it seems, and the hidden complexities, costs, and constraints of old infrastructure are easy to underestimate. This immersive simulation game places participants in the role of biosafety consultants tasked with navigating exactly these challenges.

The participants must: integrate advanced containment systems into legacy infrastructure, ensuring compliance within tight timelines and budgets, and sometimes maintaining partial operations during construction. Through interactive sessions, participants will analyse an existing BSL2 layout, identify compliance gaps, propose upgrade strategies, and respond to crises both during the retrofit and after commissioning. The exercise combines technical problem-solving with real-world constraints to deliver a dynamic, engaging learning experience.

Level of interaction:

~70% interactive
~30% structured

Target audience:

• Biosafety professionals and biorisk managers
• Laboratory supervisors and staff

Learning Objectives:

By the end of the exercise, participants will be able to:

1. Identify compliance gaps between BSL2 and BSL3 requirements using recognised international biosafety standards, with specific attention to challenges that arise when upgrading legacy infrastructure.
2. Develop realistic upgrade strategies that integrate architectural, HVAC, utilities, and secure personnel/material flow modifications into an already operating building where space, routing, and historical design choices limit what is possible.
3. Assess operational continuity options, including phased construction upgrades and temporary containment measures when partial operations must be maintained, and understand how these choices influence risk, timelines, and scientific output.
4. Apply structured risk assessment methods in retrofit conditions to prioritise mitigation strategies and communicate residual risks in a way that supports technical, managerial, and scientific decision-making.
5. Demonstrate crisis management skills in scenarios involving upgrade issues such as construction setbacks, commissioning failures, and initial operational challenges in a newly upgraded BSL3 area.
6. Reflect on the challenges of retrofit projects, including underestimated costs, tight deadlines, competing stakeholder expectations, and the importance of consistent, transparent communication throughout the upgrade and early operation phases.

Main topics

• Identifying compliance gaps
• Developing retrofit upgrade strategies
• Maintaining Operational Continuity During Upgrades
• Applying Structured Risk Assessment in Retrofit Contexts
• Crisis and Issue Management During Upgrades
• Reflecting on Retrofit Project Challenges