Chapter 5 - Pre-occupancy Planning, Commission, Qualification and Validation Testing

Abstract

This chapter elaborates the importance of preoccupancy planning, commissioning, and qualification and validation testing in building a new animal facility. It is important to do careful and meticulous preplanning, and establishing expected outcomes before work is performed or completed. There is often a point of no return or a very expensive remedy is needed to correct mistakes after the actual job has been started or completed. It is important to apply this principle to all the physical systems within a new facility and their use once a building is finished, and also how easily the testing and monitoring of these systems can be performed upon completion. Initially, this principle must be applied on the basis of design phase of a facility project and included in the documents. To ensure a successful final result, significant time and attention to detail need to be devoted to these documents. The chapter starts with a discussion on the importance of developing a testing methodology plan and document. It then elaborates different aspects of installation of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system in the facility. The direct and indirect assessment for cage-washing equipment is also discussed. The chapter concludes with a discussion on electrical and lighting system installation, and noise testing.