CSS employee owners were part of a team of scientists at the National Institutes of Health who developed an approach to evaluating new laboratory space to determine if the space will fit operational needs. This concept, titled The BaseLINE Approach, combines traditional safety processes with additional safety and environmental factors to assess before operations begin. The term “BaseLINE” is a compound acronym of terms that combine these traditional concepts with safety and environmental terms. “Base” refers to the safety aspects of the process (building assessment of safety elements) while “line” covers environmental issues (lighting, indoor air quality, noise, and ergonomics). This assessment helps ensure additional safety measures for laboratory occupants. 

Visit this article to view the full approach.  

Congratulations to the team on this accomplishment!

*Feature photo credit: Hans Reniers, Unsplash

Design Requirements manual cover
The BaseLINE approach is based in the NIH Design Man Requirements.

See More CSS Insights

Contributing to Wind Energy Area Designations 

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) recently announced two Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) in the Gulf of Mexico. The WEAs are located off the coasts of Galveston, Texas, and Lake Charles, Louisiana and have the potential to power nearly three million homes.   BOEM collaborated with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to identify…

Map of Mississippi River Basin showing major contributing rivers.

Supporting the Mississippi River Basin Drought and Water Dashboard Development 

Congratulations to NOAA’s National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) on the launch of the Mississippi River Basin Drought and Water Dashboard. This dashboard provides crucial, timely information to support decision-making for those living and working in the basin, which spans 31 states and 40 percent of the contiguous U.S. The team created the dashboard to…

Examining Cetaceans for Contamination and Pathogens

CSS has employee owners who are experts in monitoring cetacean health. Several CSS scientists supporting NOAA’s Centers for Coastal Ocean Science have recently conducted research and tests on marine mammals to explore uncommon behaviors and causes for strandings. View some examples of this research below. Microplastics are becoming increasingly abundant in coastal and marine environments.…